Biology, BS
Introduction
Please click here to see Integrative Biology department information.
These degree requirements are subject to periodic revision by the academic department, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences reserves the right to make exceptions and substitutions as judged necessary in individual cases. Therefore, the College strongly urges students to consult regularly with their major advisor and CLAS advisor to confirm the best plans of study before finalizing them.
Program Delivery
- This is an on-campus program.
Declaring This Major
- Click here to go to information about declaring a major
General Requirements
To earn a degree, students must satisfy all requirements in each of the three areas below, in addition to their individual major requirements.
- CU Denver General Graduation Requirements
- CU Denver Core Curriculum
- College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Graduation Requirements
- Click here for information about Academic Policies
Program Requirements
- Students must complete a minimum of 63 credit hours, including a minimum of 36 BIOL credit hours and 27 credit hours in ancillary coursework.
- Students must complete a minimum of 18 upper division (3000- level and above) BIOL credit hours.
- Students must earn a minimum grade of C- (1.7) in all major courses taken at CU Denver and must achieve a minimum cumulative major GPA of 2.0. All graded attempts in required and elective courses are calculated in the major GPA. Students cannot complete major or ancillary course requirements as pass/fail.
- Students must complete a minimum of 18 upper division (3000-level and above) BIOL credit hours with CU Denver faculty and at least 3 credits must be at 4000-level.
Program Restrictions, Allowances and Recommendations
- All upper division biology courses applied to the undergraduate biology major must be completed within 10 years of graduation.
- Biology majors are advised to complete either ENGL 3154 Technical Writing or ENGL 4175 Writing in the Sciences to fulfill the CLAS Communicative Skills requirement.
- Undergraduate students may count up to 6 credit hours of independent study or internship (any combination of BIOL 3840 Independent Study, BIOL 3939 Internship, BIOL 4840 Independent Study, BIOL 4880 Directed Research) toward the upper-division Biology electives requirement in the major.
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete the following | 20 | |
| BIOL 2010 | Organisms to Ecosystems (Gen Bio) | 3 |
| or BIOL 2030 | Honors Organisms to Ecosystems (Gen Bio) | |
| BIOL 2011 | Organisms to Ecosystems Lab (Gen Bio) | 1 |
| or BIOL 2031 | Honors Organisms to Ecosystems Lab (Gen Bio) | |
| BIOL 2020 | Molecules to Cells (Gen Bio) | 3 |
| or BIOL 2040 | Honors Molecules to Cells (Gen Bio) | |
| BIOL 2021 | Molecules to Cells Lab (Gen Bio) | 1 |
| or BIOL 2041 | Honors Molecules to Cells Lab (Gen Bio) | |
| BIOL 3411 | Principles of Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 3445 | Introduction to Evolution | 3 |
| BIOL 3611 | General Cell Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 3832 | General Genetics | 3 |
Upper Division Biology Electives
Upper Division-Level Biology Lab
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete at least one upper division level (3000 or higher) Biology lab course from the list below. | 2 | |
| BIOL 3137 | Advanced Special Topics with Lab | 2 |
| BIOL 3225 | Human Physiology | 4 |
| BIOL 3244 | Human Anatomy | 5 |
| BIOL 3413 | Ecology Laboratory | 2 |
| BIOL 3612 | Cell Biology Laboratory | 3 |
| BIOL 3640 | Mammalogy | 4 |
| BIOL 3654 | General Microbiology | 5 |
| BIOL 4125 | Molecular Biology Laboratory | 3 |
| BIOL 4335 | Plant Science | 4 |
| BIOL 4345 | Flora of Colorado | 4 |
| BIOL 4644 | Advanced Human Anatomy Laboratory | 2 |
| BIOL 4910 | Field Studies | 3 |
4000-Level Biology Elective
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Take at least one 3 credit hour 4000 level biology lecture course from CU Denver Biology faculty. | 3 | |
| BIOL 4024 | Introduction to Biotechnology | 3 |
| BIOL 4050 | Advanced Biology Topics | 3 |
| BIOL 4052 | Advanced Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 4053 | Disease Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 4055 | Virology | 3 |
| BIOL 4064 | Cell Biology of Disease | 3 |
| BIOL 4126 | Molecular Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 4128 | Topics in Molecular Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 4134 | Human Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 4144 | Medical Microbiology | 3 |
| BIOL 4154 | Conservation Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 4165 | Neurobiology | 3 |
| BIOL 4225 | Genomics and Bioinformatics | 3 |
| BIOL 4250 | Mechanisms of Animal Behavior | 3 |
| BIOL 4335 | Plant Science | 4 |
| BIOL 4345 | Flora of Colorado | 4 |
| BIOL 4415 | Microbial Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 4425 | Biogeography | 3 |
| BIOL 4430 | Introduction to Spacial Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 4460 | Environmental Toxicology | 3 |
| BIOL 4464 | Exercise Physiology | 3 |
| BIOL 4475 | Mechanisms of Human Pathology | 3 |
| BIOL 4494 | Population and Evolutionary Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 4550 | Cell Signaling | 3 |
| BIOL 4622 | Topics in Immunology | 3 |
| BIOL 4634 | Biology of Cancer | 3 |
| BIOL 4815 | Structural Biology of Neurodegenerative Diseases | 3 |
| BIOL 4825 | Biochemistry of Metabolic Disease | 3 |
| BIOL 4835 | Biochemistry of Gene Regulation and Cancer | 3 |
| BIOL 4974 | Advanced Evolution | 3 |
Upper Division Level Biology Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Choose upper division level (3000 or higher) biology electives, not already taken above. Take at least 11 additional credits or enough credits to reach the minimum required total of 36 BIOL credits. | 11 | |
| BIOL 3020 | Practical Laboratory Skills | 1 |
| BIOL 3074 | Human Reproductive Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 3104 | Behavioral Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 3124 | Introduction to Molecular Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 3134 | Advanced Topics | 1-8 |
| BIOL 3137 | Advanced Special Topics with Lab | 1-15 |
| BIOL 3225 | Human Physiology | 4 |
| BIOL 3244 | Human Anatomy | 5 |
| BIOL 3330 | Plant Diversity | 3 |
| BIOL 3413 | Ecology Laboratory | 2 |
| BIOL 3521 | Vertebrate Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 3525 | Parasitology | 3 |
| BIOL 3612 | Cell Biology Laboratory | 3 |
| BIOL 3621 | Introduction to Immunology | 3 |
| BIOL 3640 | Mammalogy | 4 |
| BIOL 3654 | General Microbiology | 5 |
| BIOL 3674 | Endocrinology | 3 |
| BIOL 3763 | Biostatistics | 4 |
| BIOL 3804 | Developmental Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 3840 | Independent Study | 1-3 |
| BIOL 3939 | Internship | 1-3 |
| BIOL 4024 | Introduction to Biotechnology | 3 |
| BIOL 4050 | Advanced Biology Topics | 1-8 |
| BIOL 4052 | Advanced Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 4053 | Disease Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 4055 | Virology | 3 |
| BIOL 4064 | Cell Biology of Disease | 3 |
| BIOL 4125 | Molecular Biology Laboratory | 3 |
| BIOL 4126 | Molecular Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 4128 | Topics in Molecular Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 4134 | Human Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 4144 | Medical Microbiology | 3 |
| BIOL 4154 | Conservation Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 4165 | Neurobiology | 3 |
| BIOL 4225 | Genomics and Bioinformatics | 3 |
| BIOL 4250 | Mechanisms of Animal Behavior | 3 |
| BIOL 4335 | Plant Science | 4 |
| BIOL 4345 | Flora of Colorado | 4 |
| BIOL 4415 | Microbial Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 4425 | Biogeography | 3 |
| BIOL 4430 | Introduction to Spacial Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 4460 | Environmental Toxicology | 3 |
| BIOL 4464 | Exercise Physiology | 3 |
| BIOL 4475 | Mechanisms of Human Pathology | 3 |
| BIOL 4494 | Population and Evolutionary Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 4550 | Cell Signaling | 3 |
| BIOL 4622 | Topics in Immunology | 3 |
| BIOL 4634 | Biology of Cancer | 3 |
| BIOL 4644 | Advanced Human Anatomy Laboratory | 2 |
| BIOL 4815 | Structural Biology of Neurodegenerative Diseases | 3 |
| BIOL 4825 | Biochemistry of Metabolic Disease | 3 |
| BIOL 4835 | Biochemistry of Gene Regulation and Cancer | 3 |
| BIOL 4840 | Independent Study | 1-6 |
| BIOL 4880 | Directed Research | 1-6 |
| BIOL 4910 | Field Studies | 3 |
| BIOL 4974 | Advanced Evolution | 3 |
| CHEM 3810 | Biochemistry | 4 |
| CHEM 4820 | General Biochemistry II | 3 |
Ancillary Coursework
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Take all of the following Ancillary Core courses: | ||
Chemistry
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Take all of the following | 13 | |
| CHEM 2031 | General Chemistry I | 3 |
| or CHEM 2081 | Honors General Chemistry I | |
| CHEM 2038 | General Chemistry Laboratory I | 1 |
| or CHEM 2088 | Honors General Chemistry I Laboratory | |
| CHEM 2061 | General Chemistry II | 3 |
| or CHEM 2091 | Honors General Chemistry II Lecture | |
| CHEM 2068 | General Chemistry Laboratory II | 2 |
| or CHEM 2098 | Honors General Chemistry II Laboratory | |
| CHEM 3411 | Organic Chemistry I | 4 |
Physics
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Take the following courses 1 | 10 | |
| PHYS 2010 | College Physics I | 4 |
| or PHYS 2311 | General Physics I: Calculus-Based | |
| PHYS 2321 | Intro Experimental Phys Lab I | 1 |
| PHYS 2020 | College Physics II | 4 |
| or PHYS 2331 | General Physics II: Calculus-Based | |
| PHYS 2341 | Intro Experimental Phys Lab II | 1 |
| 1 | PHYS 2321 Intro Experimental Phys Lab I and PHYS 2341 Intro Experimental Phys Lab II are specifically designed for students in non-Physics majors and can be paired with either PHYS 2010 College Physics I and PHYS 2020 College Physics II or PHYS 2311 General Physics I: Calculus-Based and PHYS 2331 General Physics II: Calculus-Based lectures. Students pursuing a second major in Physics should complete PHYS 2311 General Physics I: Calculus-Based and PHYS 2331 General Physics II: Calculus-Based and PHYS 2351 Applied Physics Lab I and PHYS 2361 Applied Physics Lab II. |
Math
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Take one of the following Ancillary Math options | ||
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Option I | ||
| Complete the following | ||
| MATH 1401 | Calculus I | 4 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Option II: Take one from list A and one from list B | ||
| A) Complete one of the following lower division level General Education Math courses | ||
| MATH 1070 | College Algebra for Business | 3 |
| MATH 1080 | Calculus for Social Sciences and Business | 3 |
| MATH 1108 & MATH 1109 | Stretch College Algebra-Part 1 and Stretch College Algebra-Part 2 | 6 |
| MATH 1110 | College Algebra | 4 |
| MATH 1120 | College Trigonometry | 3 |
| MATH 1130 | Precalculus Mathematics | 4 |
| B) Complete one of the following upper division statistics courses | ||
| BIOL 3763 | Biostatistics | 4 |
| MATH 4830 | Applied Statistics | 3 |
To learn more about the Student Learning Outcomes for this program, please visit our website.
To review the Degree Map for this program, please visit our website.