Major Requirements & Related Programs

The Biology Major

Biology Options

There are 7 options for those who wish to study Biology. For those who want broad training in the entire field, the department recommends the Biology Major. For those who want to focus on a specific subfield, the department recommends considering one of the tracks outlined below. Each of these 5 tracks requires concentrated study in one of the four subfields and provides strong training for graduate study in that subfield.  The requirements for each track include completion of all the requirements for a Biology Major. For those who want to focus on environmental biology, the department recommends the Environmental Biology Major, which provides strong training for graduate study in environmental biology.

Mission Statement

A student graduating with a major in biology should be well educated in the history of scientific discovery in biology, the logical and statistical procedures used to formulate and to test biological hypotheses, and technical skills needed for conducting contemporary biological research. Majors should appreciate the hierarchical nature of biological complexity, and the major structures and functions emerging at the molecular, cellular, organismal, populational and ecosystem levels. At least one dimension of contemporary research should be understood in sufficient detail that the student could describe the major hypotheses currently being tested and demonstrate familiarity with techniques used to test those hypotheses. Mastery of the material will be evident in a student's ability to critique published data, identifying ambiguities and uncertainties in conclusions drawn from those data, and in understanding the societal importance of the research. A student attaining these goals will be prepared to make creative contributions to biology through independent research and/or teaching, and will be ready for graduate training in biological research, education, health care, industrial biotechnology, and the computational, legal and business careers related to biotechnology. A major should appreciate the importance of biological knowledge for solving societal problems.

Biology Student Handbook

In addition to the details provided below, students are encouraged to review the Undergraduate Biology Student Handbook for details about major requirements and other key information.

Biology Major Requirements

Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics Requirements

In addition to Chem 111A-112A or Chem 105-106 and the accompanying laboratory courses Chem 151-152, biology majors are required to take Chem 261 and either Chem 262 or Chem 401; Physics 191/191L-192/192L (or Physics 197-198 or Physics 117A-118A); Math 132 (Calculus II) and one of the following: Math 2200, Math 233, or Math 3200. Courses taken in University College, Washington University's evening school, do not meet these or any other major requirements.  Students who plan to take physical chemistry must take Math 233 (Calculus III).  Math 2200 or 3200 (Elementary Probability and Statistics; required for tracks in Ecology and Evolution, Genomics and Computational Biology, and Microbiology) and Math 322 (Biostatistics) are valuable, particularly in research. 

Majors ordinarily begin work in biology with Biol 2960 in spring of freshman year*. After completing Chem 111A-112A pr Chem 105-106 and the accompanying laboratories Chem 151-152, 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 261-262). 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:

Fall - Year One Spring - Year One Fall - Year Two Spring - Year Two
Chem 111A or 105 (3) Chem 112A or 106  (3) Chem 261 (4) Chem 262 (4)
Bio elective* (optional) Bio 2960 (4) Bio 2970 (4) (Bio 2960 pre-req) Bio 3XX (2-4) (Bio 2970 pre-req)
Math 132 (3) Math 233 or Math 2200 (3)    
Chem (Lab) 151 (2) Chem (Lab) 152 (2)    
Distribution (3) or College Writing 100 (3) Distribution (3) or College Writing 100 (3) Distributions (6) Distributions (6)
Distribution (3)      

* Optional biology courses of interest to prospective majors are offered in fall of freshman year: Biol 112 (Introduction to Problem-Based Learning in Biology), Biol 1260 (The Secret Lives of Plants), Biol 144 (The Biology of Cancer), Biol 1500 (Molecular Biology of Genetic Disease), Biol 171 (Neuroscience Futures I), Biol 181 (Introduction to Cutting-Edge Research in Biology), Biol 1811 (Research and Conservation in Zoos and Botanical Gardens), Biol 191 (Phage Hunters Laboratory), Biol 2010 (The Science of Biotechnology), Biol 2431 (Missouri's Natural Heritage), Biol 2950 (Introduction to Environmental Biology).

Advanced Biology Requirement

At least eighteen units in approved advanced Biology courses (numbered 300 or above) 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 Bio 500 may be counted toward the 18 advanced biology units.

Three Areas of Biology Required (Spring 2024 offerings in bold):

  • Area A: Plant Biology and Genetic Engineering (Biol 3041); Human Genetics (Biol 324); Cell Biology (Biol 334); Parasitology (Biol 3481); Fundamentals of Microbiology (Biol 349); Immunology (Biol 424); Virology (Biol 4242); Epigenetics (Biol 4344); Infectious Diseases: History, Pathology, and Prevention (Biol 4492); General Biochemistry (Biol 451); General Biochemistry I (Biol 4810); General Biochemistry II (Biol 4820)
  • Area B: Physiological Control Systems (Biol 3057); Endocrinology (Biol 3151); Principles in Human Physiology (Biol 328); 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 4023); Biological Clocks (Biol 4030); Developmental Biology (Biol 4071); Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology (Biol 4072); Cell-Based Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (Biol 4381); Principles of Human Anatomy and Development (Biol 4580)
  • Area C: Woody Plants of Missouri (Biol 3220); Research and Public Education in the Arboretum (Biols 3221); Darwin and Evolutionary Controversies (Biol 347); Evolution (Biol 3501); Animal Behavior (Biol 370); Introduction to Ecology (Biol 381); Population Genetics and Microevolution (Biol 4181); Macroevolution (Biol 4182); Molecular Evolution (Biol 4183); Community Ecology (Biol 419); Disease Ecology (Biol 4195); Behavioral Ecology (Biol 472)

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 500 does not satisfy the laboratory course requirement for the biology major.

  • Biol 3110 Vertebrate Structure Laboratory (fall, not offered 2024)
  • Biol 3423 Behavioral Genetics Laboratory (spring)
  • Biol 3491 Microbiology Laboratory (fall, spring, summer session 1)
  • Biol 3492 Laboratory Experiments with Eukaryotic Microbes (WI) (spring, odd years)*
  • Biol 3493 Bacterial Bioprospecting and Biotechnology (fall)*
  • Biol 360 Biophysics Laboratory (fall)
  • Biol 404 Laboratory of Neurophysiology (WI) (fall)*
  • Biol 4193 Experimental Ecology Laboratory (WI) (fall, may not be offered in 2024)*
  • Biol 4220 Practical Bioinformatics (fall, not offered 2023)*
  • Biol 4342/434W Research Explorations in Genomics (434W is WI) (spring)*
  • 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 (WI) (fall, spring)

*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.

Declaration and Advising

Students can declare a major in Biology online through WebSTAC under Major Programs. Upon declaring a major in biology, typically during sophomore year, a student gets a major advisor from the Biology Department faculty. Students can request specific Biology major advisors when placing a major declaration request.  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.

Ecology and Evolution Track

Track Requirements

Core Requirements

Biology Chemistry Math Physics
Biol 2960 Chem 111A & 112A or Chem 105 & 106 Math 132 Phys 191/191L & 192/192L or Phys 117 & 118 or Phys 197 &198
Biol 2970 Chem 151 & 152 Math 2200 or 3200*  
  Chem 261 & 262    

*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 437 Laboratory on DNA manipulation
  • Biol 4342 Research Explorations in Genomics (434W 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 370* Animal Behavior
  • Biol 381 Introduction to Ecology
  • Biol 419 Community Ecology
  • Biol 4195 Disease Ecology
  • Biol 472* Behavioral Ecology

* A student may not take more than one of the courses Biol 370 and Biol 472 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 131 Computer Science I
  • Math 322 Biostatistics

Earth and Planetary Sciences (select one):

  • EEPS 201 Earth and the Environment
  • EEPS 202 Earth, Environmental, & Planetary Sci
  • EEPS 323 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.

Genomics and Computational Biology Track

Track Requirements

Core Requirements

Biology Chemistry Math Physics
Biol 2960 Chem 111A & 112A or Chem 105 & 106 Math 132 Phys 191/191L & 192/192L or Phys 117 & 118 or Phys 197 & 198
Biol 2970 Chem 151 & 152 Math 2200 or 3200*  
  Chem 261 & 262    

*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 324 Human Genetics
  • Biol 3371 Eukaryotic Genomes
  • Biol 4183 Molecular Evolution
  • Biol 548 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
  • Bio 4220 Practical Bioinformatics
  • Biol 4342 Research Explorations in Genomics
  • Biol 434W Research Explorations in Genomics (WI)

  • Biol 437 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 334 Cell Biology (major area A)
  • Biol 349/1 Fundamentals of Microbiology with Microbiology Laboratory (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)
  • Biol 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 131 Computer Science I
  • CSE 247 Data Structures and Algorithms

Recommended:

  • Math 217 Differential Equations
  • Math 309 Matrix Algebra
  • Strongly Recommended: CSE 240 Logic and Discrete Mathematics

Microbiology Track

Track Requirements

Core Requirements

Biology Chemistry Math Physics
Biol 2960 Chem 111A & 112A or Chem 105 & 106 Math 132 Phys 191/191L & 192/192L or Phys 117 & 118 or Phys 197 & 198
Biol 2970 Chem 151 & 152 Math 2200 or 3200  
Biol 349* Chem 261 & 262    
Biol 451 or Biol 4810/4820      

*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 349 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 437 Laboratory on DNA Manipulation

Electives

Advanced Microbiology Electives

At least one of the following:

  • Biol 3481 Parasitology
  • 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 191 AMP: Phage Hunters* & Biol 192 AMP: Phage Bioinformatics*
  • Biol 424 Immunology
  • Chem 453 Bioorganic Chemistry
  • EPSC 323 Biogeochemistry

*Both Biol 191 and Biol 192 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 (300+) credits earned in major-track biology courses and allied electives must be at least 24.

Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Track

Track Requirements

Core Requirements

Biology Chemistry** Math Physics
Biol 2960 Chem 111A & 112A or Chem 105 & 106 Math 132 Phys 191/191L & 192/192L or Phys 117 & 118 or Phys 197 & 198
Biol 2970 Chem 151 & 152 Math 233 or 2200 or 3200 Phys 118 or 198
Biol 4810* Chem 261 & 262    
Biol 4820*      

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

** students planning to enter PhD programs in biochemistry should note that many such programs require physical chemistry (Chem 401 & 402; prerequisite Math 233)

Advanced Biology Requirement

One of the following:

  • Biol 334 Cell Biology
  • Biol 3371 Eukaryotic Genomes
  • Biol 349 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
  • Biol 437   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

Electives

Recommended Advanced Biology Electives

  • Biol 3041 Plant Bio & Genetic Engineering
  • Biol 4023 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).

Neuroscience Track

Track Requirements

Core Requirements

Biology Chemistry Math Physics
Biol 2960 Chem 111A & 112A or Chem 105 & 106 Math 132 Phys 191/191L & 192/192L or Phys 117 & 118 or Phys 197 & 198
Biol 2970 Chem 151 & 152

Math 233 or 2200 or 3200

 
Biol 3058 or 3057 Chem 261 & 262    

*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 registration priority on WebSTAC)
  • Biol 360 Biophysics Laboratory* (enrollment by registration priority on WebSTAC)
  • Biol 404 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 the Laboratory Requirement section under the Biology Major above) plus 6 units of Biol 500N and/or Biol 500U (Independent Research in Neuroscience). These Biol 500N/U units may be either credit units or audit units.

Advanced Biology Requirements

Choose one in each area:

Area A: Biol 334 Cell Biology; Biol 451 Biochemistry; Biol 4810 Gen. Biochemistry I; Biol 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 328 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 437   Laboratory on DNA Manipulation*
  • Biol 4580 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 100)

  • Psych 330 Sensation and Perception
  • Psych 360 Cognitive Psychology
  • Psych 3604/4604 Cognitive Neuroscience

Physics (pre-req: Phys 191/191L-192/192L)

  • Phys 350 Physics of the Brain
  • Phys 355 Physics of Vision
  • Phys (Biology) 360 Biophysics Lab *
  • Phys 453 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 171   First-Year Opportunity: Neuroscience Futures 1: How do we learn about the brain?
  • Biol 4934 Neuroscience Futures 2

Declaring a Major

Students may declare a major program in the neuroscience track through WebSTAC. A declared major in the track does not guarantee eventual enrollment in laboratory courses Biol 3423 Behavioral Genetics Laboratory, Biol 404 Laboratory of Neurophysiology (prior permission of instructor is required for enrollment, contact Erin Gerrity for waitlist details), or Biol 360 Biophysics Laboratory (enrollment by registration priority on WebSTAC). The laboratory requirement for the neuroscience track can be met by any of the other courses approved for upper-level laboratory credit in biology (see above under the Biology Major details) provided that a student also has 6 credits for Biol 500N/U (Independent Research in Neuroscience). To register for Biol 500N/U, see instructions at https://sites.wustl.edu/bio200500independentresearch/bio-500n-bio-500u/.

Students who already have credit for Biology 500/500A/500S/500T for independent research in neuroscience can request a waiver allowing them to have their prior Biology 500 credit count toward the Biology 500N/500U requirement. Waiver requests can be submitted to biostudentquery@gowustl.onmicrosoft.com.

Undergraduate WashU Neuroscience Major Options

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. 

Additional WashU Neuroscience Websites

Major in Environmental Biology

Students interested in environmental biology typically take Biol 2950 (Introduction to Environmental Biology) during fall of the freshman year, although it may be taken later. Students planning to take Biol 2960 in spring of freshman year should begin the chemistry courses (Chem 111A or Chem 105 and Chem 151) in fall of freshman year.

Environmental Biology Requirements

Core Requirements

  • EEPS 201 Earth and the Environment (4 credits, lecture and lab) or EEPS 202 Intro to Earth, Environmental & Planetary Sci (3 credits) or EEPS 219 Energy and the Environment (3 credits) or ENST 250 One Health: Linking the Health of Humans, Animals, and the Environment (3 credits)
  • Biol 2950 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 111A/151 General Chemistry I (5 credits, lecture and lab) or Chem 105/151 Introductory General Chemistry (5 credits, lecture and lab)
  • Chem 112A/152 General Chemistry II (5 credits, lecture and lab) or Chem 106/152 Introductory General Chemistry II (5 credits, lecture and lab)
  • Math 131 Calculus 1 (3 credits)
  • Math 132 Calculus 2 (3 credits)
  • Phys 191/191L (or 117 or 197) Physics 1 (4 credits)
  • Biol 381 Intro to Ecology (3 credits)

One of the following Chemistry courses:

  • Chem 261 Organic Chemistry 1 (4 credits, lecture and lab)
  • EEPS 323 Biogeochemistry (3 credits)
  • EECE 210 Introduction to Environmental Engineering (3 credits)
  • EECE 505 Aquatic Chemistry (3 credits)
  • EECE 531 Environmental Organic Chemistry (3 credits)
  • EEPS 441 Introduction to Geochemistry (3 credits)

One of the following courses in Statistics, GIS

  • CSE 131 Introduction to Computer Science (3 credits)
  • Math 2200 Elementary Probability and Statistics (3 credits)
  • Math 3200 Elementary to Intermediate Statistics and Data Analysis (3 credits)
  • ENST 380 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 of the following BIOL 300+ courses (Area A and B in Biology)

  • Biol 3041 Plant Biology and Genetic Engineering
  • Biol 3151 Endocrinology
  • Biol 328 Principles in Human Physiology
  • Biol 334 Cell Biology
  • Biol 3411 Principles of the Nervous System
  • Biol 3421 Introduction to Neuroethology
  • Biol 3422 Genes, Brains and Behavior
  • Biol 349 Fundamentals of Microbiology
  • Biol 4023 How Plants Work: Physiology, Growth and Metabolism
  • Biol 4030 Biological Clocks
  • Biol 451/4810 General Biochemistry
  • Biol 4580 Principles of Human Anatomy and Development

One of the following Biol 300+ (Area C in Biology)

  • Biol 3220 Woody Plants of Missouri
  • Biol 3501 Evolution
  • Biol 370* Animal Behavior
  • Biol 4181 Population Genetics and Microevolution
  • Biol 4182 Macroevolution
  • Biol 419 Community Ecology
  • Biol 4195 Disease Ecology
  • Biol 472* Behavioral Ecology

A student may not take more than one of the courses Biol 370 and Biol 472 for credit.

One additional Biol 300+ major-track course (may include Biol 500)

  • Biology course offerings

One of the following EPSC 300+ courses

  • EnSt 364 Field Methods for Environmental Science
  • EnSt 365 Applied Conservation Biology
  • EEPS 317 Soil Science
  • EEPS 323 Biogeochemistry (only if not already taken for chemistry requirement)
  • EEPS 340 Minerals Rocks Resources and the Environment
  • EEPS 353 Earth Forces
  • EEPS 385 Earth History
  • EEPS 409 Surface Processes
  • EEPS 428 Hydrology
  • EEPS 442 Aqueous Geochemistry
  • EEPS 443 Methods in Biogeochemistry
  • EEPS 486 Paleoclimatology

The Biology Minor

Students can declare a minor in Biology online through WebSTAC under Major Programs. All requests require department approval and are typically completed within a few days of the request. Supervising staff members are in the Biology Student Affairs office.

Minor Requirements

Required Introductory Courses

The Biology Minor requires two introductory courses in Biology (Biol 2960 and Biol 2970) and the following courses in Chemistry: Chem 111A or 105, 112A or 106, 151, 152 and 261.  Chem 111A or 105 is usually completed prior to enrollment in Biol 2960. Chem 112A or 106 must be 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 3151     ENDOCRINOLOGY
  • BIOL 3183     A HISTORY OF GENETICS IN THE 20TH CENTURY
  • BIOL 3220     WOODY PLANTS OF MISSOURI
  • BIOL 3221     RES. & PUB. EDUC. IN THE ARBORETUM
  • BIOL 324       HUMAN GENETICS
  • BIOL 328       PRINCIPLES IN HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY
  • BIOL 334       CELL BIOLOGY
  • 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 347       DARWIN AND EVOLUTIONARY CONTROVERSIES
  • BIOL 3481     PARASITOLOGY
  • BIOL 349       FUNDAMENTALS OF MICROBIOLOGY
  • BIOL 3491     MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY
  • BIOL 3492     LABORATORY EUKARYOTIC MICROBES
  • BIOL 3493     BACTERIAL BIOPROSPECTING BIOTECH
  • BIOL 3501     EVOLUTION
  • BIOL 354       PHYSICS OF LIVING SYSTEMS
  • BIOL 360       BIOPHYSICS LABORATORY
  • BIOL 370**   ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
  • BIOL 381       INTRODUCTION TO ECOLOGY
  • BIOL 4023     HOW PLANTS WORK: PHYSIOLOGY etc.
  • BIOL 4030     BIOLOGICAL CLOCKS
  • BIOL 404       LAB OF NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
  • BIOL 4071     DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
  • BIOL 4072     REGENERATIVE AND STEM CELL BIOLOGY
  • BIOL 4138     GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
  • BIOL 4181     POPULATION GENETICS & MICROEVOL.
  • BIOL 4182     MACROEVOLUTION
  • BIOL 4183     MOLECULAR EVOLUTION
  • BIOL 419       COMMUNITY ECOLOGY
  • BIOL 4193     EXPERIMENTAL ECOLOGY LABORATORY
  • BIOL 4195     DISEASE ECOLOGY
  • BIOL 4220     PRACTICAL BIOINFORMATICS
  • BIOL 424       IMMUNOLOGY
  • BIOL 4242     VIROLOGY
  • BIOL 4270     PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING IN BIOMED.
  • BIOL 4271     SCIENCE OF CATS
  • BIOL 4310     BIOLOGY OF AGING
  • BIOL 4342*   RESEARCH EXPLORATIONS IN GENOMICS
  • BIOL 4344     EPIGENETICS
  • BIOL 4381     CELL-BASED TISSUE ENGINEERING
  • BIOL 4492     INFECTIOUS DISEASES
  • BIOL 451       GENERAL BIOCHEMISTRY
  • BIOL 4522     LABORATORY IN PROTEIN BIOCHEMISTRY
  • BIOL 4523     MOLECULAR METHOD ENZYME ANALYSIS
  • BIOL 4525     STRUCTURAL BIOINFORMATICS PROTEINS
  • BIOL 4540     PHYSICS OF LIVING SYSTEMS
  • BIOL 4580     PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN ANATOMY
  • BIOL 4715     BASIC CANCER BIOLOGY
  • BIOL 4716    ADVANCED CANCER BIOLOGY
  • BIOL 472**   BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
  • BIOL 4810     GENERAL BIOCHEMISTRY I
  • BIOL 4820     GENERAL BIOCHEMISTRY II
  • BIOL 4833     PROTEIN BIOCHEMISTRY

*Writing-intensive course Biol 434W may be substituted for Biol 4342.
** A student may not receive credit for more than one of the courses Biol 370 and Biol 472.

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.

Honors & Research Emphasis

Honors

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

Research Emphasis

An optional research emphasis pertains equally to students completing the biology major with or without one of the optional tracks. The research emphasis and an appropriate grade performance qualify a student for Latin honors. A student who fulfills the research emphasis but does not meet the grade requirements for Latin honors receives a research milestone on the transcript. The research emphasis comprises the following work in addition to the biology major requirements.

1. Six units of independent research (Bio 500). 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. Units of Biol 500 may be either credit units or audit units. Students receiving pay for research should explore the audit unit option.

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 honors 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 honors 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 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.

Courses from Other Universities

Some courses from other universities may substitute for Washington University courses. Such substitutions must be approved by the Biology Department prior to enrollment. Contact Allan Larson for approval of biology courses. For approval of chemistry, mathematics and physics courses required by the biology major, contact the home department to ensure that transfer credit will appear on your record with the same course number that we require.

Writing Intensive Courses

The College of Arts and Sciences requires each student to take an upper-level writing-intensive (WI) course (at least 3 credits). Any course formally approved as WI may be used to satisfy this requirement, and a grade of C- or better must be earned.

The following courses in biology may be used to satisfy the WI requirement:

  • Biol 3010 Biotechnology Project
  • Biol 3492 Laboratory Experiments with Eukaryotic Microbes
  • Biol 347 Darwin and Evolutionary Controversies
  • Biol 404 Laboratory of Neurophysiology
  • Biol 4193 Experimental Ecology Lab (not offered in 2024)
  • Biol 434W Research Explorations in Genomics [Writing Intensive]
  • Biol 4492 Infectious Diseases: History, Pathology, and Prevention
  • Biol 4525 Protein Bioinformatics

Other writing-intensive courses of particular interest to Biology majors include:

  • EComp 309 Writing the Natural World
  • EComp 311 Exposition
  • EComp 3112 Exposition: Writing and Medicine
  • EComp 312 Argumentation
  • Psych 4046 Developmental Neuropsychology

Related Degree Programs

Bioinformatics Minor

Mindful of the emerging opportunities at the interface of biology and computer science, the Department of Biology and Department of Computer Science & Engineering have fashioned the minor in bioinformatics that serves students from both departments as well as other students from the natural sciences and engineering with an interest in this field.

Bioinformatics Minor Details

Biomedical Engineering Major

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

Environmental Studies Minor

In addition to the required introductory courses, students take at least 9 units of elective courses at the 300 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

Interdisciplinary Environmental Analysis 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, and Psychology (PNP) Major and 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

Philosophy of Science Second Major and Minor

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

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