Biology, B.S.
Overall Requirements
- 120 credit hours, to include at least 36 credits at or above the 300 course level.
- Students must have a grade point average of at least 2.0 in Biology courses completed at UNC Greensboro.
- A minimum of 30 credits of Biology courses above the 100 level.
- BIO 280/BIO 280L will not be counted towards the major; instead BIO majors should take BIO 481/BIO 481L.
Degree Program Requirements
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
University Requirements | ||
General Education Requirements (MAC) | ||
College of Arts and Sciences Additional Requirements (CIC) |
Major Requirements
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Program Qualifications * | 8 | |
Principles of Biology I and Principles of Biology I Laboratory | ||
Principles of Biology II and Principles of Biology II Laboratory | ||
B.S. in Biology Core Courses | 16 | |
Principles of Ecology | ||
Cell Biology | ||
Genetics | ||
Evolution | ||
Ecology and Evolution Laboratory | ||
Cell Biology and Genetics Laboratory | ||
Related Area Requirements | 22-27 | |
General Chemistry I | ||
General Descriptive Chemistry I and General Descriptive Chemistry II | ||
General Chemistry I Laboratory | ||
or CHE 110 | Introductory Chemistry Laboratory | |
General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory | ||
Organic Chemistry I | ||
Select one of the following: | ||
Calculus for the Life Sciences | ||
or MAT 196 | Calculus A | |
or MAT 191 | Calculus I | |
or MAT 296 | Calculus B | |
or MAT 292 | Calculus II | |
or STA 271 | Fundamental Concepts of Statistics | |
Select one of the following: | ||
General Physics I | ||
or PHY 291 | General Physics I with Calculus | |
Select one of the following if not completed above: | ||
Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry Laboratory | ||
or PHY 212 | General Physics II | |
or PHY 291 | General Physics I with Calculus | |
or MAT 184 | Calculus for the Life Sciences | |
or MAT 196 | Calculus A | |
or MAT 191 | Calculus I | |
or MAT 296 | Calculus B | |
or MAT 292 | Calculus II | |
or STA 271 | Fundamental Concepts of Statistics |
- *
Students are strongly encouraged to take BIO 100.
Optional Concentrations
Any of the optional concentrations as detailed following the major requirements may be added, but a concentration is not required.
- Biotechnology
- Environmental Biology
- Human Biology
Electives
Electives sufficient to complete the 120 credit hours required for the degree.
Biotechnology Concentration Requirements
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Required | 12-13 | |
General Microbiology and General Microbiology Laboratory | ||
Molecular Biological Approaches in Research | ||
Select one of the following options: | ||
Plant Physiology and Biotechnology and Plant Physiology and Biotechnology Lab | ||
Introduction to Biotechnology | ||
Select one course (minimum of 3 credits) from the following: | ||
Plant Physiology and Biotechnology and Plant Physiology and Biotechnology Lab * | ||
Biochemistry: Metabolic Regulation in Health and Disease | ||
Genes and Signals | ||
Hormones in Action | ||
Neurobiology and Neurobiology Laboratory | ||
Virology | ||
Cell Cycle and Cancer | ||
Epigenetics | ||
Introduction to Biotechnology * | ||
Advanced Genetics | ||
Internship in Biology | ||
Undergraduate Research |
- *
If not selected above.
Environmental Biology Concentration Requirements
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Required | 12-15 | |
Select one of the following courses: | ||
The Biosphere | ||
Global Change | ||
Select 3 courses (minimum of 9 credits) from the following: | ||
Biology and Conservation of Sea Turtles | ||
Plant Diversity | ||
Plant Physiology and Biotechnology and Plant Physiology and Biotechnology Lab | ||
Conservation Biology | ||
Landscape Ecology and Landscape Ecology Laboratory | ||
Aquatic Ecology | ||
The Biosphere * | ||
Human Evolutionary Genetics | ||
Disease Ecology | ||
Vascular Plant Systematics and Vascular Plant Systematics Lab | ||
Global Change * | ||
Symbiosis | ||
Population Genetics and Molecular Evolution | ||
General Microbiology and General Microbiology Laboratory | ||
Internship in Biology | ||
Undergraduate Research |
- *
If not selected above.
Human Biology Concentration Requirements
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Required | 13-15 | |
Select one of the following: | ||
Human Anatomy and Human Anatomy Laboratory | ||
Human Physiology and Human Physiology Laboratory | ||
Select 3 courses (minimum of 9 credits) from the following: | ||
The Human Species | ||
Human Origins and Evolution | ||
Forensic Anthropology | ||
Human Osteology | ||
Biological Clocks | ||
Biochemistry: Metabolic Regulation in Health and Disease | ||
Disease Ecology | ||
Developmental Biology | ||
Hormones in Action | ||
General Microbiology and General Microbiology Laboratory | ||
Virology | ||
Essentials of Toxicology | ||
Biological Psychology |
Disciplinary Honors in Biology
Requirements
- A minimum of 18 credit hours as defined below.
- UNC Greensboro cumulative GPA of 3.30 or better or, for transfer students, cumulative GPA of 3.30 or better from all prior institutions.
- A grade of B or higher in all course work used to satisfy the Honors requirements in Biology.
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Required | 6-9 | |
Senior Honors Project | ||
Honors Work * | ||
Select two 400-level Biology courses completed with Honors Contracts | 6 | |
Select a third Honors Contract course in Biology at the 300 or 400 level | 3 | |
Any of the Department's journal clubs | 1 | |
Oral presentation of Honors Thesis to a committee of three Biology Faculty or public presentation of research at a local, regional, or national meeting is required. |
- *
Only 6 credits may be counted toward the 30 credit minimum in the Biology major
Recognition
Receive a Certificate of Disciplinary Honors in Biology; have that accomplishment, along with the title of the Senior Honors Project, noted on the official transcript; and be recognized at a banquet held at the end of the spring semester.
Honors Advisor
Contact John Lepri at jjlepri@uncg.edu for further information and guidance about Honors in Biology. To apply: https://honorscollege.uncg.edu/disciplinary-honors/disciplinary-honors-admissions/
Application and Admission
UNC Greensboro undergraduate students who are pursuing a B.A. or B.S. in Biology may apply for admission to the Accelerated Master's Program (AMP) in Biology. Students may apply for admission to the AMP after the completion of 60 credit hours, with at least 30 credits completed at UNCG. Applicants must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.5 at UNCG. All applicants must complete the AMP information when applying for admission to the M.S. in Biology. The standard application requirements for the M.S. in Biology also apply to the AMP.
Undergraduate UNCG students may apply for admission to the AMP after the completion of 60 credit hours, with at least 30 credits completed at UNCG. Applicants must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.5 at UNCG.
Courses
Students admitted to the AMP may apply up to, but not more than, 12 credits of graduate-level course work toward completion of both the undergraduate and graduate degree, provided that they earn a grade of B (3.0) or better in the course and fulfill graduate-level requirements. The graduate courses the students will take in the Accelerated Master's Program in Biology must be approved by the Graduate Program Director. Some biology classes are cross-listed as undergraduate and graduate.
For those cross-listed courses offered to both undergraduate and graduate students, a student may not receive graduate credit for corresponding courses previously taken at the undergraduate level.
The following courses may be counted towards both the B.S. or B.A. and the M.S. degrees:
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
BIO 601 | Seminar in Animal Ecology | 3 |
BIO 605 | Seminar in Ecology | 3 |
BIO 609 | Seminar in Molecular Cell Biology | 3 |
BIO 610 | Seminar in Molecular Genetics | 3 |
BIO 611 | Advanced Topics in Animal Ecology | 3 |
BIO 614 | Prenatal Development: Embryology and Teratology | 3 |
BIO 615 | Advanced Topics in Animal Physiology | 3 |
BIO 617 | Advanced Topics in Genetics | 3 |
BIO 618 | Computational Biology | 3 |
BIO 619 | Plant Physiology | 3 |
BIO 620 | Ecosystem Ecology and Biogeochemistry | 3 |
BIO 624 | Advanced Topics in Microbiology | 3 |
BIO 626 | Conservation Biology | 3 |
BIO 627 | Landscape Ecology | 3 |
BIO 628 | Microbial Ecology | 3 |
BIO 629 | Aquatic Ecology | 3 |
BIO 630 | Advanced Topics in Plant Ecology | 3 |
BIO 635 | Molecular Toxicology | 3 |
BIO 636 | Ecotoxicology | 3 |
BIO 637 | Human Evolutionary Genetics | 3 |
BIO 639 | Biochemistry: Metabolic Regulation in Health and Disease | 3 |
BIO 640 | Biology of Aging | 3 |
BIO 641 | Stream Ecology | 3 |
BIO 642 | Genes and Signals | 3 |
BIO 644 | Entomology | 3 |
BIO 645 & 645L | Disease Ecology and Disease Ecology Laboratory | 4 |
BIO 646 | Advanced Topics in Neurobiology | 3 |
BIO 648 | Current Topics in Biology | 1-3 |
BIO 651 & 651L | Vascular Plant Systematics and Vascular Plant Systematics Laboratory | 4 |
BIO 652 | Metamorphosis | 3 |
BIO 655 | Vertebrate Reproduction | 3 |
BIO 656 | Global Change | 3 |
BIO 660 | Symbiosis | 3 |
BIO 673 | Drugs and the Brain | 3 |
BIO 676 | Population Genetics and Molecular Evolution | 3 |
BIO 678 | Hormones in Action | 3 |
BIO 680 | Environmental Physiology | 3 |
BIO 685 | Virology | 3 |
BIO 686 | Cell Cycle and Cancer | 3 |
BIO 687 | Epigenetics | 3 |
BIO 691 | Genetics of Complex Traits | 3 |
BIO 694 | Advanced Genetics | 3 |
Students must have completed the appropriate prerequisites required for listed courses or have permission of the department. All courses that lead to the completion of the M.S. in Biology must be approved by the Graduate Program Director. Please consult with an undergraduate advisor to determine how courses taken at the graduate level will meet requirements in the bachelor's degree program. All degree requirements for the M.S. in Biology remain the same.