Biology Majors do not need to have a Concentration or
Interest Area within the major. However, a student
who wishes to may choose one of the following Concentrations
(which will be noted
on their transcript). Alternatively, a student may select courses
in the regular Biology Major in order to pursue an Interest
Area
(which will not be noted on their transcript). (See your advisor
for information on Interest Areas.)
If you are interested in completing any of these Concentrations,
please notify the Academic
Office as soon as possible, since it is important to begin
planning your courses for a Concentration early in your undergraduate
career.
computational biology and mathematical biology concentration
Many areas in genetics, ecology, and evolution depend on sophisticated
quantitative analysis. For example, the advent of data from
the
human genome project (and similar data from other species) has
shown the need for computer, statistical and mathematical methods
to store, retrieve and analyze massive data sets. The new field
of Computational
and Mathematical Biology has emerged to address questions
posed by these developments. Students interested in
computational
and mathematical biology, but not able to complete all the required
courses for this concentration, are encouraged to select courses
for his or her Biology major from the list for the Computational
Biology and Mathematical Biology courses.
If you are interested in either the Computational Biology
Concentration or the Mathematical Biology Concentration, please
read the online
information describing the requirements or you can pick
up a handout from the Biology Academic Office.
ecology and evolutionary biology concentration
The Concentration in Ecology
and Evolutionary Biology provides intensive
training in both ecology and evolutionary biology, along with
essential background in the statistical and mathematical methods
essential
for these areas. If you are interested in pursuing this Concentration,
please read the online
information describing the requirements
or you can pick up a handout from
the Biology Academic
Office.
molecular biology concentration
The rapidly growing understanding of molecular biology has revolutionized
our understanding of most areas of biology. The Molecular
Biology Concentration is an integrated program that provides
in-depth understanding of molecular biology, culminating in
laboratory research and seminar courses. Students
interested in the Molecular Biology Concentration are encouraged
to read the online
information, which describes the requirements, as soon
as possible since it is important to begin planning the
required coursework
early in your college career. A handout is available in the Biology
Department Academic Office. A student who is interested
in molecular
biology, but not able to complete all the required courses for
this concentration, is encouraged to select courses for
his or
her Biology major from the list for the Molecular Biology courses.
neurobiology concentration
The Neurobiology
Concentration provides fundamental training in brain function
and behavior, coupled with a molecular genetic background essential
to address molecular mechanisms of brain function at the gene
and protein levels. If you are interested in pursuing this
Concentration, please read the online
information describing the course and credit
unit requirements or you can pick up a handout from the Biology
Academic Office.
Note: If you are a Biology Major who decides to pursue
one of the above Concentrations, you should be aware that, if
you do not complete the requirements for your Concentration and
you wish to graduate with a general Biology Major, you must
fulfill
all the requirements
for the major, including some which may not be required
for your specific Concentration. Specifically, you will need
the appropriate number of 200-level courses (three or four)
in different groups.
A student who wishes to have two Concentrations noted on his
or her transcript must complete at least 5 cu of course work
that
is unique to the second Concentration and is not counted toward
the first Concentration. In addition, the student's research
must
be relevant to the subject matter of both Concentrations (usually
by completing a single research project which is relevant to
both
Concentrations). Finally, if either or both of the Concentrations
require 2 cu of Independent Study, then the student must complete
at least 3 cu of Independent Study (with the second Biol 499
counting as one of the "unique" courses in the second
Concentration).
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Undergraduate Program