Introductory biology:
Track 1: BIOL 121 and BIOL 124 (lab course)
Track 2: BIOL 101 and BIOL 102
(or BIOL 121 and 122)
OR For Class of 2009
or earlier only: BIOL 091 (assigned for AP or transfer credit) and either
BIOL 121 or 122
(BIOL 091 cannot be combined with BIOL 101 or
102,
see Section
6)
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2
or
3
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Two semesters of biology lab requirement:
2 semesters of lab or field experience,
normally met by labs associated
with BIOL 101 and 102 or BIOL 121 and 124.
(Students with AP
credit, transfer credit or
a Waiver for Introductory Biology,
see Section
6.)
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2 CU of chemistry, chosen from the following:
- CHEM 1 with 51 or 101 with 53 (1.5 cu; first
semester of introductory chemistry)
- CHEM 102 with 54 (1.5 cu; second semester of introductory
chemistry lecture)
- or CHEM 15 with 55 (2 cu; honors chemistry;
instead of Chem 1 or 101 and 102)
- CHEM 241 (1.0 cu; first semester of organic chemistry)
- CHEM 242 (1.0 cu; second semester of organic chemistry)
- CHEM 245 (1.0 cu; organic chemistry lab)
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2
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2 additional CU of chemistry and/or physics,
from the above list and/or the following:
- PHYS 101 with 11 or 150 with 50
or 170 with 70 (1.5 cu; first semester
of introductory physics)
- PHYS 102 with 12 or 151 with 51
or 171 with 71 (1.5 cu; second semester
of introductory physics)
(Students interested in Graduate School are advised
to take a full year of both physics and organic
chemistry. Premeds should see: www.upenn.edu/careerservices/gradprof/gradprofmain.html)
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2 |
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2 CU of calculus and/or statistics, chosen from
the following:
- MATH 104
- MATH 114 or 115
- BIOL 446 or STAT 111 or STAT 102
(MATH 115 is recommended for students
who do not plan to take further math, other than a
statistics
course. MATH 114 is recommended
for students who plan to take additional math courses.)
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2 |
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Biology courses at the 200-level:
Track 1: must take four
courses from four different groups
Track 2: must take three courses
from three different groups
- Group 1: BIOL 202 - Cell Biology and Biochemistry
- Group 2: BIOL 221 - Molecular Biology and
Genetics
- Group 3: BIOL
215 - Vertebrate Physiology or
BIOL
251 - Cellular Neurobiology
- Group 4: BIOL 230 - Evolution or BIOL
240 - Ecology: from individuals to ecosystems
After meeting the group distribution requirements,
additional 200-level biology courses can be applied
toward the 4 additional course units requirement below.
All Biology Majors are strongly encouraged to take
BIOL 221, since molecular biology and genetics play
a central role in modern biology.
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4
or
3
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Four additional course units selected from:
- Additional BIOL 200-level courses
- BIOL 300, 400, or 500 level courses (listed
in Section 6), or BIOL 140
- Up to 2 courses given in other departments selected
from the list in Section
4.
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4 |
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Biology majors are also required to comply with the Restrictions
detailed in the sections:
See Restrictions
on CGS, Transfer, and Summer Courses for restrictions
on transfer, CGS, and summer courses, and Advanced
Placement if you have or are seeking Advanced Placement
Credit.
- All juniors must meet with their major advisors during the Spring
semester prior to registering for classes. Any junior who is
not cleared by their advisor will be placed on registration hold.
- For a Biology major with a second major, at least
five of the ten course units of Biology courses
must be unique to the Biology major and may not
be courses that are counted
toward the student's other major or to other minors.
- 1.0 cu of BIOL 399 may be taken for the major.
All BIOL 399 credits must be sponsored by a Biology faculty
member
who
is responsible for approving the initial proposal and the
final paper. In addition, students may count 1.0
cu of BIOL
499 toward the major, provided all of the other courses
for the "four additional courses" are Biology
Department courses. If a student wishes to count courses
from outside
the department toward the "four additional courses" requirement,
then the student may only count one semester of independent
study toward the major and can count the other
semester as an elective.
- BIOL 446 may be counted toward the group of 4 additional
courses or toward the math requirement given above,
but not toward both.
- All requirements must be met
by actual course credit; exemptions
or waivers from other departments do not satisfy
the requirements
for the
Biology major.
- A minimum 2.0 grade point average for
all courses taken to satisfy the major is required
in order to graduate as a Biology Major. (You may have
a "C-"
or "D" in one or more courses, but your overall
average in the major must be at least 2.0.)
A student may apply for a Wavier for one semester of introductory
biology if he or she
(1) has grades of B or better in at least two semesters of
chemistry taken at Penn and
(2) has one of the following:
- Biol 091 credit (Class of 2009 and earlier only!)
or
- a grade of at least "B" in Chem 251 - Principles
of Biological Chemistry.
A Biology Major who has a Waiver for one semester of introductory
biology will be required to take an additional 200 level biology
course (a total of at least four 200-level courses,
representing four different 200-level course categories, as
listed
above). In addition, a Biology Major who has a Waiver will be
required to include a laboratory or field course as one of his
or her intermediate or advanced courses for the major. (For additional
explanation and a list of approved lab or field courses [which
includes appropriate Biology Independent Study], see Advanced
Placement.)
The same policies apply to a Biology Major who is completing
a Concentration, except that the required additional 200-level
biology course for a student who has a Waiver will not necessarily
result in a total of four 200-level courses. See your Concentration
Advisor for specific advice.
The same policies apply to a Biology Minor, except that the
total number of required 200 level courses for a student who
has a Waiver
will only be three, instead of four.
Total course units required for the major are typically 16.
However, required total course units may be greater or less,
depending
on whether the student completes a Concentration (see Section
7), has AP credit, uses the Waiver Option, and depending on
the
specific courses used to satisfy the physics and chemistry requirements
and the requirements for intermediate and upper-level biology
courses. The student should focus on satisfying each of the major
requirements and taking account of the stated restrictions;
if
these conditions are met, the total number of course units will
suffice for the Major.
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Undergraduate Program