Online Bachelor of Arts Biology

The School of Environment, Arts and Society is fostering the sustainability of the planet and its societies through inspirational teaching, stimulating creative works, groundbreaking research and global community engagement across disciplines. By bringing together the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, the mission of SEAS is to find solutions to address environmental challenges and train students to become innovative leaders of the 21st century. Our top scientists conduct pre-eminent research in the fields of water, agroecology, Everglades restoration, tropical botany and more.

Graduates of this program will be able to apply their skills toward careers in areas such as biomedical sales, research, agriculture, food safety, pharmaceutical or environmental protection. The program also prepares graduates to pursue an advanced degree in biology to work in education, research fields or as a genetic counselor.

Program Completion Requirements

A total of 120 credits are required for the Bachelor of Arts in Biology. Students must complete all University Core Curriculum courses, and General Science Requirements (common prerequisites). Students must earn a grade of "C" or higher in all courses required for the major. A grade of "C-" or lower is NOT acceptable in any required course. This is a university rule as stated in the Undergraduate Catalog under the College of Arts, Sciences & Education.

In addition to the above requirements, students pursuing a B.A. in Biology must complete the following:

• Courses Required for the Degree
• Lower Division Program
• Common Prerequisite Courses and Equivalencies

FIU Course(s)

Courses which form part of the statewide articulation between the State University System and the Florida College System will fulfill the Lower Division Common Prerequisites.
For generic course substitutions/equivalencies for Common Program Prerequisites offered at community colleges, state colleges, or state universities, visit: https://www.flvc.org. Search Program Listing by Alphabetical Order.

Required Courses

• BSC 1005 Essentials of Biology: The Big Picture 3
• BCH 2020 Foundations of Biochemistry 3
• BSC 2300 Biological Organization: The Size and Scale of Life 3

Other Degree Requirements: 60 credits

Upper Division Core Requirements: 10 credits

• PCB 3043 Ecology 3
• PCB 3063 Genetics 3
• PCB 4674 Evolution 3
• BSC 4931 Senior Seminar 1

Upper Division Biology Electives – 21 credits

Students must complete 7 lecture courses from the acceptable Upper Division Biology Electives maintained by the Biology Department. One lecture course must be chosen in each of the following areas:

1. Ecology
2. Organismal Diversity
3. Physiology/Biochemistry
4. Structure/Development

The remaining 4 lecture courses may be chosen at the student’s discretion from courses in any of the distribution areas (the distribution area is designated by the letter in brackets after the course description). The following courses are not allowed as Biology Electives: Essentials of Biology: The Big Picture (BSC 1005), Foundations of Biochemistry (BCH 2020), Biological Organization: The Size and Scale of Life (BSC 2300), Student Research Labs (BSC 3915, 4914, and 6916); Workshop Biology Labs (BSC 5928, PCB 5238, BSC 6926, etc.); Cooperative Education credits (BSC 3949); Biology of Women (BSC 3027); Research Methods in Biological Sciences (BSC 3910); and courses for non-science majors (BOT 1010, PCB 2061, PCB 2099, MCB 2000, BSC 2023, EVR 3013, OCB 2003, and OCE 3014).

Biology Laboratory Requirements – 3 credits

• 3 Upper Division Labs

Language Requirement (6 Credits)

This is a University-wide Foreign Language Competency Requirement that can be satisfied with two years of a foreign language at the high-school level. This may also be satisfied with a second semester (or higher) language course taken at the college level. For example, a student without two years of foreign language in High School, interested in learning Chinese can satisfy this requirement by taking both Chinese I and Chinese II. If the Department of Modern Languages determines student placement to be higher, then this requirement can be satisfied with one class of Chinese II or higher (Intermediate Chinese, for example).

Track Specific Courses – 18 credits

Six courses in the specified track must be completed.

General Electives – 8 credits

Eight additional credits must be completed. (Students transferring with 60 or more credits, including those who have completed an Associate of Arts degree will take BCH 2XXX and BSC 2300 as part of the elective credits, and will be exempt from the BSC 1005 requirement.)

To ensure every student’s success, we have certain admissions requirements for each of our programs. To help you through the application process, our enrollment advisors are here to answer your questions and guide you every step of the way.

Applications are accepted for Spring, Fall and Summer terms.

Steps to Apply

Freshman Students

Please submit the following:

• Online application
• $30 application fee.
• Official SAT or ACT scores.
• Official high school transcripts.

Transfer Students

Please submit the following:

• Online application
• $30 application fee.
• Official college transcripts.
• If you have less than 60 transferable college credits, you must also submit official high school transcripts and SAT or ACT scores in addition to any transcripts from postsecondary schools to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

International Students

In addition to the above requirements, international applicants should submit:

• Official English Language Proficiency exam scores (TOEFL or IELTS).
• NACES official course-by-course evaluation and translation of college transcripts.
• If you have less than 60 transferable college credits, you must also submit official high school transcripts with translation.

Program Admission Requirements

Candidates must first be accepted into the university. Students admitted to Florida International University are admitted directly to their chosen major.

Program Completion Requirements

A total of 120 credits are required to complete the fully online undergraduate degree. Students must complete the University Core Curriculum, University requirements and College of Arts, Sciences & Education requirements while satisfying requirements toward their Asian Studies major and are expected to make good progress based on critical indicators, such as GPA in specific courses or credits earned. In cases where students are not making good progress, a change of major may be required. The College of Arts, Sciences & Education advisors work to redirect students to more appropriate majors when critical indicators are not met. For specific course requirements, visit the Courses tab on this program page.

Admission Documents

To complete the online undergraduate programs admissions form, select your program from the application form. You may complete the online application and submit it, even before taking any entrance exams. All supporting admission documents may be sent to:

Florida International University Office
of Undergraduate Admissions
P.O. Box 659003
Miami, FL 33265-9003
USA

FIU also accepts transcripts electronically via:

• Faster (All FL public institutions)
• Naviance (Typically used by private high schools)
• SMART/Joint Service Transcript – Military records

*Meeting the university minimum requirements does not guarantee admission

We’re thrilled that you’re considering online education and want you to know exactly what to expect for tuition and fees. Education is an investment in your future. Use the following student tuition and fees calculator to determine your costs.

With more than 50 core faculty, the department is research-intensive with funding in grants and contracts worth more than $10 million annually. Biological Sciences faculty conduct research on all seven continents and in cutting-edge research labs. Research from these labs has a global impact on some of the world’s most pressing issues.

The research interests of our faculty span many levels of biological organization from molecules to ecosystems, and include both field- and laboratory-based studies in marine, terrestrial and freshwater environments. Faculty in the department address basic biological questions about how organisms work, how they develop, how they interact with other organisms and their environments, and how they have evolved over time.

Active areas of research include cell and molecular biology, ecology, climate change, functional morphology, genetics, conservation biology and biodiversity, neurobiology and behavior, evolutionary biology and population genetics, phylogenetics and bioinformatics, physiology, virology, microbiology, and paleobiology. Many of our faculty specialize in tropical systems, including tropical ecosystems and tropical diseases.