Biology Major Degree Requirements
Iowa State University offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology through its interdepartmental undergraduate Biology Program. Consisting of 120 credit hours, students can complete this degree within four years (8 semesters) to pursue a wide variety of career options. The links below contain downloadable, printer-friendly 4-year plans and our current degree requirements:
University Requirements
Students enrolled in any major at Iowa State University complete a common set of general education requirements. These requirements include:
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 150 | Critical Thinking and Communication | 3 |
| ENGL 250 | Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition | 3 |
| (varies) | Advanced Communications (determined by choice of college and major) | 3 |
| LIB 160 | Information Literacy | 1 |
| (varies) | International Perspective (click here for a list of approved courses) | 3 |
| (varies) | U.S. Diversity (click here for a list of approved courses) | 3 |
For additional information about English and communications coursework, including test-out and placement tests, see the ISUComm website.
College Requirements
Students majoring in Biology can do so through two colleges: the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). Each college has additional general education requirements students are expected to complete. They key differences between these requirements for Biology majors are summarized below:
| LAS Requirement | CALS Requirement | |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign Language | 101/102 college-level language proficiency or 3+ years in high school | none required |
| Advanced Communications | advanced writing (ENGL 312 preferred) -or- speech (SP CM 212, COMST 214, or AGEDS 311) | speech (SP CM 212, COMST 214, or AGEDS 311) |
| Math (met by completing Biology major requirements) | mathematics and/or statistics | mathematics AND statistics |
| Science (met by completing Biology major requirements) | natural sciences | biological and physical sciences |
| Arts and Humanities | 12 credits (select here for approved course list) | 3 credits (select here for approved course list) |
| Social Sciences | 9 credits (select here for approved course list) | 3 credits (select here for approved course list) |
| Ethics | None required | 3 credits (select here for approved course list) |
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences also requires completion of 45 credits of 300-level coursework.
Biology Major Requirements
Biology Core Requirements
This coursework provide students with a broad foundation in the biological sciences. Students must maintain a 2.0 or higher cumulative GPA for these courses.
| Course # | Course Name | Credits | Learning Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOL 110 & BIOL 111 (students entering directly from high school)-or-BIOL 112 (students transferring from another school) | Introduction to Biology and Opportunities in Biology-or-Transfer Student Orientation | 1 to 1.5 | |
| BIOL 211 & BIOL 211L | Principles of Biology I & lab | 4 | BIOL 211+L Learning Goals |
| BIOL 212 & BIOL 212L | Principles of Biology II & lab | 4 | BIOL 212+L Learning Goals |
| BIOL 312 | Ecology (with lab) | 4 | |
| BIOL 313 & BIOL 313L | Principles of Genetics & lab | 4 | |
| BIOL 314 | Principles of Molecular Cell Biology | 3 | |
| BIOL 315 | Biological Evolution | 3 |
The 300-level core courses do not need to be taken in numerical order. Students should aim to take the course which relates to their primary interest areas first.
Advanced Biology Requirements
Advanced biology coursework allows students to tailor their degree program to their interests with over 200 course options, making Biology the most flexible life-science major at Iowa State University. Advanced biology courses include traditional instructional content as well as opportunities such as field trip courses, teaching experiences, internships, and research experiences. Biology majors complete 21 credits of advanced biology coursework, including:
- At least 9 credits from Biology Program offerings (e.g., BIOL, EEOB, and GDCB courses)
- At least 2 advanced courses containing a laboratory/field component
As with the biology core, students must maintain a 2.0 or higher cumulative GPA for these courses.
Complementary or Supporting Science Requirements
An understanding of math, chemistry, and physics is required for completing a Biology major. What courses a student takes depends largely on their career interests, and is best discussed with their advisor or our Student Services Office.
Mathematics
Biology majors complete two semesters of calculus and/or statistics. Choice of college (LAS or CALS) impact a student’s mathematics requirements per the options below:
| Math/Stats Option | Mathematics Course | Statistics Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics Only (LAS) | MATH 165 (Calculus I) and MATH 166 (Calculus II) | none (LAS only) | 8 |
| Statistics Only (LAS) | none (LAS only) | STAT 101 (Principles of Statistics) or STAT 104 (Introduction to Statistics)-and-STAT 301 (Intermediate Statistical Concepts and Methods) | 7 to 8 |
| Mathematics and Statistics (LAS and CALS) | MATH 160 (Survey of Calculus) or MATH 165 (Calculus I) | STAT 101 (Principles of Statistics) or STAT 104 (Introduction to Statistics) | 7 to 8 |
| Statistics Only (CALS) | any college-approved mathematics course | STAT 101 (Principles of Statistics) or STAT 104 (Introduction to Statistics)-and-STAT 301 (Intermediate Statistical Concepts and Methods) | 10 to 13 |
Placement in math courses is governed by the ALEKS exam and the Department of Mathematics.
Chemistry
Biology majors complete a minimum of one semester of general chemistry (with lab), one semester of organic chemistry (with lab), and one semester of biochemistry (12 credits total). Students often complete more than this because it is recommended or required for their career path or post-graduate plans.
Minimum Chemistry Sequence
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 163 & CHEM 163L | College Chemistry & lab | 5 |
| CHEM 231 & CHEM 231L | Elementary Organic Chemistry & lab | 4 |
| BBMB 316 | Principles of Biochemistry | 3 |
Advanced Chemistry Sequence
| Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 177 & CHEM 177L | General Chemistry I & lab | 5 |
| CHEM 178 & CHEM 178L | General Chemistry II & lab | 4 |
| CHEM 331 & CHEM 331L | Organic Chemistry I & lab | 4 |
| CHEM 332 & CHEM 332L | Organic Chemistry II & lab | 4 |
| BBMB 404 | Biochemistry I | 3 |
| BBMB 405 | Biochemistry II | 3 |
Physics
Biology majors complete one semester of physics with a lab (5 credits). Students may opt to take a full year of physics because it is recommended or required for their career path or post-graduate aspirations.
| Physics Option | Course # | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Semester | PHYS 115 & PHYS 115L | Physics for Life Sciences | 5 |
| Full Year (algebra-based) | PHYS 131 + PHYS 131L -and- PHYS 132 + PHYS 132L | General Physics I and II | 10 |
| Full Year (calculus-based) | PHYS 231 + PHYS 231L-and-PHYS 232 + PHYS 232L | Classical Physics I and II | 10 |
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Major in Biology
Minimum required: 120 semester credit hours
General Requirements
- The general education core curriculum courses are listed in the degree plan below along with the statewide component code number. See the General Education Core Curriculum section of this catalog for the Texas State requirements and options in the core curriculum, including Honors courses.
- Students must complete a minimum of 36 advanced hours (3000 or 4000 level courses).
- Students must select a minor from the approved list of Undergraduate Minors. The recommended minor is Chemistry or Biochemistry. Minor and electives should be chosen in consultation with the academic advisor.
- The minimum number of hours required for this degree program is 120. The number of free elective hours a student will complete depends on the number of hours a student may need to achieve the required 120 total or 36 advanced hours.
- Nine semester credit hours must be writing intensive (WI).
- If two years of the same foreign language were taken in high school, then no additional language hours will be required. In the absence of such high school language, two semesters of the same modern language must be taken at the college level.
- For transfer students, 24 semester credit hours in biology, chemistry and physics (or their equivalents) may be transferred from a Texas public institution of higher education for the Biology Field of Study and be applied to the Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Biology at Texas State University. More information about the Field of Study is available in the Academic Policies section of this catalog. The transferable Texas Common Course Number (TCCN) is listed below the Texas State University course number in the following course list.Course ListCodeTitleHoursBIO 1330Functional Biology3TCCN: BIOL 1306BIO 1130Functional Biology Laboratory1TCCN: BIOL 1106BIO 1331Organismal Biology3TCCN: BIOL 1307BIO 1131Organismal Biology Laboratory1TCCN: BIOL 1107CHEM 1341General Chemistry I3TCCN: CHEM 1311CHEM 1141General Chemistry Laboratory I1TCCN: CHEM 1111CHEM 1342General Chemistry II3TCCN: CHEM 1312CHEM 1142General Chemistry Laboratory II1TCCN: CHEM 1112CHEM 2341Organic Chemistry I3TCCN: CHEM 2323CHEM 2141Organic Chemistry Laboratory I1TCCN: CHEM 2123PHYS 1315General Physics I3TCCN: PHYS 1301PHYS 1115General Physics I Laboratory1TCCN: PHYS 1101Total Hours24
Course Requirements
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| FIRST SEMESTER | HOURS | SECOND SEMESTER | HOURS |
| BIO 1330 (Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 030) | 3 | BIO 1331 (Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 030) | 3 |
| BIO 1130 | 1 | BIO 1131 | 1 |
| CHEM 1341 & CHEM 1141 | 4 | CHEM 1342 & CHEM 1142 | 4 |
| US 1100 | 1 | Communication Component Code 010 | 3 |
| Government/Political Science Component Code 070 | 3 | American History Component Code 060 | 3 |
| Communication Component Code 010 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 14 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| FIRST SEMESTER | HOURS | SECOND SEMESTER | HOURS |
| BIO 2450 | 4 | BIO 2400, 2410, or 2411 | 4 |
| CHEM 2341 & CHEM 2141 | 4 | CHEM 2342 & CHEM 2142 | 4 |
| MATH 2321 or 2471 (Mathematics Component Code 020) | 3-4 | MATH 2328, 2331, or 2472 (Mathematics Component Code 020) | 3-4 |
| American History Component Code 060 | 3 | Creative Arts Component Code 050 | 3 |
| Government/Political Science Component Code 070 | 3 | ||
| 14-15 | 17-18 | ||
| Junior | |||
| FIRST SEMESTER | HOURS | SECOND SEMESTER | HOURS |
| BIO 4416 | 4 | Advanced Physiology: | 4 |
| Component Area Option Codes 090, 091, 092, 093 and 094 | 3 | BIO 3421, 3426, 4455, or 4441 | |
| Language, Philosophy, and Culture Component Code 040 | 3 | Component Area Option Codes 090, 091, 092, 093 and 094 | 3 |
| Choose 4 hours from the following: | 4 | Choose 4 hours from the following: | 4 |
| PHYS 1315 & PHYS 1115 | PHYS 1325 & PHYS 1125 | ||
| PHYS 1430 | PHYS 2425 | ||
| Social and Behavioral Sciences Component Code 080 | 3 | ||
| 14 | 14 | ||
| Senior | |||
| FIRST SEMESTER | HOURS | SECOND SEMESTER | HOURS |
| BIO Advanced Electives1 | 8-9 | BIO 4301 | 3 |
| Minor/Advanced Electives | 8-7 | BIO Advanced Electives1 | 6-7 |
| Minor/Advanced Electives | 3-2 | ||
| Free Electives | 4 | ||
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Total Hours: 120-122 |
| 1 | Biology advanced electives are 3000-4000 level Biology courses. Biology advanced electives cannot be chosen from: BIO 4305, BIO 4402, BIO 4403 or BIO 4408. If a student elects to take BIO 4299, it requires faculty and departmental approval to apply towards the 15 hours of advanced biology electives. |
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