Biology (BS)
This program was approved for students entering the university in the Summer 2018–Spring 2019 catalog year. For more information about catalog year, go to Catalog Year Information.
Bachelor of Science in Biology (BIOLBS CEL; BIOLBS ECO; BIOLBS GEN)
Unit: College of Arts and Sciences (AS)
Department: Biology
Program Information
There are two undergraduate degree programs offered in the Biology Department, a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Biology and a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Biology.
Bachelor of Science degrees are designed so that students get a particularly strong background in their area of interest in biology, cell/physiology, or ecology, but still have some flexibility to take courses of interest. Compared to the BA degree, the BS degree requires more science, both in biology and in another field (physics or geosciences), a specific calculus course, and one less course in a foreign language. Each of the tracks in the BS degree also requires courses specific to the field of interest. BS degrees are valuable for students wanting to find employment in a biological field without further formal education, for students planning to attend graduate or professional school, and for students who hope to become teachers.
Completion of this degree requires work to be submitted for the department’s Learning Outcomes Measurement. For details, contact the department.
Degree Summary
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
General Education Requirements 1 | 31 | |
(10 hours of General Education requirements may be satisfied through coursework required by the degree program) | ||
College/School Requirements | 13-15 | |
Program/Major Requirements 1 | 64-70 | |
Track Requirements | 23-45 | |
Minimum Total Hours | 121 |
1 | Some courses required in this degree program may satisfy multiple requirements. To complete the degree in the minimum number of hours listed, some hours from the General Education Requirements must be satisfied by courses defined by the unit and/or program. Using other courses to satisfy General Education requirements will require additional hours to complete the degree requirements. See the Degree Requirements and Track tabs for specific coursework. |
Specific coursework information can be found on the Degree Requirements tab.
Accelerated BA-BS/MS in Biology
Students who wish to pursue an accelerated non-thesis master's degree in Biology (BA-BS/MS) will be allowed to apply up to nine (9) hours of coursework taken for graduate credit while enrolled as an undergraduate. An additional twenty-four (24) hours of graduate coursework will constitute the minimum number of credit hours for obtaining the non-thesis masters in the accelerated program.
Early Start Program (Jointly with the College of Education and Human Development)
The Master of Arts in Teaching program in conjunction with the undergraduate programs in Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics offers a comprehensive and professionally-focused program leading to an additional degree of MAT Middle or Secondary Education. This early start program enables superior students to receive two degrees within five years. A total of 148 credits are required for the dual degrees: 121 credits of coursework devoted toward the baccalaureate degree and 36 credits toward the MAT, with nine hours double-counted. This program will be available for students who are entering their junior year. They may take graduate level courses in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) in their 4th year of study.
The current qualifications for the joint degree program have been agreed upon by discipline faculty from the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Education and Human Development. The criteria vary by discipline. Students enrolling in the accelerated program will be non-thesis students and must adhere to all policies pertaining to Graduate Students. All interested students must submit an application to the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) MAT program and meet the admission criteria.
Departmental Admission Requirements
Admission to the Bachelor of Science in Biology requires the following:
- Completion of BIOL 240, BIOL 242 and BIOL 244 with a grade of C or better
- Completion of MATH 111 with a grade of C or better OR placement into a mathematics course above the level of MATH 111 on the basis of either the University of Louisville mathematics placement examination or ACT/SAT score
- A minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.0.
The Application for Major form can be found on the Arts & Sciences Advising Center website: louisville.edu/artsandsciences/advising/apply.
General Education Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
General Education Requirements * | 31 | |
The following courses are required by the program and can satisfy the respective General Education Requirement: | ||
BIOL 240 | Unity of Life - S | 3 |
BIOL 244 | Principles of Biology Laboratory - SL | 2 |
MATH 205 | Calculus I - QR | 4 |
CHEM 201 | General Chemistry I - S | 3 |
*All degrees require the completion of the University-wide General Education Program (link provided above). To complete the degree in the minimum number of hours listed on the Overview tab, some hours from the General Education Requirements must be satisfied by courses defined by the unit and/or program. If additional hours taken within the program also satisfy General Education requirements, students may need to take additional electives to satisfy the minimum hours required for the degree.
College/School Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Arts & Sciences Requirements | ||
GEN 100 | Student Success Center Orientation | 1 |
or GEN 101 | Arts and Sciences Orientation | |
Foreign Language 1 | 6-8 | |
Electives in Humanities or Social Sciences at the 300-level or above 2 | 6 | |
WR - two approved courses at the 300 level or above 3 | ||
Minimum Total Hours | 13-15 |
Program/Major Requirements
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Department of Biology | ||
BIOL 240 | Unity of Life - S 4 | 3 |
BIOL 242 | Diversity of Life | 3 |
BIOL 244 | Principles of Biology Laboratory - SL 4 | 2 |
BIOL 329 | Cellular and Molecular Biology | 3 |
BIOL 330 | Genetics and Molecular Biology | 3 |
BIOL 331 | Genetics and Molecular Biology: Laboratory | 2 |
BIOL 363 | Principles of Ecology | 3 |
BIOL 409 | Evolutionary Biology - CUE (CUE) | 3 |
Completion of one of the tracks | 15-30 | |
Biology Electives (to reach a minimum total of 48 hours in Biology) 5 | 12-14 | |
Supporting Courses | ||
MATH 205 | Calculus I - QR 4 | 4 |
BIOL 350 | Biostatistics (or advisor-approved statistics course) | 3 |
CHEM 201 | General Chemistry I - S 4 | 3 |
CHEM 202 | General Chemistry II - S | 3 |
CHEM 207 & CHEM 208 | Introduction to Chemical Analysis I - SL Introduction to Chemical Analysis II - SL | 2 |
CHEM 209 | Introduction to Chemical Analysis III | 1 |
CHEM 341 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
CHEM 343 | Organic Chemistry Laboratory I | 2 |
Electives 6 | (varies) | |
Minimum Total Hours | 55-57 |
Only 60 hours in the major department may be applied toward the Bachelor of Arts Degree.
At least 50 of the total minimum hours required must be at the 300 level or above.
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Culminating Undergraduate Experience (Graduation requirement) | ||
Requirement fulfilled by completing one of the following: | ||
Undergraduate Research - CUE | ||
Undergraduate Research (WR) - CUE, WR | ||
Evolutionary Biology - CUE | ||
Biology of the Cell - CUE, WR | ||
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant - CUE | ||
Global Change Ecology - CUE | ||
Developmental Biology - CUE, WR | ||
Microbial Physiology - CUE, WR | ||
Biology Internship - CUE | ||
Medicinal Plant Biochemistry - CUE, WR | ||
Experimental Design and Analysis - CUE |
1 | Completion of the second semester of a single foreign language; hours will vary depending on language taken |
2 | In addition to courses counted toward General Education |
3 | May be incorporated into other degree requirements |
4 | Fulfills General Education requirement. |
5 | Note: BIOL 102, BIOL 104, BIOL 257, BIOL 258, BIOL 260, BIOL 261, BIOL 262 and BIOL 263, may not count toward electives in the major. A maximum of 6 hours of undergraduate research or independent study may count toward the major. |
6 | No electives are initially required in this program, however, students who fulfill Quantitative Reasoning and Natural Science General Education requirements with courses in the major or supporting courses may have elective hours. |
BS in Biology Tracks
Track in Genetics/Subcellular (BIOLBS GEN)
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Organic Chemistry | ||
CHEM 342 & CHEM 344 | Organic Chemistry II Organic Chemistry Laboratory II | 5 |
Track Requirements | ||
Select 3-4 hours from the following: | 3-4 | |
Undergraduate Research - CUE | ||
Undergraduate Research (WR) - CUE, WR | ||
Biotechnology Methods - WR | ||
BIOL 415 | Biology of the Cell - CUE, WR | 3 |
or BIOL 542 | Gene Structure and Function - WR | |
BIOL 540 | Intermediary Metabolism | 3 |
or CHEM 445 | Survey of Biochemistry | |
Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
General Microbiology Microbiology Laboratory | ||
Histology | ||
Developmental Biology - CUE, WR | ||
Principles of Physiology | ||
Supporting Courses | ||
Select one of the following sequences: | 6-8 | |
Fundamentals of Physics I - S Fundamentals of Physics II - S Fundamentals of Physics Lab I - SL Fundamentals of Physics Laboratory II - SL | ||
OR | ||
Geology for Scientists and Engineers | ||
or GEOS 367 | Geomorphology | |
AND select one from the following: | ||
Introduction to Remote Sensing | ||
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | ||
Climate Science | ||
Biogeography | ||
Minimum Total Hours | 23-27 |
Track in Cellular/Physiology (BIOLBS CEL)
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Organic Chemistry | ||
CHEM 342 & CHEM 344 | Organic Chemistry II Organic Chemistry Laboratory II | 5 |
Track Requirements | ||
BIOL 465 | Principles of Physiology | 3 |
Select 3 courses from the following: | 9-12 | |
Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | ||
General Microbiology | ||
Microbiology Laboratory | ||
Histology | ||
Evolutionary Biology - CUE | ||
Biology of the Cell - CUE, WR | ||
Endocrinology | ||
Evolutionary Medicine | ||
Chronic Disease Biology | ||
BIOL 540 | Intermediary Metabolism | 3 |
or CHEM 445 | Survey of Biochemistry | |
Supporting Courses | ||
Select one of the following sequences: | 6-8 | |
Fundamentals of Physics I - S Fundamentals of Physics II - S Fundamentals of Physics Lab I - SL Fundamentals of Physics Laboratory II - SL | ||
OR | ||
Geology for Scientists and Engineers | ||
or GEOS 367 | Geomorphology | |
AND select one from the following: | ||
Introduction to Remote Sensing | ||
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | ||
Climate Science | ||
Biogeography | ||
Minimum Total Hours | 26-31 |
Track in Ecology (BIOLBS ECO)
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Ecology Core Curriculum: | ||
BIOL 401 | Advanced Ecology | 3 |
BIOL 562 | Ecosystems Ecology | 3 |
BIOL 563 | Population and Community Ecology | 3 |
Select at least one course from each of the following three categories: | ||
Plant Ecology | 3 | |
Plant Biology - WR | ||
Plant Taxonomy & Ecology - WR | ||
Chemical Ecology - WR | ||
Animal Ecology | 3 | |
Vertebrate Zoology | ||
Animal Behavior | ||
Entomology | ||
Ornithology | ||
Environmental Physiology | ||
Systems and Evolutionary Ecology | 3 | |
Evolutionary Ecology of Disease | ||
Global Change Ecology - CUE | ||
Ecology of Urban and Suburban Landscapes | ||
Conservation Biology | ||
Select two additional courses from any of the three categories above | 6 | |
Biology electives at the 300 level or above | 6 | |
Supporting Courses | ||
PHYS 221 & PHYS 222 & PHYS 223 & PHYS 224 | Fundamentals of Physics I - S Fundamentals of Physics II - S Fundamentals of Physics Lab I - SL Fundamentals of Physics Laboratory II - SL | 8 |
Select any two of the following options: | 6-7 | |
Organic Chemistry II Organic Chemistry Laboratory II | ||
Introduction to Remote Sensing | ||
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | ||
Geology for Scientists and Engineers | ||
Climate Science | ||
Biogeography | ||
Geomorphology | ||
Urban Demography and GIS | ||
Minimum Total Hours | 44-45 |
Flight Plan
Track in Genetics/Subcellular
Year 1 | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Hours | |
GEN 100 or GEN 101 |
Student Success Center Orientation or Arts and Sciences Orientation |
1 |
ENGL 101 | Introduction to College Writing - WC | 3 |
Foreign Language 1 | 3-4 | |
BIOL 240 | Unity of Life - S | 3 |
CHEM 201 | General Chemistry I - S | 3 |
CHEM 207 | Introduction to Chemical Analysis I - SL | 1 |
CHEM 208 | Introduction to Chemical Analysis II - SL | 1 |
Hours | 15-16 | |
Spring | ||
ENGL 102 | Intermediate College Writing - WC | 3 |
Foreign Language 2 | 3-4 | |
BIOL 242 | Diversity of Life | 3 |
BIOL 244 | Principles of Biology Laboratory - SL | 2 |
CHEM 202 | General Chemistry II - S | 3 |
CHEM 209 | Introduction to Chemical Analysis III | 1 |
Hours | 15-16 | |
Year 2 | ||
Fall | ||
General Education: Cardinal Core Oral Communication - OC | 3 | |
MATH 205 | Calculus I - QR | 4 |
CHEM 341 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
CHEM 343 | Organic Chemistry Laboratory I | 2 |
BIOL 329 | Cellular and Molecular Biology | 3 |
Hours | 15 | |
Spring | ||
General Education: Cardinal Core Arts & Humanities Global Diversity - AHD2 | 3 | |
General Education: Cardinal Core Social & Behavioral Sciences Historical Perspective - SBH | 3 | |
CHEM 342 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
CHEM 344 | Organic Chemistry Laboratory II | 2 |
BIOL 330 | Genetics and Molecular Biology | 3 |
BIOL 331 | Genetics and Molecular Biology: Laboratory | 2 |
Hours | 16 | |
Year 3 | ||
Fall | ||
General Education: Cardinal Core Social & Behavioral Sciences US Diversity - SBD1 | 3 | |
General Education: Cardinal Core Arts & Humanities - AH | 3 | |
PHYS 221 or GEOS 301 |
Fundamentals of Physics I - S or Geology for Scientists and Engineers |
3 |
PHYS 223 | Fundamentals of Physics Lab I - SL ( (if taking PHYS 221)) | 1 |
BIOL 363 | Principles of Ecology | 3 |
Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
Undergraduate Research - CUE | ||
Undergraduate Research (WR) - CUE, WR | ||
Biotechnology Methods - WR | ||
Hours | 15-16 | |
Spring | ||
Humanities or Social Science WR elective (300 level or above) | 3 | |
BIOL 350 | Biostatistics | 3 |
Select one or two of the following as appropriate: | 3-4 | |
Fundamentals of Physics II - S | ||
Fundamentals of Physics Laboratory II - SL ( (only if taking PHYS 222)) | ||
Climate Science | ||
Introduction to Remote Sensing | ||
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | ||
BIOL 465 | Principles of Physiology | 3 |
BIOL 415 or BIOL 542 |
Biology of the Cell - CUE, WR or Gene Structure and Function - WR |
3 |
Hours | 15-16 | |
Year 4 | ||
Fall | ||
BIOL 409 | Evolutionary Biology - CUE | 3 |
CHEM 445 or BIOL 540 |
Survey of Biochemistry or Intermediary Metabolism |
3 |
Humanities or Social Science WR elective (300 level or above) | 3 | |
Biology Electives | 6 | |
Hours | 15 | |
Spring | ||
Select one or two of the following as appropriate: | 3-4 | |
General Microbiology | ||
Microbiology Laboratory ( (only if taking BIOL 357)) | ||
Histology | ||
Developmental Biology - CUE, WR | ||
Biology Elective | 3-4 | |
Biology Elective | 3-4 | |
Humanities or Social Science Elective (300 level or above) | 3 | |
General Elective | 3 | |
Hours | 15-18 | |
Minimum Total Hours | 121-128 |
Track in Cellular/Physiology
Year 1 | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Hours | |
GEN 100 or GEN 101 |
Student Success Center Orientation or Arts and Sciences Orientation |
1 |
ENGL 101 | Introduction to College Writing - WC | 3 |
Foreign Language 1 | 3-4 | |
BIOL 240 | Unity of Life - S | 3 |
CHEM 201 | General Chemistry I - S | 3 |
CHEM 207 | Introduction to Chemical Analysis I - SL | 1 |
CHEM 208 | Introduction to Chemical Analysis II - SL | 1 |
Hours | 16 | |
Spring | ||
ENGL 102 | Intermediate College Writing - WC | 3 |
Foreign Language 2 | 3-4 | |
BIOL 242 | Diversity of Life | 3 |
BIOL 244 | Principles of Biology Laboratory - SL | 2 |
CHEM 202 | General Chemistry II - S | 3 |
CHEM 209 | Introduction to Chemical Analysis III | 1 |
Hours | 16 | |
Year 2 | ||
Fall | ||
General Education: Cardinal Core Oral Communication - OC | 3 | |
BIOL 329 | Cellular and Molecular Biology | 3 |
MATH 205 | Calculus I - QR | 4 |
CHEM 341 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
CHEM 343 | Organic Chemistry Laboratory I | 2 |
Hours | 15 | |
Spring | ||
General Education: Cardinal Core Arts & Humanities Global Diversity - AHD2 | 3 | |
BIOL 330 | Genetics and Molecular Biology | 3 |
BIOL 331 | Genetics and Molecular Biology: Laboratory | 2 |
CHEM 342 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
CHEM 344 | Organic Chemistry Laboratory II | 2 |
Biology Elective | 3 | |
Hours | 16 | |
Year 3 | ||
Fall | ||
BIOL 363 | Principles of Ecology | 3 |
BIOL 540 or CHEM 445 |
Intermediary Metabolism or Survey of Biochemistry |
3 |
Select one or two of the following as appropriate | 3-4 | |
Fundamentals of Physics I - S | ||
Fundamentals of Physics Lab I - SL (only if taking PHYS 221) | ||
Geology for Scientists and Engineers | ||
Geomorphology | ||
Humanities or Social Science WR Course (300 level or above) | 3 | |
General Education: Cardinal Core Social & Behavioral Sciences Historical Perspective - SBH | 3 | |
Hours | 16 | |
Spring | ||
BIOL 350 or PSYC 301 |
Biostatistics or Statistics for Psychology |
3 |
BIOL 465 | Principles of Physiology | 3 |
Cellular/Physiology Track Course | 3-4 | |
Select one or two of the following as appropriate: | 3-4 | |
Fundamentals of Physics II - S | ||
Fundamentals of Physics Laboratory II - SL (only if taking PHYS 222) | ||
Climate Science | ||
Biogeography | ||
Introduction to Remote Sensing | ||
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | ||
General Education: Cardinal Core Social & Behavioral Sciences US Diversity - SBD1 | 3 | |
Hours | 15-17 | |
Year 4 | ||
Fall | ||
BIOL 409 | Evolutionary Biology - CUE | 3 |
Cellular/Physiology Track Course | 3-4 | |
Biology Electives | 6 | |
General elective | 3 | |
Hours | 15-16 | |
Spring | ||
Cellular/Physiology Track Course | 3-4 | |
Biology Elective | 3-4 | |
General Education: Cardinal Core Arts & Humanities - AH | 3 | |
Humanities or Social Science WR Course (300 level or above) | 3 | |
Hours | 12-14 | |
Minimum Total Hours | 121-126 |
Track in Ecology
Year 1 | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Hours | |
GEN 100 or GEN 101 |
Student Success Center Orientation or Arts and Sciences Orientation |
1 |
ENGL 101 | Introduction to College Writing - WC | 3 |
Foreign Language 1 | 3-4 | |
CHEM 201 | General Chemistry I - S | 3 |
CHEM 207 | Introduction to Chemical Analysis I - SL | 1 |
CHEM 208 | Introduction to Chemical Analysis II - SL | 1 |
BIOL 240 | Unity of Life - S | 3 |
Hours | 15-16 | |
Spring | ||
ENGL 102 | Intermediate College Writing - WC | 3 |
Foreign Language 2 | 3-4 | |
CHEM 202 | General Chemistry II - S | 3 |
CHEM 209 | Introduction to Chemical Analysis III | 1 |
BIOL 242 | Diversity of Life | 3 |
BIOL 244 | Principles of Biology Laboratory - SL | 2 |
Hours | 15-16 | |
Year 2 | ||
Fall | ||
General Education: Cardinal Core Oral Communication - OC | 3 | |
MATH 205 | Calculus I - QR | 4 |
BIOL 329 | Cellular and Molecular Biology | 3 |
Ecology Supporting Course (one of the following): | 3-4 | |
Organic Chemistry II Organic Chemistry Laboratory II |
||
Introduction to Remote Sensing | ||
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | ||
Geology for Scientists and Engineers | ||
Climate Science | ||
Biogeography | ||
Geomorphology | ||
Urban Demography and GIS | ||
Hours | 13-14 | |
Spring | ||
General Education: Cardinal Core Arts & Humanities Global Diversity - AHD2 | 3 | |
General Education: Cardinal Core Social & Behavioral Sciences Historical Perspective - SBH | 3 | |
CHEM 342 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
CHEM 344 | Organic Chemistry Laboratory II | 2 |
BIOL 330 | Genetics and Molecular Biology | 3 |
BIOL 331 | Genetics and Molecular Biology: Laboratory | 2 |
Hours | 16 | |
Year 3 | ||
Fall | ||
General Education: Cardinal Core Social & Behavioral Sciences US Diversity - SBD1 | 3 | |
General Education: Cardinal Core Arts & Humanities - AH | 3 | |
BIOL 363 | Principles of Ecology | 3 |
Plant, Animal, or Systems and Evolutionary Ecology elective 1 | 3 | |
PHYS 221 | Fundamentals of Physics I - S | 3 |
PHYS 223 | Fundamentals of Physics Lab I - SL (only if taking PHYS 221) | 1 |
Hours | 16 | |
Spring | ||
BIOL 350 or PSYC 301 |
Biostatistics or Statistics for Psychology |
3 |
Plant, Animal, or Systems and Evolutionary Ecology elective 2 | 3 | |
Biology elective (300 level or above) | 3 | |
Ecology elective 1 | 3 | |
PHYS 222 | Fundamentals of Physics II - S | 3 |
PHYS 224 | Fundamentals of Physics Laboratory II - SL (only if taking PHYS 222)) | 1 |
Hours | 16 | |
Year 4 | ||
Fall | ||
BIOL 401 | Advanced Ecology | 3 |
BIOL 402 | Advanced Ecology Lab | 2 |
BIOL 409 | Evolutionary Biology - CUE | 3 |
Plant, Animal, or Systems and Evolutionary Ecology elective 3 | 3 | |
Biology elective (300 level or above) | 3-4 | |
Humanities/Social Science Elective (300 level or above) | 3 | |
Hours | 17-18 | |
Spring | ||
BIOL 562 | Ecosystems Ecology | 3 |
BIOL 563 | Population and Community Ecology | 3 |
Ecology elective 2 | 3 | |
Humanities/Social Science Elective (300 level or above) | 3 | |
Ecology Supporting Course (one of the following): | 3 | |
Organic Chemistry II Organic Chemistry Laboratory II |
||
Introduction to Remote Sensing | ||
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | ||
Geology for Scientists and Engineers | ||
Climate Science | ||
Biogeography | ||
Geomorphology | ||
Urban Demography and GIS | ||
Hours | 15 | |
Minimum Total Hours | 123-127 |
Degree Audit reports illustrate how your completed courses fulfill the requirements of your academic plan. What-if reports allow you to compare the courses you have completed in your current academic plan to the courses required in another academic plan. For both reports, please consult with your advisor before editing your course schedule.
To create either report:
- Log into your ULink account.
- Click on the Student Services tab.
- Next, click on "View my Academic Advisement Report" to run a Degree Audit report in the Undergraduate Advising area.
- To create a What-if report, click on "Create a What-if Advisement Report."
Click here to run a Degree Audit report, or create a What-if report.