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:

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:

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.

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:

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

Advanced Chemistry Sequence

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.  

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Major in Biology

Minimum required: 120 semester credit hours

General Requirements

1. 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.
2. Students must complete a minimum of 36 advanced hours (3000 or 4000 level courses).
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Nine semester credit hours must be writing intensive (WI).
6. 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.
7. 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