Department of Biology

Advising for Biology and Biology-Chemistry Majors 
Biology & Biology-Chemistry Requirements and when to take them

This page will help you see what courses you should take and when you should take them.  There are two basic things you should keep in mind

FIRST - REQUIRED COURSES.  FIRST PRIORITY – You must complete the required courses to obtain your degree in Biology or Biology-Chemistry.  You should take courses shown in bold letters at the times stated here or there will be trouble fitting those courses in later.  Elective Biology courses have a little more latitude regaring when you can take them  NOTE: required courses are determined by your major, so look in the College Catalogue where the required courses are listed..

SECOND - YOUR FIELD.  There are many fields in Biology or Biology-Chemistry at SJC.  Each has a set of "specialty" courses that prepare you for that field.  Look into the advising pages for your area of interest.  This will help you know what electives to take and what your minor should be.

Here is a very helpful guide for your planning and registration.

FRESHMAN YEAR
General Biology I & II
General Chemistry I & II
Core 1 & 2
The following courses can be taken in freshman or sophomore year
- Precalculus is needed if you had no Calculus in high school
- Calculus I – Calculus I is needed for Physics
- Human Anatomy and Physiology* – Students concentrating in Physical Therapy with a Health
     Therapy minor may need this

ELECTIVES -  recommendations are at the bottom of this page

SOPHOMORE YEAR
Organic Chemistry I & II:
Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy – Fall Semester
Core 3 & 4
 The following courses can be taken in sophomore year or later
 - Genetics: Winter Semester – you can take this now or in junior or senior year
 - Basic Microbiology in Winter Semester
 - Calculus I if you don't have it yet
 - Human Anatomy and Physiology* – Students concentrating in Physical Therapy with a Health
     Therapy minor may need this.  Take it now if you did not get it freshman year.

ELECTIVES -  recommendations are at the bottom of this page

JUNIOR & SENIOR YEAR
Cores 5-10
Physics I & II – best done in junior year
Work on getting your required courses
The following required courses can be taken in junior or senior year:
 - Quantitative Anaylsis: required for biol-chem only, winter jr or sr
 - Biochemistry: required for biol-chem only, fall jr or senior (requires organic chem)
 - Junior Seminar & Senior Seminar – current juniors take Core 6 science section in place
of jr & sr seminar, frosh & soph take Core 5-6 sections for science students in place of all 3
seminars

ELECTIVES -  recommendations are at the bottom of this page

*Only Biology Majors taking the Health Therapy Minor can count Human Anatomy & Physiology (HA&P) as filling requirements for the biology or biology chemistry major AND ONLY IF they also take Human Medical Physiology.  Some students take HA&P frosh year and General Biology soph year, others take HA&P sophomore year.  HA&P is a pre-requisite for several PE courses that could be used for the Health Therapy minor (Kinesiology, Basic or Advanced Athletic Training, Therapeutic Modalities and Exercise)

ELECTIVES:

1. BIOLOGY ELECTIVES (to total of 36 hours for biology major). Look to your concentration to see which courses are recommended.

FRESHMAN – Amphibian Research (can take up to 3 years), Intro Forensic Science, Statistics
SOPHOMORES – Ecology, Entomology, Intro Microbiology, Animal Behavior, Invertebrate Zoology, Evolution,
    Ichthyology-Herpetology, Ornithology-Mammalogy, Independent Study
JUNIORS AND SENIORS - Advanced Microbiology, Advanced Forensic Science, Conservation Biology, Human Medical
    Physiology, Biochemistry, Histology, Cellular & Molecular Biology, Junior Biology Research, Senior Biology Research

2. BIOLOGY - CHEMISTRY ELECTIVES  In addition to biology electives above are the following chemistry electives for jr & sr: Physical Chemistry I & II, Medicinal Chemistry, Instrumental Methods of Analysis, Seminar in Chemistry,
Research in Chemistry

3. MINOR
 A. - BIOLOGY MAJORS - Most will minor in Chemistry.  To do that you need to take at least 2 more hours of Chemistry after you finish two years of Introductory and Organic Chemistry.
     - "Pre Therapy" BIOLOGY Majors will minor in the Health Therapy Minor.  In your freshman year, look at the prerequisite courses you need to get into the Physical or Occupational Theapy School of your choice.  Use those prerequisite courses to create your Health Therapy minor

B - BIOLOGY-CHEMISTRY MAJORS - There is no minor required.

KEEPING TRACK of the courses you've taken and those you still need
1. BIOLOGY MAJORS - click here for a checklist
2. BIOLOGY-CHEMISTRY MAJORS - click here for a checklist
 

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