Biology Department Registration Advice
(Last updated: 3/7/22)
We hope that the information on this page will help you select the best Biology course for your needs.
*SUMMER 2022 Course Offerings:
- BIO 143 Anatomy & Physiology 1 + Lab
Please check SIS for the most recent updates on Biology courses and times!
Warning about multiple lecture and laboratory options
We know that it can be difficult for you to fit your classes, labs, and discussions in to schedules that work. However, you must create web registration schedules that include all possible courses and times that work, even the combinations with lab times that are not your favorites. If you don’t do this, then you risk not being registered at all for some courses, and you can’t always rely on being added to the course later.
Biology classes web-register the lab first, THEN the associated lecture
For Biology courses with lab, the web registration program tries to place the student in the lab section first; only if this is successful does the student then get in to the lecture session for that lab course. The tracking tool makes it seem like you can get in to the lecture without getting in to a lab! If you are not getting into a Biology course that has a lab, it is because you are not getting into the lab section that you are trying, and you should try other lab sections.
Advice for non-science majors selecting an SED or IST course
The best course choice for Fall is BIO 123: Human Biology. There are also good options in Interim as well and BIO 121 in the Spring. BIO 143 and BIO 150 are NOT good choices for science GE credit.
Advice for Biology majors
Please note any prerequisites for all courses in the Biology Section of the Catalog.
100‐level courses
- BIO 150 (our foundation course for the Biology major) is offered every semester. This course is also a good choice for some students who are not Biology majors but are interested in a career in the sciences and are planning to take more 200-‐level and even 300-‐level courses in Biology.
200‐level courses
- The core 200‐level courses BIO 227 Cell Biology, BIO 233 Intermediate Genetics, and BIO 261 Ecological Principles, are each offered every semester.
- Every semester the Biology Department offers two or three courses that fulfill the comparative organismal core. The course(s) for Fall 2022 that fulfill this requirement are:
- BIO 247 Animal Physiology
- Bear in mind that there may be courses in other departments (e.g. BI/ES, NEURO, CHEM) that fulfill Biology major elective requirements. See the Biology section of the Academic Catalog for details and/or check with your advisor.
300‐level courses
The 300-‐level courses in Biology for Fall 2022 are:
- BIO 324 Evolutionary Genetics
- BIO 371 Field Ecology + Lab & Discussion
- BIO 382 Immunology + Lab
- BIO 386 Animal Behavior + Lab
- BIO 391 Topics: Bioinformatics
Keep in mind that Independent Research courses (BIO 396 & 398) also satisfy the 300‐level requirement for the Biology major. Independent Research courses offered for Fall 2022 are:
- BIO 396 A: Prof. Lisa Bowers
Other considerations
- Students who are either finishing up a research project, or preparing for an independent research project, can take advantage of the 25 credit BIO 375 Advanced Supplemental Research course in the Fall. Talk to your academic advisor and/or research advisor for more information.
- Students in the CH/BI sequence take CH/BI 227 in the Spring; this course counts for the Cell Biology core requirement in the Biology major (i.e., CH/BI 227 students do not also take BIO 227). Any CH/BI students intending to major in Biology must take BIO 150; some choose to take BIO 150 concurrently with CH/BI 227 and some take BIO 150 in the sophomore year; either option is acceptable.
- BIO 143 is a course designed for students who are Kinesiology majors, intended Nursing majors, or students preparing for particular health professions (not medicine or dentistry). It is not intended for most Biology majors.
- The Biology courses for Interim and Spring 2023 are also listed in the Student Information System (SIS) – taking a look at these offerings will help you decide which core, 300‐level, and elective courses you might want to take in the Fall versus waiting until Interim or Spring.
- Rising seniors, especially if you have more than one major, please take a look at the schedule or the entire year to make sure that you have a plan to take your remaining required courses for your major(s).
- The International and Off-‐Campus Studies: You can see the Biology off‐campus courses in SIS. All of these courses fulfill a Biology elective credit. Some may fulfill the Comparative Organismal requirement. Please talk to your advisor or the department chair for more details.