Vist the major-specific pages for help choosing the right courses for your major.
Only BIOSC courses with a grade of C or higher will count toward your major.
To progress into upper-level BIOSC courses, students must earn a grade of C or higher in all BIOSC prerequisite courses.
Looking for suggestions on what to take in your first year? Find recommended first-year courses here.
- BIOSC Course List PDF organized by semester
BIOSC Course List PDF organized by semester, including pre-requisites.
Updated June 2025.
- Sample Syllabi
- Exact syllabus may vary from semester-to-semester and year-to-year
- See BIOSC Course List PDF, above, for current course offering information.
- HL = higher level
Non-Majors Courses
Course Description Pre- or Co-(C)-requisites 0041 Anatomy for the Health Professions BIOSC 0042c 0042 Anatomy for the Health Professions Lab BIOSC 0041c 0805 The Human Body (Non-Majors) None 0815 Genes and Diseases (Non-Majors) None 0835 Our Changing World (Non-Majors) None 0100 Preparation for Biology None Lab Courses
Course Description Pre- or Co-(C)-requisites 0057 Foundations of Biology Research Lab 1 BIOSC 0150 0058 Foundations of Biology SEA-PHAGES Lab 1 None 0067 Foundations of Biology Research Lab 2 - DNA Regulation BIOSC 005X, BIOSC 0160 0067 Foundations of Biology Research Lab 2 - Neural Defects BIOSC 005X, BIOSC 0160 0067 Foundations of Biology Research Lab 2 - Water Channels BIOSC 005X, BIOSC 0160 0067 Foundations of Biology Research Lab 2 - Viral Genomes BIOSC 005X, BIOSC 0160 0068 Foundations of Biology SEA-PHAGES Lab 2 BIOSC 0058 0390 Ecology Lab BIOSC 006X, 0370c 0351 Genetics Lab BIOSC 006X, 0350c 0352 Intro to Molecular Genetics Lab BIOSC 006X, 0350 1005 Introduction to Biochemistry Lab BIOSC 006X, 1000c 1221 Urban Ecological Field Studies BIOSC 0370, 006X 1285 Genomics Lab BIOSC 006X, 0350 1290 Microbial Genetics Lab BIOSC 006X, 1850c 1510 Cell Biology Lab BIOSC 006X, 1500c 1530 Developmental Biology Lab BIOSC 006X, 1520c 1740 Virology Lab BIOSC 0350,1855 or 1860 1830 Biochemistry Lab BIOSC 006X, 1820c; for Biochemistry Majors 1855 Introduction to Microbiology Lab BIOSC 006X, 1850c 1860 Microbiology Lab BIOSC 006X, 1850; for Microbiology Majors 1950 Molecular Genetics Lab BIOSC 006X, 1940c; for Molecular Biology Majors Lecture Courses counting towards Bio Department Majors
Course Description Pre- or Co-(C)-requisites 0100 Preparation for Biology None 0150 Foundations of Biology 1 None 0155 Honors Foundations of Biology 1 Min. 3.25 CUM GPA, min. AP Bio score of 4 or 5 0160 Foundations of Biology 2 BIOSC 0150 0165 Honors Foundations of Biology 2 Min. 3.25 CUM GPA, BIOSC 0715 or AP Bio score of 5 0350 Genetics BIOSC 0160, CHEM 0120 0370 Ecology BIOSC 0160 1000 Biochemistry* BIOSC 0160, CHEM 0310 *Course repeat warning: Students who need biochemistry should either take BIOSC 1000 or 1810+1820. BIOSC 1000 and 1810 are considered course repeats, and you cannot take both for credit. BIOSC 1000 is a one-semester biochemistry course, whereas BIOSC 1810+1820 is a two-semester biochemistry sequence that goes into more depth. If you are a Biochemistry major or old Molecular Biology major, you must take BIOSC 1810+1820. If you are a Biological Sciences, Computational Biology, Microbiology, or revised Molecular Biology major, typically you will take BIOSC 1000. However, if you elect to take BIOSC 1810+1820 instead of BIOSC 1000, then BIOSC 1820 can count as an elective for your major. 1050 Cell and Molecular Biology of Disease* BIOSC 0160, CHEM 0120 *BIOSC 1050 is intended to provide a basic background in Cell Biology and Molecular Biology for Biological Sciences majors. If you want or need in depth background, we recommend that you take BIOSC 1500 Cell Biology and/or BIOSC 1940 Molecular Biology instead. 1070 Human Physiology (Honors) BIOSC 0160, CHEM 0120, NROSCI 1000 1120 Biostatistics (HL) BIOSC 0160, BIOSC 0350 or 0370 or 1000 or 1810, STAT 1000 1130 Evolution (HL) BIOSC 0350 1200 Vertebrate Morphology BIOSC 0160 1205 Vertebrate Morphology Lab BIOSC 006X, 1200c 1250 Human Physiology BIOSC 0160, CHEM 0120 1255 Physiology Lab BIOSC 006X, 1250c 1275 Genomics (HL) BIOSC 0350 1280 Microbial Genetics (HL) BIOSC 0350, 1850 1320 Population Biology (HL) BIOSC 0370, 1130c 1375 Tropical Biology BIOSC 0160 1425 Sex and Gender in the Natural World BIOSC 0160 1435 Environmental Physiology of Animals (HL) BIOSC 0370 1445 Animal Communication (HL) BIOSC 0370 1455 Human Endocrinology (HL) BIOSC 1070 or 1080 or 1250 1470 Biophysical Chemistry BIOSC 1000 or 1810 1500 Cell Biology (HL) BIOSC 1000 or 1810 1520 Developmental Biology (HL) BIOSC 0350 1540 Computational Biology BIOSC 0160 1542 Computational Genomics BIOSC 1540, CS 0011 1544 Simulation and Modeling BIOSC 1540, CS 0011 1550 Ecology/Evolution Seminar BIOSC 0350, 0370, 1130 1562 Molecular Biology Seminar BIOSC 1940, 1945c 1570 Microbiology Seminar BIOSC 1865 1580 Biochemistry Seminar BIOSC 1810, 1820 1630 Computational Biology Seminar BIOSC 1540, ENGCMP 0200, Jr or Sr Level 1640 Computational Biology Research BIOSC 1540, CS 0011, CS 0445 1730 Virology (HL) BIOSC 0350, 1000, 1850 or Instructor Permission 1760 Immunology (HL) BIOSC 0350, 1000 1810 Macromolecular Structure and Function* BIOSC 0160, CHEM 0320 *Course repeat warning: Students who need biochemistry should either take BIOSC 1000 or 1810+1820. BIOSC 1000 and 1810 are considered course repeats, and you cannot take both for credit. BIOSC 1000 is a one-semester biochemistry course, whereas BIOSC 1810+1820 is a two-semester biochemistry sequence that goes into more depth. If you are a Biochemistry major or old Molecular Biology major, you must take BIOSC 1810+1820. If you are a Biological Sciences, Computational Biology, Microbiology, or revised Molecular Biology major, typically you will take BIOSC 1000. However, if you elect to take BIOSC 1810+1820 instead of BIOSC 1000, then BIOSC 1820 can count as an elective for your major. 1820 Metabolic Pathways and Regulation (HL) BIOSC 1810 1850 Microbiology BIOSC 0160, CHEM 0120 1865 Microbial Physiology (HL) BIOSC 1850, 1000 or 1810 1940 Molecular Biology (HL) BIOSC 1000 or 1810; 0350 1945 Advanced Molecular Biology (HL) BIOSC 1940 1998 Beneficial Microbes, Symbiosis, and the Microbiome (HL) BIOSC 1850 1999 Medical Microbiology (HL) BIOSC 1850 Field Courses offered in summers at the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology (Northwestern PA)
Course Description Pre- or Co-(C)-requisites 0370+0390 Combined Ecology lab & Lecture BIOSC 006X, 0160 1160 Forest Ecology BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641 1170 Freshwater Ecology (Limnology) BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641 1180 Ecology of Amphibians and Reptiles BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641 1230 Ornithology BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641 1270 Ecology of Fish BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641 1140 Behavioral Ecology* BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641 *Course repeat warning: BIOSC 1440 Animal Behavior and BIOSC 1140 Behavioral Ecology are considered course repeats, and you cannot take both for credit. Although BIOSC 1140 is a field course with an experimental component, both courses cover much of the same material. 1330 Field Botany BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641 1310 Wetland Ecology and Management BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641 1340 Field Entomology BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641 1350 Plant Biology BIOSC 0160 1360 Ecology of Fungi BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641 1390 Field Techniques in Ecology and Conservation BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641 1400 Disease Ecology (HL) BIOSC 0370 1415 Field Mammology BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641 1420 Wildlife Management BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641 1610 Conservation Biology BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641 Writing Classes for Bio Department Majors
Course Description Pre- or Co-(C)-requisites 0391 Ecology Lab Writing for Ecology & Evolution Majors 1010 Communicating in the Biological Sciences (Writing) for Biological Sciences Majors 1551 Ecology and Evolution Seminar Writing for Ecology and Evolution Majors 1563 Molecular Biology Seminar Writing for Molecular Biology Majors 1571 Microbiology Seminar Writing for Microbiology Majors 1581 Biochemistry Seminar Writing for Biochemistry Majors 1741 Virology Lab Writing for Microbiology Majors 1831 Biochemistry Lab Writing for Biochemistry Majors 1861 Microbiology Lab Writing for Microbiology Majors 1905 Honors Research Writing Practicum Departmental Honors students 1951 Molecular Genetics Lab Writing for Molecular Biology Majors Special Enrollment
Course Description Pre- or Co-(C)-requisites 1690 Experience in Undergraduate Teaching by arrangement with instructor 1901 Independent Study by arrangement with instructor 1903 Undergraduate Research by arrangement with instructor 1904 Undergraduate Honors Research by arrangement with instructor 1909 ASBMB Degree Certification Exam Preparation Biochemistry and Molecular Biology seniors