forms of credit
Advanced placement credit for introductory biology can be obtained
in two ways: (1) Biol 091 credit from the standardized advanced
placement tests and (2) passing a departmental placement exam.
Students receive credit for the lecture portion of an introductory
course; no credit will be given for lab work. For information
concerning laboratory requirements,
see the list of classes below.
BIOL 091
One credit unit (1 cu) of Biol 091 is granted for a score of
5 (the highest possible) on the College Board AP Test, a score
of 6 or 7 on the Higher Level International Baccalaureate Exam,
or a grade of A or B on the British A-level Exams in Biology.
Students who studied high school Biology
in Europe or Canada should consult
with the
Undergraduate
Chair to determine if they are eligible for this credit.
For the class of 2010 and later, Biol 091 can be used as an
elective toward graduation but cannot be used for the
Biology major or minor. Biol 091 is not accepted by medical schools.
For the class of 2009 and earlier, Biol 091 credit can be used
with either Biol 121 or 122 to satisfy the lecture portion of
the requirement for one year of introductory biology
for the major or minor under Track
2. (Note: Biol 122 is no longer
offered.) The section below
describes several ways to fulfill the requirement for laboratory
course work.
Note: There is significant overlap between
the Biol 101/102 introductory series and high school AP and IB
courses. Students with Biol 091 credit who take or receive credit
for Biol 101 and/or 102 will lose their Biol 091 credit.
departmental placement exams
Students may also obtain credit for the lecture portion of
Biol 101, 102, and/or 121 by
passing the appropriate departmental advanced placement exam(s).
For information about the material covered in these exams, you
can view the syllabi on the courses
page of this web site or request syllabi from the Biology
Academic Office. Departmental placement exams are similar to
a final exam for the course and consist of a combination of
short answer and multiple choice questions. The departmental
exams will be graded and results posted in the Biology Academic
Office (Leidy Lab room 102) before the end of the course selection
period. If you pass an exam, your transcript will reflect 1
cu for that course. If you do not pass, no entry is made on
your transcript. You may take a placement exam one time only.
You are advised to register for and attend the corresponding
course until the results of the exams are posted. You may drop
a course for which you pass the exam.
The Biology Department Advanced Placement Exams for 101, 102,
and 121 are given early
in the semester in September and January.
You must notify the Biology
Academic Office of your intention to take an AP exam by registering
in person, by telephone, or by email.
Department of Biology Academic
Office
102 Leidy Laboratories
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6018
V +1 215 898.7121
F +1 215 898.8780
E bio-undergraduate@sas.upenn.edu
Deadline for registration is 3:00 pm on the weekday before
the exam. You must have your Penn photo ID with you when you
take the exam.
Any Biology Major who has received 1.0 cu
of credit for Biol 101, 102, or 121 or a waiver for
Introductory
Biology is required to include a laboratory or field course from
the list below, as one of your required Biology Major courses.
- BIOL 123 Introductory Molecular Biology Lab (only
if you have lecture credit for Biol 091, 101, or 121 but
have not taken Biol
101 or 121)
- BIOL 124 Introductory Organism Biology Lab (only
if you have lecture credit for Biol 091 or 102 but have
not taken
Biol 102)
- BIOL 251 Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology
- BIOL 306 Histology (LPS; normally not open to College
students)
- BIOL
330 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy and Evolution
- BIOL 399 Independent Study (must be
certified as lab or field experience by the
departmental sponsor)
- BIOL 400 Field
Botany
- BIOL 423 Plant Ecology
- BIOL 425 Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
Superlab
- BIOL 450 Plant Systematics
- BIOL 465 Ecological Techniques in Conservation
- BIOL 476 Microbiology Lab
- or a 500 level course that includes lab or
field work
With the exception of Biol 123 and 124, the lab course you
chose will also serve to fulfill one of the other requirements
for the major (in most cases the requirement for "4 additional
courses") and will not add to the total number of course
units required for the major.
Undergraduate Program