Examples of Possible Pathways for Biology Majors

Below are listed some examples of possible pathways in the biology major based on different areas of interest. These are only a few possibilities out of many, but are represented as examples of how to organize a series of complementing courses to give you both breadth and depth in biology, especially if you are a pre-med student.
  • Developmental Biology

    Year

    BIOLOGY

    COGNATE

    1

    BIOL181/191 Principles of Biology I/Lab
    BIOL182/192 Principles of Biology II/Lab

    Intro Chemistry (CHEM141/143)

    2

    BIOL214 MacroEvolution, Pattern and Process OR BIOL215 Evolution in Human-Altered Environments OR BIOL/NS&B213 Behavioral Neurobiology
    BIOL218 Developmental Biology

    Organic Chemistry (CHEM251/252)

    3

    BIOL212 Principles and Mechanisms of Cell Biology OR BIOL210 Genetics
    BIOL322 Cell Migration in Development and Disease OR BIOL332 Genomics Era Cell and Development OR MB&B/BIOL232 Immunology

    Mathematics OR Computer Science (1 semester)

    4

    BIOL317 Genes and Mechanisms in Vertebrate Sex Determination OR BIOL345 Developmental Neurobiology
    BIOL2XX or 3XX A complementing seminar course
  • Ecology

    Year

    BIOLOGY

    COGNATE

    1

    BIOL181/191 Principles of Biology I/Lab
    BIOL182/192 Principles of Biology II/Lab

    Intro Chemistry (CHEM141/143)

    2

    BIOL218 Developmental Biology OR BIOL212 Principles and Mechanisms of Cell Biology
    BIOL214 MacroEvolution, Pattern and Process OR BIOL215 Evolution in Human-Altered Environments

    Organic Chemistry (CHEM251/252)

    3

    BIOL216 Ecology OR BIOL220 Conservation Biology
    BIOL254 Comparative Animal Behavior

    Statistics

    4

    BIOL316 Plant-Animal Interactions OR ARCP350 Animals in Archaeology
    BIOL290 Plant Form & Diversity OR ENVS369/BIOL368 Ecological Resistance: The Good, The Bad, and the Mindful
  • Evolution

    Year

    BIOLOGY

    COGNATE

    1

    BIOL181/191 Principles of Biology I/Lab
    BIOL182/192 Principles of Biology II/Lab

    Intro Chemistry (CHEM141/143)

    2

    BIOL214 MacroEvolution, Pattern and Process OR BIOL215 Evolution in Human-Altered Environments
    BIOL218 Developmental Biology OR BIOL210 Genomics: Modern Genetics, Bioinformatics, and the Human Genome Project

    Chemistry OR Physics
    Math OR Statistics

    3

    BIOL235 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy OR BIOL337 Origins of Bacterial Diversity
    BIOL236 Comparative Animal Physiology
    BIOL290 Plant Form and Diversity OR BIOL 310 Genomic Analysis

    Chemistry OR Physics OR Math

    4

    BIOL340 EvoDevo: Origins of Variation in the Phenotype 
    BIOL343 Muscle and Nerve Development OR BIOL318 Nature and Nurture: The Interplay of Genes and Environment
    BIOL327 Evolutionary & Ecological Bioinformatics
  • Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics

    Year

    BIOLOGY

    COGNATE

    1

    BIOL181/191 Principles of Biology I/Lab
    BIOL182/192 Principles of Biology II/Lab

    Computer Science

    2

    BIOL210 Genomics: Modern Genetics
    BIOL214 Evolution OR BIOL215 Evolution in Human Altered Environments

    Intro Chemistry
    (CHEM141/143)

    3

    BIOL212 Cell Biology OR BIOL218 Developmental Biology
    BIOL310 Genomic Analysis OR BIOL265 Bioinformatics Programming OR BIOL270 Systems Biology with Programming

    Organic Chemistry (CHEM251/252) [1 semester]
    Calculus OR Statistics

    4

    MB&B/BIOL333 Gene Regulation OR MB&B/BIOL231 Microbiology
    BIOL2XX or 3XX A complementing seminar course such as BIOL316 Plant-Animal Interactions OR other
  • Neurobiology, Neurophysiology, and Behavior

    Year

    BIOLOGY

    COGNATE

    1

    BIOL181/191 Principles of Biology I/Lab
    BIOL182/192 Principles of Biology II/Lab

    Intro Chemistry (CHEM141/143)
    MATH117

    2

    BIOL213 Behavioral Neurobiology
    BIOL251 Laboratory in Basic Practices of Neuroscience

    CHEM251 Organic Chemistry plus lab OR
    CHEM252 Organic Chemistry plus Lab

    3

    BIOL214 MacroEvolution, Pattern and Process OR BIOL210 Genetics & Genomics OR BIOL212 Principles and Mechanisms of Cell Biology
    BIOL224 Hormones, Brain & Behavior OR BIOL239 Functional Anatomy of the Human Brain OR BIOL245 Cellular Neurophysiology

    PHYS113 Intro Physics I plus lab

    4

    BIOL345 Developmental Neurobiology OR BIOL 299 Waves, Brains and Music OR BIOL/NS&B353 Neurobiology of Neurological Disorders
    BIOL373 Exlopring the Brain-Body Interface: The Neuroscience of Basic Survival OR BIOL357 Sex and Gender: From Synapse to Society