Biological Sciences
The Department of Biological Sciences offers BA and BS degrees in biological sciences. The BA is recommended for the student who wishes to use a general education with a major in biology as a foundation for the MD, careers in the allied medical professions, environmentally related professions, law, business and finance, education, information technologies and the like. Students have great flexibility in their course choices. Selection of these courses based on career goals is highly advised. The BS is recommended for students who plan laboratory or field-based careers in biology and related fields either immediately after the baccalaureate or after post-graduate study to the masters and PhD. BS students select one of two concentrations: cell and molecular biology (CMB) or ecology, evolution and animal behavior (EEB).
Note: The requirements for the BA and BS degree programs in this publication represent a significant modification from previous years, and hold only for freshmen and transfer students who enter Binghamton University in fall 2001 and later.
Requirements for the BA Degree
A total of 62 credits, distributed as follows:
BIOL 117 and BIOL 118;
CHEM 107 and CHEM 108 (or CHEM 111; the total is reduced to 14.5 courses, bearing 58 credits, if CHEM 111 is selected);
CHEM 231, 332, 335;
MATH 147 or BIOL 458;
For breadth beyond biology or biologically related sciences, eight credits in additional mathematics, physical science, and computer science courses selected from the following list: CS 140, ENVI 201, GEOG 360, one from among GEOL 111/112/113/114/115/121, MATH 221, MATH 222, PHYS 121, PHYS 122 (or PHYS 131, PHYS 132) or courses that require these as prerequisites; CHEM courses that require CHEM 108, CHEM 332, CHEM 335 as prerequisite; other courses only by approval of faculty adviser.
BIOL 301 or BIOL 311;
BIOL 351/BIOL 378 or BIOL 355/BIOL 373;
16 additional credits in BIOL courses numbered 300 and above, where three selections must have a laboratory component, with the following additional stipulations:
Only four credits may be satisfied by a course in the following set: BIOL 494, 495, 496, 497 and 498.
A course counting toward the laboratory requirement must be at least two credits. Only one laboratory course requirement may be satisfied by a course from the set represented by BIOL 495, 497 and 498.
May not be satisfied by BIOL 490 or BIOL 491.
Except for BIOL 494-498, no biology course taken on the Pass/Fail grading option will fulfill the requirements for the biology major.
A minimum of 16 credits in BIOL courses numbered 300 level and above must be taken in Harpur College in order to qualify for the BA degree.
Courses with laboratory component:
For both the BA and BS degrees, BIOL courses with a laboratory component are distinguished by specific numbers. These are BIOL 320-329, BIOL 340-349, BIOL 370-379, BIOL 420-429, BIOL 440-449, BIOL 470-479, BIOL 495, BIOL 497, BIOL 498, BIOL 480-489 with letters E to H, M to P and U to X.
Requirements for the BS Degree Program
A total of 78 credits, distributed as follows:
BIOL 117 and BIOL 118;
CHEM 107 and CHEM 108 (or CHEM 111; the total is reduced to 18.5 courses, bearing 74 credits, if CHEM 111 is selected);
CHEM 231, 332, 335;
MATH 147 or BIOL 458;
A total of 48 credits distributed in one of two ways:
12 credits in additional mathematics, physical science, computer science and engineering courses, plus 36 credits in additional BIOL courses; or
16 credits in additional mathematics, physical science, computer science and engineering courses, plus 32 credits in additional BIOL courses.
The 12 to 16 credits in additional mathematics, physical science, and computer science are to give students breadth beyond biology and biologically related sciences. These are to be selected from the following list: CS 140, ENVI 201, GEOG 360, one from among GEOL 111/112/113/114/115/121, MATH 221, MATH 222, PHYS 121, PHYS 122 (or PHYS 131, PHYS 132), or courses that require these as prerequisites; CHEM courses that require CHEM 108, CHEM 332 or CHEM 335 as prerequisite, other courses only by approval of faculty adviser.
Upper-level BIOL courses required for the Cell and Molecular Biology concentration:
BIOL 301;
BIOL 311;
BIOL 351/BIOL 378 or BIOL 355/BIOL 373;
20 to 24 additional credits in BIOL courses, of which at least four selections must have a laboratory component. Within these courses, there must be:
16 to 20 credits in BIOL courses numbered BIOL 300-349, BIOL 400-449 or BIOL 480-489 A to P. At least three of these must have a laboratory component.
Four credits in BIOL courses numbered BIOL 330-379, BIOL 430-479 or BIOL 480-489 I to X.
Upper-level BIOL courses required for the Ecology, Evolution and Behavior concentration:
BIOL 351/BIOL 378;
BIOL 355/BIOL 373;
BIOL 301 or BIOL 311;
20 to 24 additional credits in BIOL courses, of which at least four selections must have a laboratory component. Within these courses, there must be:
16 to 20 credits in BIOL courses numbered 330-379 or 430-479, or BIOL 480-489 I to X. At least three of these must have a laboratory component.
Four credits in BIOL courses numbered 300-349 or 400-449 or BIOL 480-489 A to P.
The following additional stipulations hold for the upper-level BIOL courses required for the BS degree:
Only eight credits may be satisfied by a course in the following set: BIOL 494, 495, 496, 497 and 498.
A course counting toward the laboratory requirement must be at least two credits. Only two courses selected to have the laboratory component may be satisfied by courses from the set represented by BIOL 495, 497 and 498.
Except for BIOL 494-498, no biology course taken on the Pass/Fail grading option will fulfill the requirements for the biology major.
A minimum of 20 credits in BIOL courses numbered 300-level and above must be taken in Harpur College in order to qualify for the BS degree.
Distinguished Independent Work in Biology
The award of Distinguished Independent Work in Biology is granted to biology majors who distinguish themselves in biological research. Students in this program are required to do a year-long research project under the guidance of a departmental faculty member. To be accepted into the program, a student must have junior standing, at least a 3.0 GPA overall and 3.3 GPA in biology courses, the consent of a faculty supervisor and the approval of the undergraduate committee. The aforementioned GPAs must be maintained during the honors research. Students doing honors research should register for BIOL 497, followed by at least one subsequent registration in BIOL 498.
The students work, summarized and interpreted in a thesis, must be submitted for approval to a thesis committee consisting of the supervising professor and two other faculty members. The satisfactory completion of the project and thesis earns the recognition at graduation of distinguished independent work in biology.
Formal application for the honors program must be made no later than the last day of the registration period at the beginning of the senior year. The thesis committee must be set up no later than the add deadline in the fall semester of the senior year. Applications and additional details of the program are available in the department office.
Five-Year BA/MA and BA/MS Programs
Students may also earn either the BA with the MA in biology or the BA with the MS in biology in just five years. The requirements for the BA portion of these combined five-year programs are the same as the BA requirements listed above. Further details are presented in the section on graduate programs. Students may also pursue the five-year BA/MBA program offered by the School of Management for Harpur College undergraduate majors.
Biological Sciences Minor
Requirements for the minor are:
BIOL 117 and 118;
BIOL 301 or 311;
BIOL 351, 378 or 355/373;
eight additional credits in BIOL at the 300-400 level, but not BIOL 490 or BIOL 491.
All courses taken to satisfy the minor must be taken for a letter grade unless mandated Pass/Fail by the instructor.
A minimum of 12 credits of BIOL courses numbered 300-level and above must be taken in Harpur College in order to qualify for the biology minor.
At least four of the courses in the students minor program must be in addition to those counted toward fulfillment of the requirements for the students major (and for the other minor, if the student pursues two). Biochemistry and psychobiology majors may not pursue the biology minor.