Departments & Centers
Department of Biology
Biology Plans of Study
No single semester-by-semester plan of study will guide all students through the degree options because of the flexibility encouraged within the programs. However, one possible sequence of courses for each option is given below; variations from these examples of plans of study should be made in consultation with a departmental advisor.
Bachelor of Arts Sample Program (124 cr. required)
Freshman Year
| First Semester |
|
| SCI-I120 Windows on Science |
1 |
| BIOL-K101 Concepts of Biology I |
5 |
| CHEM-C105 Principles of Chemistry I |
3 |
| CHEM-C125 Experimental Chemistry I |
2 |
| MATH 15300 Algebra and Trigonometry I |
3 |
| ENG-W131 Elementary Composition I |
3 |
| Total |
17 |
|
|
| Second Semester |
|
| BIOL-K103 Concepts of Biology II |
5 |
| CHEM-C106 Principles of Chemistry II |
3 |
| CHEM-C126 Experimental Chemistry II |
2 |
| MATH 15400 Algebra and Trigonometry II |
3 |
| ENG-W132 Elementary Composition II |
3 |
| Total |
16 |
Sophomore Year
| Third Semester |
|
| BIOL-K322 Genetics and Molecular Biology |
3 |
| BIOL-K323 Genetics and Molecular Biology Lab |
2 |
| CHEM-C341 Organic Chemistry I |
3 |
| CHEM-C343 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I |
2 |
| Humanities-List H |
3 |
| Elective or major’s course |
3 |
| Total |
16 |
|
|
| Fourth Semester |
|
| BIOL-K322 Genetics and Molecular Biology |
3 |
| CHEM-C342 Organic Chemistry II |
2 |
| CHEM-C344 Organic Chemistry Laboratory II |
3 |
|
COMM-R110 Fund of Speech Communication
|
3 |
| CSCI Course |
3 |
| Total |
14 |
Junior Year
| Fifth Semester |
|
| BIOL-K341 Principles of Ecology and Evolution |
3 |
| PHYS-P201 General Physics I |
5 |
| Comparative World Cultures-List C |
3 |
| Foreign language I |
3 |
| Social Sciences-List S |
3 |
| Total |
17 |
|
|
| Sixth Semester |
|
| BIOL Course and Lab (Area II) |
5 |
| HIST-H114 History of Western Civilization II |
3 |
| CHEM-C341 Organic Chemistry I |
3 |
| Foreign language II |
3 |
| Total |
16 |
Senior Year
| Seventh Semester |
|
| BIOL Course and Lab (Area I) |
5 |
| 300 level elective |
3 |
| Foreign language III |
4 |
| Elective |
3 |
| Total |
15 |
|
|
| Eighth Semester |
|
| BIOL-K490 Capstone in Biology (or BIOL-K493 Independent Research) |
1 |
| BIOL Course and Lab (Area III) |
4 |
| Electives |
7 |
| CAND 99100 Candidate for Graduation |
0 |
| Total |
13 |
Bachelor of Science Sample Program (124 cr. required)
The major has 40 credit hours.
The School of Science Purdue degrees are 124 credit hours. To graduate in four years a student generally must take four semesters of 15 credits and four semesters of 16 credits. When figuring the number of credit hours that you will take each semester, students should be sure to consider the effect on total number of credit hours balanced over four years.
Freshman Year
| First Semester |
|
| SCI-I120 Windows on Science |
1 |
| BIOL-K101 Concepts of Biology I |
5 |
| CHEM-C105 Principles of Chemistry I |
3 |
| CHEM-C125 Experimental Chemistry I |
2 |
| ENG-W131 Elementary Composition I |
3 |
| Elective or precalculus math |
3 |
| Total |
17 |
|
|
| Second Semester |
|
| BIOL-K103 Concepts of Biology II |
5 |
| CHEM-C106 Principles of Chemistry II |
3 |
| CHEM-C126 Experimental Chemistry II |
2 |
| MATH 23100 Calculus for the Life Sciences I |
3 |
| ENG-W132 Elementary Composition II |
3 |
| Total |
16 |
Sophomore Year
| Third Semester |
|
| BIOL-K322 Genetics and Molecular Biology |
3 |
| BIOL-K323 Genetics and Molecular Biology Laboratory |
2 |
| CHEM-C341 Organic Chemistry I |
3 |
| CHEM-C343 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I |
2 |
| MATH 23200 Calculus for the Life Sciences II |
3 |
| Humanities-List H |
3 |
| Total |
16 |
|
|
| Fourth Semester |
|
| BIOL Course and Lab (Area III) |
4 |
| CHEM-C342 Organic Chemistry II |
3 |
| CHEM-C344 Organic Chemistry Laboratory II |
2 |
| COMM-R110 Fundamentals of Speech Communication |
3 |
| Social Sciences-List S |
3 |
| Total |
15 |
Junior Year
| Fifth Semester |
|
| BIOL-K341 Principles of Ecology and Evolution |
3 |
| BIOL-K342 Principles of Ecology and Evolution Laboratory |
2 |
| PHYS-P201 General Physics I |
5 |
| CSCI Course |
3 |
| Comparative World Cultures-List C |
3 |
| Total |
16 |
|
|
| Sixth Semester |
|
| PHYS-P202 General Physics II |
5 |
| HIST-H114 History of Western Civilization II |
3 |
| BIOL Course and Lab (Area II) |
5 |
| Elective |
3 |
| Total |
16 |
Senior Year
| Seventh Semester |
|
| BIOL Course and Lab (Area I) |
5 |
| BIOL-K493 Independent Research |
1 |
| Elective or major’s requirement |
3 |
| Elective or major’s requirement |
3 |
| Elective or major’s requirement |
3 |
| Total |
15 |
|
|
| Eighth Semester |
|
| BIOL-K493 Independent Research |
1 |
| BIOL-K494 Senior Research Thesis |
1 |
| BIOL major’s requirement |
3 |
| Elective or major’s requirement |
4 |
| Elective or major’s requirement |
4 |
| CAND 99100 Candidate for Graduation |
0 |
| Total |
13 |
