No transfer courses will substitute for courses in the major without prior departmental approval. Rev. 3/18/2020
UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES:
GENERAL BIOLOGY CHECKLIST
Visit the Biology Undergraduate Advising Center in LSN 102
Phone: (619) 594-6442 Email: bioundergrad@sdsu.edu
*Students are responsible for meeting all academic requirements for graduation regardless of meeting
Preparation for the Major Coursework
Four Year Degree
To finish your degree in four years, all 9 sets of premajor courses listed below will need to be finished by the
end of your 4th semester, or the 5th at the latest.
Impaction
Biology is impacted. After admission to SDSU, students are initially placed into the Biology premajor.
Premajors must meet department specific criteria in order to be admitted into the major. Admission to Biology
Major requires the following:
➢ Completion of all the preparation for the Major courses and a combined GPA of 2.8 or higher in these
courses (excluding Phys 180A, 180B, 182A, and 182B).
➢ A minimum of C or better in every course (Recommended A’s and B’s).
➢ Courses in the Preparation for the Major cannot be taken Cr/Nc.
After completing these requirements, you will be admitted to the Major automatically. If you are not admitted
automatically meet with the Undergraduate Biology Advisor as soon as possible.
Students who do not meet one or more requirements should meet with the Undergraduate Biology Advisor each
semester to determine an appropriate course of action
NOTE: Not all upper division Biology courses are offered every semester. Check the current class schedule for complete
course listings.
PREPARATION FOR THE MAJOR (37 units of lower division courses)
Biol 203 Princ. of Cell Molec. Biology
3
Chem 232 Organic Chemistry
3
Biol 203L Princ. of Cell Molec. Biology Lab
1
Chem 232L Organic Chemistry Lab
1
Biol 204 Princ. of Organismal Biology
3
Math 124 Calculus of Life Sciences
4
Biol 204L Princ. of Organismal Biology Lab
1
Phys 180A Fundamentals of Physics
3
Biol 215 Biostatistics
3
Phys 182A Physical Measurements Lab
1
Chem 200 General Chemistry
5
Phys 180B Fundamentals of Physics
3
Chem 201 General Chemistry
5
Phys 182B Physical Measurements Lab
1
No transfer courses will substitute for courses in the major without prior departmental approval. Rev. 3/18/2020
UPPER DIVISION MAJOR
(36 units for B.S., 24 units for B.A.)
Cumulative 2.0 GPA required in all upper division coursework applied to the major.
Required Core Coursework
(17 units)
3
3
3
3
3
2
Elective Coursework
(19+units for B.S., 7+ units for B.A.)
Required: 2 Lab Courses (One class cannot fulfill both lab course requirements.)
1. Organismal Lab Requirement – select at least one Organismal lab in bold from below.
2. Lab Elective Requirement – select at least one additional lab course from below (may
or may not be organismal)
Biol 350
Biol 354L
Biol 436
Biol 512
Biol 514
Biol 515
Biol 516A
Biol 516B
Biol 517
Biol 518
Biol 523
Biol 524
Biol 525
General Microbiology (4)
Experimental Ecology (2)
Human Physiology Lab (2)
Evolution & Ecology of Marine
Mammals (3)
Biology of Algae (4)
Marine Invertebrate Biology (4)
Marine Larval Ecology Research Pt.1(4)
Marine Larval Ecology Research Pt.2 (4)
Marine Ecology (3)
Biology of Fishes (4)
Herpetology (3)
Ornithology (4)
Mammalogy (3)
Biol 526
Biol 527L
Biol 528
Biol 530
Biol 531
Biol 535
Biol 540
Biol 556
Biol 557
Biol 562
Biol 567L
Biol 568
Terrestrial Arthropod Biology (4)
Animal Behavior Lab (1)
Microbial Ecology (3)
Plant Systematics (4)
Taxonomy of California Plants (4)
Plant Ecology (4)
Conservation Ecology (3)
Scanning Electron Microscopy Lab (2)
Transmission Electron Microscopy Lab (3)
Ecological Metagenomics (3)
Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular
Biology Lab II (2)
Bioinformatics (3)
Custom Electives
• Customize your major by taking courses that you’re interested in that are upper division Biology
courses numbered 350-599 and upper division Chemistry courses (except Chem 300, 308, 497, 499,
560).
• Prior approval of the Biology Undergraduate Advisor (LSN-102) is needed and paperwork must be
filed in order to enroll in Biol 497, 499, and/or 490.
• A maximum or 6 units between Biol 497 and 499 may be applied to the major.
• For B.A. in Biology, Biol 497 and 499 cannot be applied to elective units.
No transfer courses will substitute for courses in the major without prior departmental approval. Rev. 3/18/2020