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)
BSC 2010, BSC 2010L
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BSCX010/X010L or BSCX010C or BSCX040/X040L or PCBX011C
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BSC 2011, BSC 2011L
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BSCX010/X010L or BSCX010C or BSCX040/X040L or PCBX011C
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CHM 1045, CHM 1045L
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CHMX045/X045L or CHMX045C or CHMX040 and CHMX041
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CHM 1046, CHM 1046L
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CHMX046/X046L or CHMX046C
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CHM 2210, CHM 2210L
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CHMX046/X046L or CHMX046C
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CHM 2211, CHM 2211L
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CHMX211/X211L or CHMX211C
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PHY 2048, PHY 2048L
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PHYX048/X048L or PHY053/X053L
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PHY 2049, PHY 2049L
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PHYX049/X049L or PHY054/X054L
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MAC 2311
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MACX311 or MACX233* or MACX253 or MACX281 or MACX241
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MAC 2312 or
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MACX312 or MACX282 or MACX234
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STA 2122 and STA 3123
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STAX023 or STAX024 or STAX321**
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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
Courses Required for the Degree:
- 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:
- Ecology
- Organismal Diversity
- Physiology/Biochemistry
- 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).
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.)