Biology (BS)

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Offered by the Department of Biology , College of Arts and Sciences .

Admission to the Program

Admission is through formal declaration of major. The department counsels freshmen and transfer students.

University Requirements

120 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better
Completion of college writing requirement
Completion of university mathematics requirement

General Education Requirements

A total of ten courses, consisting of two courses from each of the five foundational areas
At least one course from Area Five: The Natural and Mathematical Sciences must include a laboratory science component
No more than two courses may be taken in the same discipline

Major Requirements

72 credit hours with grades of C or better

Course Requirements

Departmental Requirements (40 credit hours)

BIO-110 General Biology I FA5 (4)
BIO-210 General Biology II FA5 (4)
BIO-320 Cell Biology with Laboratory (4)
BIO-356 Genetics with Laboratory (5)
BIO-364 Evolution (3)
BIO-499 Senior Seminar in Biology (3)
17 credit hours in biology or other non-biology courses approved by the department chair above the 320-level. Of these 17 credit hours, students may count no more than 3 credit hours from the following; BIO-390 Independent Reading Course in Biology (1-6) , BIO-490 Independent Study Project in Biology (1-6) , BIO-491 Internship (1-6) , CHEM-465 Biochemistry I (3) , CHEM-470 Principles of Biochemistry (3) , or PSYC-613 Neuropharmacology: The Biochemistry of Behavior (3) .

Related Requirements (32 credit hours)

Combined Biology (BS) and Biology (MA or MS)

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its combined bachelor’s/master’s programs. See Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees for more information.

In addition to meeting the minimum university requirements for combined bachelor’s/master’s programs:

Admission is open to undergraduates whose overall grade point average and grade point average in biology course is 3.00 or higher. Applications must be accompanied by two letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, and Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. Each student’s file must be approved by the department’s Graduate Studies Committee prior to the end of the junior year to assure adequate time to complete degree requirements for the program. Students should discuss their interest in the program and their course schedules with members of the faculty before submitting a formal application. Interested students are encouraged to enroll in up to 3 credit hours of BIO-490 Independent Study Project in Biology (1-6) to conduct independent study research before applying.
Undergraduate students may apply up to 9 credit hours of approved graduate-level coursework in biology, CHEM-665 Biochemistry I (3) , and/or STAT-514 Statistical Methods (3) to satisfy the requirements for both degrees.