Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics Requirements

In addition to CHEM 1701-1702 or CHEM 1601-1602 and the accompanying laboratory courses CHEM 1751-1752, biology majors are required to take CHEM 2561 (CHEM 2501/2551 starting FL26) and either CHEM 2562 (CHEM 2502/2552 starting FL26) or CHEM 4010; PHYSICS 1740/1741 and 1742/1743 (or PHYSICS 1760/1741 and PHYSICS 1762/1743); MATH 1520 (Calculus II) and one of the following: SDS 2020, MATH 2130, or SDS 3020. Courses taken in CAPS, Washington University's evening school, do not meet these or any other major requirements.  Students who plan to take physical chemistry must take MATH 2130 (Calculus III).  SDS 2020 or SDS 3020 (Elementary Probability and Statistics; required for tracks in Ecology and Evolution, Genomics and Computational Biology, and Microbiology) and SDS 3010 (Biostatistics) are valuable, particularly in research. 

Majors ordinarily begin work in biology with BIOL 2960 in spring of freshman year*. After completing CHEM 1701-1702 or CHEM 1601-1602 and the accompanying laboratories CHEM 1751-1752, also taken during the first year, students proceed to BIOL 2970 and then upper-level classes in the sophomore year, accompanied by organic chemistry (CHEM 2561-2562 [changing to CHEM 2501/2551 and CHEM 2502/2552 in FL2026]). BIOL 2960 and BIOL 2970 are required for majors and appropriate for premedical and predental students with other majors.

A typical program for the first two years looks like this:

* Optional biology courses of interest to prospective majors are offered in fall of freshman year: BIOL 1112 (Introduction to Problem-Based Learning in Biology), BIOL 1440 (The Biology of Cancer), BIOL 1499 (Molecular Biology of Genetic Disease), BIOL 1171 (Neuroscience Futures 1), BIOL 1812 (Introduction to Cutting-Edge Research in Biology), ANTHRO 1811 (Research and Conservation in Zoos and Botanical Gardens), BIOL 1910 (Phage Hunters Laboratory), BIOL 1210 (The Science of Biotechnology), BIOL 2431 (Missouri’s Natural Heritage), BIOL 2150 (Introduction to Environmental Biology).

Advanced Biology Requirement

At least eighteen units in approved advanced Biology courses (numbered 3000 or above that are listed as counting toward the major ) are required. Courses that may be counted toward these 18 units are listed following BIOL 2960 and BIOL 2970 in the section 'Courses for Biology-Major Credit'.  At least one course in each of three distribution areas (A-C) and an advanced laboratory course must be taken; each of these courses counts toward the required 18 advanced biology units. Up to 6 units of upper level Biology Independent Research (4950, etc.) may be counted toward the 18 advanced biology units.

Three Areas of Biology Required (Fall 2026 offerings in bold):

• Area A: Plant Biology and Genetic Engineering (BIOL 3041); Human Genetics (BIOL 3240); Cell Biology (BIOL 3340); Eukaryotic Genomes (BIOL 3371); Parasitology (BIOL 3481); Fundamentals of Microbiology (BIOL 3490); Immunology (BIOL 4240); Virology (BIOL 4242); Epigenetics (BIOL 4345); Infectious Diseases: History, Pathology, and Prevention (BIOL 4492); General Biochemistry (BIOL 4510); General Biochemistry I (CHEM 4810); General Biochemistry II (CHEM 4820)
• Area B: Physiological Control Systems (BIOL 3057); Endocrinology (BIOL 3151); Principles in Human Physiology (BIOL 3280); Principles of the Nervous System (BIOL 3411); Introduction to Neuroethology (BIOL 3421); Genes, Brains and Behavior (BIOL 3422); Great Discoveries in Neuroscience (BIOL 3424); How Plants Work: Physiology, Growth and Metabolism (BIOL 4026); Biological Clocks (BIOL 4030); Developmental Biology (BIOL 4071); Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology (BIOL 4072); Human Reproductive Physiology (REPRSCI 5000); Cell-Based Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (BIOL 4381); Principles of Human Anatomy and Development (ANTHRO 4581)
• Area C: A History of Genetics in the twentieth century (BIOL 3183); Darwin and Evolutionary Controversies (BIOL 3470); Microbes and the Environment (BIOL 3494); Evolution (BIOL 3501); Animal Behavior (BIOL 3700); Introduction to Ecology (BIOL 3810); Biology of Mammals (BIOL 4010); Population Genetics and Microevolution (BIOL 4181); Macroevolution (BIOL 4182); Molecular Evolution (BIOL 4183); Community Ecology (BIOL 4197); Disease Ecology (BIOL 4195); Behavioral Ecology (BIOL 4720)

Laboratory Requirements

An upper-level laboratory course chosen from the following list is required for the biology major.  Students planning to pursue research careers in the biomedical sciences are strongly urged to take additional laboratory courses. NOTE: Biology Independent Research (4950, etc.) does not satisfy the laboratory course requirement for the biology major.

BIOL 3110   Vertebrate Structure Laboratory (fall, spring)
BIOL 3111   Human and Comparative Anatomy (fall, spring) Replaces BIOL 3110 starting Fall 2026
PHYSICS 3324  Biophysics Laboratory (fall)
BIOL 3423   Behavioral Genetics Laboratory (spring)*
BIOL 3491   Microbiology Laboratory (fall, spring, summer session 1)*
BIOL 3492   Laboratory Experiments with Eukaryotic Microbes (spring, odd years)*
BIOL 3493   Bacterial Bioprospecting and Biotechnology (fall)*
BIOL 4040   Laboratory of Neurophysiology (fall)*
BIOL 4193   Experimental Ecology Laboratory (fall)*
BIOL 4220   Practical Bioinformatics (fall)* Not offered 2026
BIOL 4342/4343 Research Explorations in Genomics (fall)*
BIOL 4346   Next-Gen Genetics (spring)*
BIOL 4370   DNA Manipulations Lab (TBA)
BIOL 4522   Laboratory in Protein Analysis, Proteomics, and Protein Structure (spring)*
BIOL 4523   Molecular Methods in Enzyme Analysis (fall)*
BIOL 4525   Structural Bioinformatics of Proteins (fall, spring)*
CHEM 4851 Biological Chemistry Laboratory (fall)

*Enrollment requires advance permission of the instructor.

Grades

All courses counted toward major requirements must be taken for a letter grade if a letter grade is offered. A grade of C- or better must be earned in all of these courses.

Students can declare a major in Biology online through Workday Student. Upon declaring a major in biology, typically during spring of sophomore year, a student gets a major advisor from the Biology Department faculty. Each student then consults both a four-year advisor and a Biology major advisor each semester. Major advisors typically discuss course schedules, academic progress, career objectives, pre-professional testing (e.g. MCAT, GRE), medical-school applications, research interests, and internships. An academic program and extracurricular endeavors are thereby personally tailored to each student.  Students interested in health professions (e.g. medical, dental, and veterinary schools) should consult the Pre-Health Advising Program to get a pre-health advisor.

Core Requirements

*bold type indicates core courses not necessarily required by the generic biology major

Advanced Laboratory Requirement

One of the following:

• BIOL 4193 Experimental Ecology Laboratory (WI)
• BIOL 4370 Laboratory on DNA manipulation
• BIOL 4342 Research Explorations in Genomics (4343 is WI version)

Advanced Evolution and Ecology Electives

Students whose main interest is ecology should take at least two ecological electives and one evolutionary elective; students whose main interest is evolution should take at least two evolutionary electives and one ecological elective.

Ecology:

• BIOL 3700* Animal Behavior
• BIOL 3810 Introduction to Ecology
• BIOL 4197 Community Ecology
• BIOL 4195 Disease Ecology
• BIOL 4720* Behavioral Ecology

* A student may not take more than one of the courses BIOL 3700 and BIOL 4720 for credit.

Evolution

• BIOL 3220 Woody Plants of Missouri
• BIOL 3501 Evolution
• BIOL 4181 Population Genetics and Microevolution
• BIOL 4182 Macroevolution
• BIOL 4183 Molecular Evolution

Outside Elective Courses

Analytical Methodology (select one):

• CSE 1301 Computer Science I
• SDS 3110 Biostatistics

Earth and Planetary Sciences (select one):

• EEPS 2010 Earth and the Environment
• EEPS 2020 Earth, Environmental, & Planetary Sci
• EEPS 3230 Biogeochemistry

Biology Major Areas A&B Electives

Students should select one course each from biology major areas A and B outlined in the Advanced Biology Requirement section under Biology Major above, according to personal interests.

Core Requirements

*bold type indicates core courses not necessarily required by the generic biology major

Advanced Genomics/Computational Biology elective

At least one of the following:

• BIOL 3240 Human Genetics
• BIOL 3371 Eukaryotic Genomes (offered fall 2024 only)
• BIOL 4183 Molecular Evolution
• BIOL 4345 Epigenetics
• BIOL 5480 Nucleic Acids and Protein Synthesis
• BIOL 5488 Genomics (lecture only)

Advanced Laboratory Requirement

One of the following:

• BIOL 3492 Laboratory Experiments with Eukaryotic Microbes
• BIOL 3493 Bacterial Bioprospecting and Biotechnology
• BIOL 4220 Practical Bioinformatics (not offered fall 2026)
• BIOL 4342 Research Explorations in Genomics

• BIOL 4343 Research Explorations in Genomics (WI)

• BIOL 4346 Next-Gen Genetics

• BIOL 4370 Laboratory on DNA Manipulation
• BIOL 4522  Laboratory in Protein Analysis, Proteomics, and Protein Structure
• BIOL 4525 Structural Bioinformatics of Protein (WI)

Electives

Recommended Advanced Biology Electives:

• BIOL 3340 Cell Biology (major area A)
• BIOL 3490 Fundamentals of Microbiology (major area A)
• BIOL 3422 Genes, Brains and Behavior (major area B)
• BIOL 4030 Biological Clocks (major area B)
• BIOL 4181 Population Genetics and Microevolution (major area C)
• BIOL 4183 Molecular Evolution (major area C)
• CHEM 4810 General Biochemistry I (major area A)

Biology Major Areas A, B & C Electives

Students should select one course each from biology major areas A, B and C according to personal interests (see recommended advanced biology electives under the Biology Major above).

Outside Elective Courses

Required:

• CSE 1301 Computer Science I
• CSE 2407 Data Structures and Algorithms

Recommended:

• MATH 2500 Differential Equations
• MATH 3300 Matrix Algebra
• Strongly Recommended: CSE 2400 Logic and Discrete Mathematics

Core Requirements

*bold type indicates core courses not required by the generic biology major; enrollment in BIOL 349 is highly recommended at the Sophomore level, as BIOL 3490 is a prerequisite for multiple courses in the Track

Advanced Laboratory Requirement

At least one of the following:

• BIOL 3491 Microbiology Laboratory
• BIOL 3492 Laboratory Experiments with Eukaryotic Microbes
• BIOL 3493 Bacterial Bioprospecting and Biotechnology
• BIOL 4370 Laboratory on DNA Manipulation

Electives

Advanced Microbiology Electives

At least one of the following:

• BIOL 3481 Parasitology
• BIOL 3494 Microbes and the Environment
• BIOL 4242 Virology
• BIOL 4492 Infectious Disease: History, Pathology & Prevention
• BIOL 5426 Infectious Disease Gateway: Translational and Public Health

Allied Elective Courses

At least one of the following:

• BIOL 1910 AMP: Phage Hunters* & Biol 1920 AMP: Phage Bioinformatics*
• BIOL 4240 Immunology
• CHEM 4830 Bioorganic Chemistry
• EEPS 3230 Biogeochemistry

*Both BIOL 1910 and BIOL 1920 must be taken for Track credit

Biology Major Areas B&C Electives

Students should select one course each from biology major areas B and C, outlined under the Advanced Biology Requirement for the Biology Major above. BIOL 3501 Evolution is highly recommended for Area C.

Total upper-level (3000+) credits earned in major-track biology courses and allied electives must be at least 24.

Core Requirements

*bold type indicates core courses not required by the generic biology major

** Students planning to enter Ph.D. programs in biochemistry should note that many such programs require physical chemistry (CHEM 4010 & 4020; prerequisite MATH 2130)

Advanced Biology Requirement

One of the following:

• BIOL 3340 Cell Biology
• BIOL 3490 Fundamentals of Microbiology

Advanced Laboratory Requirement

One of the following:

• BIOL 3423 Behavioral Genetics Lab
• BIOL 3491 Microbiology Laboratory
• BIOL 3492 Laboratory Experiments with Eukaryotic Microbes
• BIOL 3493 Bacterial Bioprospecting and Biotechnology
• BIOL 4342 Research Exploration in Genomics (can be taken as 4343 WI)
• BIOL 4370  Laboratory on DNA Manipulation
• BIOL 4522 Laboratory in Protein Analysis, Proteomics and Protein Structure
• BIOL 4523 Molecular Methods in Enzyme Analysis
• BIOL 4525 Structural Bioinformatics of Proteins
• CHEM 4851  Biological Chemistry Laboratory
• CHEM 4079 Instrumental Methods: Physical Chem Lab
• CHEM 4570 Polymer Synthesis Lab
• CHEM 4760 Inorganic Chemistry Lab

Electives

Recommended Advanced Biology Electives

• BIOL 3041 Plant Bio & Genetic Engineering (major area A)
• BIOL 4026 How Plants Work (major area B)
• BIOL 4071 Developmental Biology (major area B)
• BIOL 4183 Molecular Evolution (major area C)
• BIOL 4833 Protein Biochemistry
• BIOL 5312 Macromolecular Interactions

Biology Major Area B & C Electives

Students should select one course each from biology major areas B and C according to personal interests (see recommended advanced biology electives under the Biology Major above).

Core Requirements

*bold type indicates core courses not required by the generic biology major

Advanced Laboratory Requirement

Choose one of the following laboratory pathways:

Laboratory Pathway 1 (choose one of the following courses):

• BIOL 3423 Behavioral Genetics Laboratory (enrollment by prior permission of instructor; contact
              Erin Gerrity gerrity@wustl.edu for waitlist details)
• PHYSICS 3324 Biophysics Laboratory* (open enrollment in Workday)
• BIOL 4040 Laboratory of Neurophysiology (WI) (enrollment by prior permission of instructor, contact Erin Gerrity gerrity@wustl.edu for waitlist details)

Laboratory Pathway 2:

Any other upper-level biology laboratory course on the list of approved laboratory courses for the Biology Major (see p. 2-3) plus 6 units of upper level Independent Research in Neuroscience (BIOL 4954 and/or BIOL 4953). These units may be either credit units or audit units.

Advanced Biology Requirements

Choose one in each area:

Area A: BIOL 3340 Cell Biology; BIOL 4510 Biochemistry; CHEM 4810 Gen. Biochemistry I; CHEM 4820 Gen. Biochemistry II

Area B: BIOL 3411 Principles of the Nervous System

Area C: One course from the Advanced Biology Requirements Area C listed under the Major Requirements above.

Electives

Advanced Biology Elective

Select at least one of the following:

• BIOL 3110 Vertebrate Structure Laboratory*
• BIOL 3151 Endocrinology
• BIOL 3280 Principles in Human Physiology
• BIOL 3371 Eukaryotic Genomes
• BIOL 3421 Introduction to Neuroethology
• BIOL 3422 Genes, Brains and Behavior
• BIOL 3424 Great Discoveries in Neuroscience
• BIOL 4030 Biological Clocks
• BIOL 4345 Epigenetics
• BIOL 4370 Laboratory on DNA Manipulation*
• ANTHRO 4581 Principles of Human Anatomy and Development

Outside Elective Courses

Select at least one Psychology or Physics course from the following list:

Psychology (pre-req: PSYCH 1000)

• PSYCH 3300 Sensation and Perception
• PSYCH 3600 Cognitive Psychology
• PSYCH 3604/4604 Cognitive Neuroscience

Physics (Pre-req: PHYSICS 1740/1741-1742/1743)

• PHYSICS 3350 Physics of the Brain
• PHYSICS 3355 Physics of Vision
• PHYSICS 3324 Biophysics Lab *
• PHYSICS 4553 Topics in Theoretical Biophysics

*These laboratory courses may count toward the Advanced Laboratory Requirement or toward an Advanced Elective requirement but not simultaneously toward both requirements.

Encouraged Seminar Courses in Neuroscience

• BIOL 1171   First-Year Opportunity: Neuroscience Futures 1: How do we learn about the brain?
• BIOL 4934 Neuroscience Futures 2

Students may declare a major program in the neuroscience specialization through Workday Student. A declared major in the specialization does not guarantee eventual enrollment in the laboratory courses BIOL 3423 Behavioral Genetics Lab, BIOL 4040 Laboratory of Neurophysiology (prior permission of instructor is required for enrollment in these labs; contact Erin Gerrity gerrity@wustl.edu for waitlist details) or PHYSICS 3324 Biophysics Laboratory (enrollment by registration priority on Workday). The laboratory requirement for the neuroscience specialization can be met by any of the other courses approved for upper-level laboratory credit in biology (see p. 2-3), provided that a student also has 6 credits for BIOL 4954/4953 (Independent Research in Neuroscience). To register for BIOL 4954 or 4953, see instructions at https://sites.wustl.edu/bio200500independentresearch/.

For students with interests in Neuroscience, there are several distinct choices in Arts & Sciences. For those with broad interests in several areas of Neuroscience, either a double major or a major and minor in two of the programs listed below should be considered.

• For those with interests in the Biological Bases of Neuroscience, the Neuroscience Track of the Biology Major (outlined above) is recommended.
• For those with very strong interests in Human Cognitive Neuroscience, the Cognitive Neuroscience Major offered by the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences is recommended.
• For those interested in Human Cognitive Neuroscience but who wish to obtain a broad background in Psychology, a Supplemental Concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience offered by the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences is recommended.
• For those with interests in Philosophy and Neuroscience and Psychology, a Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology (PNP) Major is recommended. 

• Information about Neuroscience Research at Washington University, including calendar of events
• Information about Graduate Studies for a PhD in Neuroscience
• Information about Outreach Programs in Neuroscience in St. Louis
• Information about Synapse, the Undergraduate Interest Group in Neuroscience

Core Requirements

• EEPS 2010 Earth and the Environment (4 credits, lecture and lab) or EEPS 2020 Intro to Earth, Environmental & Planetary Sci (3 credits) or EEPS 2190 Energy and the Environment (3 credits) or ENST 2220 One Health: Linking the Health of Humans, Animals, and the Environment (3 credits)
• BIOL 2150 Introduction to Environmental Biology (3 credits)
• BIOL 2960 Introduction to Biology (4 credits, lecture and lab)
• BIOL 2970 Introduction to Biology (4 credits, lecture and lab)
• CHEM 1701/1751  General Chemistry I (5 credits, lecture and lab)       
   or CHEM 1601/1751  Introductory General Chemistry I (5 credits, lecture and lab)
• CHEM 1702/1752  General Chemistry II (5 credits, lecture and lab)    
   or CHEM 1602/1752  Introductory General Chemistry II (5 credits, lecture and lab)
• MATH 1510 Calculus 1 (3 credits)
• MATH 1520 Calculus 2 (3 credits)
• PHYSICS 1740/1741   Physics I (4 credits)
  or PHYSICS 1760/1741   Focused Physics I
• BIOL 3810 Intro to Ecology (3 credits)

One of the following Chemistry courses:

• CHEM 2561       Organic Chemistry 1 (4 credits, lecture and lab) (CHEM 2501/2551 starting FL26)
• EEPS 3230        Biogeochemistry (3 credits)
• EECE 2100         Introduction to Environmental Engineering (3 credits)
• EECE 5050        Aquatic Chemistry (3 credits)
• EECE 5120         Environmental Organic Chemistry (3 credits)        
• EEPS 4414         Introduction to Geochemistry (3 credits)

One of the following courses in Statistics, GIS

• CSE 1301         Introduction to Computer Science (3 credits)
• SDS 2020        Elementary Probability and Statistics (3 credits)    
• SDS 3020        Elementary to Intermediate Statistics and Data Analysis (3 credits)    
• ENST 3710       Applications in GIS (3 credits)

One Upper-Level Biology Lab Course

• Any lab course is acceptable; we recommend: BIOL 4193 Experimental Ecology Lab (4 credits, writing intensive)

One Biol 3000+ Area A or B course (see list under Biology Major requirements section)

One Biol 3000+ Area C course (see list under Biology Major requirements section)

One additional Biol 3000+ major-track course, must be at least 3 credits (may include BIOL 4950, etc.)

• Biology course offerings

One of the following 300+ courses

• ENST 3600        Field Methods for Environmental Science        
• ENST 3620        Applied Conservation Biology
• EEPS 3173         Soil Science (replaces EPSc 413)
• EEPS 3230         Biogeochemistry (only if not already taken for chemistry requirement)
• EEPS 3400         Minerals, Rocks Resources and the Environment (replaces EPSc 352)
• EEPS 3420        Environmental Systems
• EEPS 3530         Earth Forces
• EEPS 3853         Earth History
• EEPS 3863         Earth’s Climate System
• EEPS 4094         Surface Processes
• EEPS 4284         Hydrology
• EEPS 4424         Aqueous Geochemistry (replaces EPSc 444)
• EEPS 4434         Methods in Biogeochemistry (no longer offered)
• EEPS 4864        Paleoclimatology

Required Introductory Courses

The Biology Minor requires two introductory courses in Biology (BIOL 2960 and BIOL 2970) and the following courses in Chemistry: CHEM 1701 or 1601, 1702 or 1602, 1751, 1752 and 2561 (CHEM 2501/2551 starting FL26).  CHEM 1701 or 1601 is usually completed prior to enrollment in BIOL 2960, and CHEM 1702 or 1602 taken concurrently with or prior to BIOL 2960.

Elective Courses

The Biology Minor required 10 advanced units in biology selected from the following:

• BIOL 3010    Biotechnology Project    
• BIOL 3041    Plant Bio. & Genetic Engineering    
• BIOL 3057    Physiological Control Systems    
• BIOL 3100    R Workshop in Biology    
• BIOL 3110    Vertebrate Structure Lab
• BIOL 3111     Human and Comparative Anatomy Lab
• BIOL 3151    Endocrinology
• BIOL 3183    A History Of Genetics In The 20th C    
• BIOL 3240     Human Genetics
• BIOL 3280    Principles in Human Physiology
• BIOL 3340    Cell Biology
• PHYSICS 3324    Biophysics Laboratory    
• PHYSICS 3354    Physics of Living Systems
• BIOL 3411    Principles of the Nervous System
• BIOL 3421    Introduction to Neuroethology
• BIOL 3422    Genes, Brains and Behavior
• BIOL 3423    Behavioral Genetics Laboratory
• BIOL 3424    Great Discoveries in Neuroscience
• BIOL 3470    Darwin and Evol Controversies
• BIOL 3481    Parasitology
• BIOL 3490    Fundamentals of Microbiology
• BIOL 3491    Microbiology Laboratory
• BIOL 3492    Laboratory Eukaryotic Microbes    
• BIOL 3493    Bacterial Bioprospecting Biotech.
• BIOL 3494    Microbes and the Environment
• BIOL 3501    Evolution
• BIOL 3700**    Animal Behavior
• BIOL 3810    Introduction to Ecology
• BIOL 4010    Biology of Mammals
• BIOL 4026    How Plants Work: Physiology Etc.
• BIOL 4030    Biological Clocks
• BIOL 4040    Lab of Neurophysiology
• BIOL 4071    Developmental Biology
• BIOL 4072    Regenerative & Stem-Cell Biology
• BIOL 4139    Global Environmental Change
• BIOL 4181    Population Genetics & Microevol.
• BIOL 4182    Macroevolution
• BIOL 4183    Molecular Evolution
• BIOL 4193    Experimental Ecology Laboratory
• BIOL 4195    Disease Ecology
• BIOL 4197    Community Ecology
• BIOL 4220    Practical Bioinformatics
• BIOL 4240    Immunology
• BIOL 4242    Virology
• BIOL 4270    Problem-Based Learning In Biomed
• BIOL 4271    Science of Cats
• BIOL 4310    Biology of Aging
• BIOL 4342*    Research Exploration in Genomics
• BIOL 4345    Epigenetics
• BIOL 4381    Cell-Based Tissue Engineering
• BIOL 4492    Infectious Diseases
• BIOL 4510    General Biochemistry
• BIOL 4522    Laboratory in Protein Analysis
• BIOL 4523    Molecular Method Enzyme Analysis
• BIOL 4525    Structural Bioinformatics Proteins
• ANTHRO 4581    Principles of Human Anatomy
• BIOL 4715    Basic Cancer Biology
• BIOL 4716    Advanced Cancer Biology
• BIOL 4720**    Behavioral Ecology
• CHEM 4810    General Biochemistry I
• CHEM 4820    General Biochemistry II
• CHEM 4833    Protein Biochemistry
• BIOL 4933    Molecular Biology on the Cutting Edge
• REPRSCI 5000    Human Reproductive Physiology 

*Writing-intensive course BIOL 4343 may be substituted for BIOL 4342.
** A student may not receive credit for more than one of the courses BIOL 3700 and BIOL 4720.

Grades

All courses utilized for the Biology minor (including chemistry) must be taken for a letter grade. A grade of C- or better must be earned in all of these courses.

To qualify for Latin honors in biology a student must meet the following requirements. For requirements 1, 2, and 3, only courses taken at Washington University are considered.

1. B+ average (3.3) or better in biology courses.

2. Cumulative average of B+ (3.3) or better in the related science subjects required (math, chemistry, and physics)

3. Overall 3.65 average.

4. Completion of the Research Emphasis

An optional research emphasis pertains equally to students completing the biology major with or without one of the optional specializations (p. 4). The research emphasis and an appropriate grade performance qualify a student for Latin honors. A student who fulfills the research emphasis receives a research milestone on the transcript. See the requirements (p. 4) for details on qualifying for Latin honors through biology. The research emphasis comprises the following work in addition to the biology major requirements.

1. Six units of independent research (BIOL 4950, etc.). In most cases, independent study leading to a research emphasis starts no later than spring of the junior year.  Most students work full time on this research during the summer following their junior year and complete their work during the senior year. See pages 16-18 for further information about Biology Independent Research.

2. A paper written by the student and judged by the mentor to be worthy of recognition. The paper should be written in the style of a scientific article for a professional journal, with abstract, introduction, materials and methods, results, and discussion.  The research thesis should reflect substantial effort. The introduction should put the work into biological context and thoroughly review relevant literature. The methods section should be more extensive than a journal article’s and should demonstrate that the student understands the methods used. Results and discussion may be combined or presented separately. Tables, figures, and bibliographies should be used to present results and should be in standard journal-style form.  Extensive or complete results are not required for a thesis to be acceptable. Discussion of incomplete results and problems encountered may be appropriate when experiments have not yielded significant results.  Because a student rarely completely solves a problem within the available time, an indication of what should be done next is often appropriate.

3. A mentor’s letter certifying acceptability of the thesis MUST accompany the thesis. IMPORTANT: No candidate is approved for graduation with a research emphasis in biology unless all requirements are met.  An oral examination may be held at the discretion of the Department.

4. Presentation of the thesis work in the form of a poster or short talk at the spring Undergraduate Research Symposium.

TIMETABLE - Research theses are due the Monday following spring break of the senior year. (Students graduating in December have a different deadline - consult Stella Rusel.) To have an acceptable thesis, students must begin writing and submit draft versions of each part of their thesis to their mentors to get feedback well before this deadline. Students should consult their mentors about an appropriate timetable by the end of the Fall semester of senior year. Generally, writing should begin no later than January (start of spring semester) and preliminary drafts of sections should be presented to mentors for feedback beginning early in February. There should be several rounds of revision and discussion among the mentor, possibly others in the lab (bench mentor and others who are familiar with the project) and the student to generate the final version. The process is akin to writing a manuscript for publication, and students should seek advice as would any researcher presenting results for publication. Mentor approval is required on the final version. If a mentor has not seen and approved the final version prior to the deadline, the department will NOT recommend the student for a research emphasis. The spring Undergraduate Research Symposium is normally scheduled sometime in April, check the website ur.wustl.edu for the latest information. If any delay or problem in submitting an acceptable thesis by the deadline is anticipated/suspected, a student and/or mentor must discuss the problem with the department (begin by notifying Stella Rusel) as soon as possible.

Explore the Undergraduate Research section of our website for additional information and resources.

The McKelvey School of Engineering offers undergraduate programs in biomedical engineering with tracks in Bioelectrical Systems, Biomechanics, Biomolecular Systems, and Biotechnology. These tracks prepare students for the challenges posed by the integration of biology and engineering  Students take engineering coursework along with biology courses. Biomedical engineering majors with strong interests in Biology may supplement the secondary major with a Biology second major.

Biomedical Engineering Details

In addition to the required introductory courses, students take at least 9 units of elective courses at the 3000 level or above. Environmental Biology or Earth Science majors may substitute the advanced science course with another area; Environmental Policy majors may substitute the advanced political science or law course with a course in another area.

Environmental Studies minor

This minor has been developed to better prepare students to tackle real-world environmental challenges by providing more robust opportunities for interdisciplinary knowledge and skill development. In particular, the minor is structured to provide students with opportunities to strengthen their critical analysis and problem solving skills through participation in team-based learning experiences, and where possible by engaging on real-world issues.

Interdisciplinary Environmental Analysis minor

Philosophy - Neuroscience - Psychology (PNP) is an interdisciplinary program that provides an opportunity to examine the mind from multiple perspectives. In addition to philosophy, neuroscience, and psychology, PNP draws upon other disciplines whose investigations contribute to understanding cognition, such as biology, linguistics, education, and cultural anthropology. Each of the disciplines employs different modes of inquiry to examine various aspects of cognition. For example, from the perspective of neuroscience, investigating the workings of the mind means investigating the workings of the brain; from the perspective of linguistics, we gain insight into the mind by investigating one of its most complex products, namely language; and from the perspective of cultural anthropology, we gain insight into the mind's workings by looking at the workings of society. The goal of the major is for students to develop an understanding of the differences among the approaches used by these disciplines and an appreciation of how they can provide converging perspectives on issues in cognition. PNP may be taken as a first major, second major, or minor.

PNP Program Details

These programs are designed for science majors to reinforce their scientific training with knowledge of the conceptual, historical, and philosophical foundations of science. The Philosophy of Science track is available only as a second major in combination with work in one or more of the sciences.

Philosophy of Science Details