Program of Study (CAS Bulletin)
Departmental Objectives
The department offers students the opportunity to explore the various areas of current biology. The major in Biology is an integrated yet diverse program that builds a solid foundation in four foundational areas of modern biology: genomics and systems biology, developmental biology, molecular and cellular biology, and evolution and environmental biology. These four foundational areas cover the basic elements of molecular and cellular biology, genetics, evolution, organ systems, and population studies. Students are exposed to modern concepts, state-of-the-art approaches, and current methods of experimentation in molecular biology, biochemistry, genomics, and bioinformatics through introductory courses taken at the very outset of their studies. Intermediate courses then provide in-depth exploration of the major areas of biology, including molecular genetics, developmental biology, genomics and bioinformatics, and evolution and environmental biology. Advanced students may register for graduate-level courses, which are most often given in the specialized areas of faculty research.
The department also offers a series of discrete minors in the life sciences, specifically in the areas of molecular and cell biology, genetics, genomics and bioinformatics, and environmental biology. Each minor is designed to hone skills in a particular contemporary area of biology and requires a laboratory experience. The minors permit students to create a course of study that will meet their unique academic and career goals.
This program provides outstanding preparation for careers in research, academia, medicine, dentistry, and related fields. Graduates of the department have a remarkable record of success in acceptance into professional schools and in establishing notable careers in the biomedical sciences.
Other courses offered by the department are designed to acquaint nonscience majors with contemporary issues in biology. Such courses are often topical, addressing problems such as environmental pollution, limits of the earth, and human physiology.
Outstanding and highly motivated students are offered special opportunities for honors work, independent study, summer laboratory research, internships, and other enhancements. Upper-level students may become involved in research projects in faculty laboratories through the many formal and informal opportunities afforded by the department. The department has a tradition of important research accomplishment and contains several specialized research and laboratory facilities that are integrated into the educational programs. These include undergraduate labs in molecular biology, cell biology, experimental physiology, genomics and informatics, and ecological analysis. Field studies are carried out at many regional sites. Department faculty are also affiliated with the NYU Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, the NYU Center for Developmental Genetics, NYU Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, the NYU School of Medicine, the NYU College of Dentistry, the American Museum of Natural History, the New York Botanical Garden, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Students with questions about majoring in Biology or minoring in a specific area of biology should visit the office of the Department of Biology. Those declaring a major in Biology are assigned a faculty adviser from the department; students meet with that professor to design a program of study, determine course selections, and discuss career goals. The faculty adviser is also available to provide guidance concerning the many options and opportunities afforded by the department for curricular enhancement, including research experiences.
Major (Bachelor of Arts)
The Department offers two tracks. The standard biology track provides the major with a broad background in biology with the laboratory, quantitative and reasoning skills needed for today's modern biology. The ecology track also provides students with the broad background in modern biology, but with a focus on ecological concepts, approaches and analytical methods.
The following sixteen courses (typically 74 points) completed with grades of C or higher (and a minimum GPA of 2.0 for all courses required by and taken as electives in the major) are required for the major.
To permit the maximal choice of appropriate advanced courses, we strongly recommend that students take Principles of Biology I and II (BIOL-UA 11, 12), General Chemistry I and II and Laboratories (CHEM-UA 125, 126), and mathematics in their freshman year and Molecular and Cell Biology (BIOL-UA 21, 22) as sophomores.
Programs of majors must be approved each term by a department adviser.
Biology Core Courses (four courses/16 points)
Principles of Biology I: One of the following: Principles of Biology I (BIOL-UA 11) or Principles of Biology I in London (BIOL-UA 9011)
Principles of Biology II: One of the following: Principles of Biology II (BIOL-UA 12) or Principles of Biology II in London (BIOL-UA 9012)
NOTE: Biology majors are not required to register into the 1-credit Principles of Biology Lab (Biol-UA 123).
Molecular and Cell Biology: Molecular and Cell Biology I and II (BIOL-UA 21, 22).
NOTE: Students can register into the optional 1-credit Molecular and Cell Biology Lab (Biol-UA 223) concurrently with MCB-I (Biol-UA 21).
Five Upper-Level Biology Courses: (five courses/20 points)
Biology majors also complete five additional 4-point upper-level biology courses. In consultation with their adviser or with the director of undergraduate studies, students select at least one course from each of the following four skill categories:
I. Lab Skill Courses: At the Bench or Research Courses
(BIOL-UA 27, BIOL-UA 31, BIOL-UA 36, BIOL-UA 37, BIOL-UA 49, BIOL-UA 70, BIOL-UA 130, BIOL-UA 980 or 981, or BIOL-UA 997 or 998)
Students must take at least one course from this category.
| At the Bench: Experimental Physiology | BIOL-UA 27 | Spring |
| At the Bench: Laboratory in Genetics | BIOL-UA 31 | Spring |
| At the Bench: Applied Molecular Biology | BIOL-UA 36 | Fall |
| At the Bench: Applied Cell Biology | BIOL-UA 37 | Spring |
| At the Bench: Epidemiology | BIOL-UA 49 | Spring |
| At the Bench: Investigative Approaches to Microbiology | BIOL-UA 70 | Fall |
| At the Bench: Biological Chemistry—Genomes to Molecular Machines | BIOL-UA 130 | Spring |
| Internship (4 points) | BIOL-UA 980, 981 | Fall, Sp |
| Independent Study (4 points) | BIOL-UA 997, 998 | Fall, Sp |
A maximum of 4 points in either Independent Study (BIOL-UA 997, 998) or Internship in Biology (BIOL-UA 980, 981) may be counted toward fulfilling the major requirements.
II. Quantitative Skill Courses: Math, Computer, and Modeling Courses
(BIOL-UA 38, BIOL-UA 42, BIOL-UA 45, BIOL-UA 103, BIOL-UA 120, BIOL-GA 1007, BIOL-GA 1127, BIOL-GA 1130, BIOL-GA 1131, BIOL-GA 1501, or BIOL-GA 1502)
Students must take at least one course from this category, and may take a graduate-level course(s) (BIOL-GA) with permission of the director of undergraduate studies.
| Introduction to Genomics and Bioinformatics | BIOL-UA 38 | Spring |
| Biostatistics |
BIOL-UA 42 | Fall |
| Human Genetics | BIOL-UA 45 | Spring |
| Bioinformatics in Medicine and Biology | BIOL-UA 103 | Fall |
| Special Topics: Computing with Large Data Sets | BIOL-UA 120 | Fall |
| Bioinformatics for Biologists | BIOL-GA 1007 | Fall |
| Bioinformatics and Genomes | BIOL-GA 1127 | Spring |
| Applied Genomics: Intro to Bioinformatics and Network Modeling | BIOL-GA 1130 | Fall |
| Biophysical Modeling of Cells and Populations | BIOL-GA 1131 | Spring |
| Mathematics in Medicine and Biology | BIOL-GA 1501 | Fall |
| Computers in Medicine and Biology | BIOL-GA 1502 | Spring |
III. Reasoning Skill Courses: Reading Intensive Courses
(BIOL-UA 30, BIOL-UA 44, BIOL-UA 58, BIOL-UA 970, BIOL-GA 1011, BIOL-GA 1023, BIOL-GA 1069, BIOL-GA 1072, BIOL-GA 1082, BIOL-GA 1128, or BIOL-GA 1129)
Students must take at least one course from this category, and may take a graduate-level course(s) (BIOL-GA) with permission of the director of undergraduate studies.| Genetics | BIOL-UA 30 | Fall |
| Microbiology and Microbial Genomics | BIOL-UA 44 | Fall |
| Evolution | BIOL-UA 58 | Spring |
| Honors Seminar: Signaling in Biological Systems | BIOL-UA 970 | Spring |
| Advanced Immunology | BIOL-GA 1011 | Spring |
| Hot Topics in Infectious Diseases | BIOL-GA 1023 | Spring |
| Principles of Evolution | BIOL-GA 1069 | Spring |
| Molecular Controls of Organismal Form and Function | BIOL-GA 1072 | TBA |
| Genes and Animal Behavior | BIOL-GA 1082 | Spring |
| Systems Biology | BIOL-GA 1128 | Fall |
| Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics | BIOL-GA 1129 | Spring |
IV. Foundational Courses
(BIOL-UA 23, BIOL-UA 25, BIOL-UA 26, BIOL-UA 32, BIOL-UA 48, BIOL-UA 50, BIOL-UA 100, BIOL-UA 201, BIOL-UA 202, BIOL-UA 332, BIOL-GA 1004, BIOL-GA 1006, BIOL-GA 1027, BIOL-GA 1031, BIOL-GA 1080, or BIOL-GA 1101)
Students must take at least one course from this category, and may take a graduate-level course(s) (BIOL-GA) with permission of the director of undergraduate studies.
| Vertebrate Anatomy | BIOL-UA 23 | Spring |
| Principles of Animal Physiology | BIOL-UA 25 | Fall |
| Developmental Biology | BIOL-UA 26 | Fall |
| Gene Structure and Expression | BIOL-UA 32 | Spring |
| Endocrinology | BIOL-UA 48 | Spring |
| Immunology | BIOL-UA 50 | Fall |
| Introduction to Neural Science | BIOL-UA 100 | Fall |
| Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience | BIOL-UA 201 | Fall |
| Behavioral and Integrative Neuroscience | BIOL-UA 202 | Spring |
| Current Topics in Earth System Sciences | BIOL-UA 332 | Spring |
| Environmental Health | BIOL-GA 1004 | Spring |
| Toxicology | BIOL-GA 1006 | Fall |
| Advanced Topics in Cellular and Molecular Immunology | BIOL-GA 1027 | Spring |
| Special Topics in Physiology | BIOL-GA 1031 | Fall |
| Animal Virology | BIOL-GA 1080 | Fall |
| Neuronal Plasticity | BIOL-GA 1101 | Spring |
V. Fifth Upper-Level Biology Course
(BIOL-UA 23, BIOL-UA 25, BIOL-UA 26, BIOL-UA 27, BIOL-UA 30, BIOL-UA 31, BIOL-UA 32, BIOL-UA 36, BIOL-UA 37, BIOL-UA 38, BIOL-UA 42, BIOL-UA 44, BIOL-UA 45, BIOL-UA 49, BIOL-UA 50, BIOL-UA 58, BIOL-UA 63, BIOL-UA 70, BIOL-UA 100, BIOL-UA 103, BIOL-UA 120, BIOL-UA 124, BIOL-UA 130, BIOL-UA 201, BIOL-UA 202, BIOL-UA 332, BIOL-UA 970, BIOL-UA 980 or 981, BIOL-UA 997 or 998, BIOL-GA 1004, BIOL-GA 1006, BIOL-GA 1007, BIOL-GA 1011, BIOL-GA 1023, BIOL-GA 1027, BIOL-GA 1128, BIOL-GA 1129, BIOL-GA 1031, BIOL-GA 1051, BIOL-GA 1069, BIOL-GA 1072, BIOL-GA 1080, BIOL-GA 1082, BIOL-GA 1101, BIOL-GA 1127, BIOL-GA 1130, BIOL-GA 1131, BIOL-GA 1501, BIOL-GA 1502, *BIOL-UA 16, *BIOL-UA 18, *BIOL-UA 64, *BIOL-UA 66, *BIOL-UA 70, *BIOL-UA 72, *BIOL-UA 74, BIOL-UA 76, *BIOL-UA 78 or *BIOL-UA 332)
Students choose their fifth upper-level biology course from any of the four skill categories above or any course indicated below with an astericks (*).
| *Ecological Field Methods (BIOL-UA 16) | Spring? |
| *At the Bench: Urban Ecology (BIOL-UA 18) | |
| *Ecological Analysis with Geographic Information Systems (BIOL-UA 64) | Spring |
| *Biogeochemistry of Global Change (BIOL-UA 66) | |
| *Current Topics in Earth System Science (BIOL-UA 332) | Spring |
| *Primate Behavior and Ecology (ANTH-UA 54/BIOL-UA 70) | Spring |
| *Health and Disease in Human Evolution (ANTH-UA 55/BIOL-UA 72) | TBD |
| *Comparative Biology of the Living Primates (ANTH-UA 56/BIOL-UA 74) | Fall (Even Years) |
| *Emerging Diseases (ANTH-UA 80/BIOL-UA 76) | Fall |
| *Human Ecology (ANTH-UA 90/BIOL-UA 78) | TBD |
Additional Courses Required for a Biology Major who are not in the Ecology Track
Chemistry (four courses/24 points)
- General Chemistry I and Laboratory (CHEM-UA 125)
- General Chemistry II and Laboratory (CHEM-UA 126)
- Organic Chemistry I and Laboratory (CHEM-UA 225)
- Organic Chemistry II and Laboratory (CHEM-UA 226)
- General Physics I and II (PHYS-UA 11, 12)
- Calculus I (MATH-UA 121)
Programs of majors must be approved each term by a department adviser.
Biology Ecology track
The Ecology track provides students a broad foundation in modern Biology as well as a focused education in ecological concepts, approaches and analytical methods. It is primarily intended for students planning to pursue graduate study in Ecology or a related field.
Ecology Core Biology Courses (four courses/16 points)
Principles of Biology I: One of the following: Principles of Biology I (BIOL-UA 11) or Principles of Biology I in London (BIOL-UA 9011)
Principles of Biology II: One of the following: Principles of Biology II (BIOL-UA 12) or Principles of Biology II in London (BIOL-UA 9012)
- NOTE: Biology majors in the ecology track are not required to register into the 1-credit Principles of Biology Lab (Biol-UA 123).
Molecular and Cell Biology I (BIOL-UA 21)
- NOTE: Students can register into the optional 1-credit Molecular and Cell Biology Lab (Biol-UA 223) concurrently with MCB-I (Biol-UA 21).
Fundamentals of Ecology (Biol-UA 63)
Five Upper-Level Biology Courses for the Ecology Track: (five courses/20 points)
Biology majors also complete five additional 4-point upper-level biology courses. In consultation with their adviser or with the director of undergraduate studies, students select at least one course from each of the following four skill categories:
I. Lab Skills Courses:
(*BIOL-UA 16, BIOL-UA 18, *BIOL-UA 64)
*Ecological Field Methods (BIOL-UA 16)
*At the Bench: Urban Ecology (BIOL-UA 18)
*Ecological Analysis with Geographic Information Systems (BIOL-UA 64)
II. Quantitative Skill Courses: Math, Computer, and Modeling Courses
(BIOL-UA 42, BIOL-GA 1009, BIOL-GA 1131)
Biostatistics (BIOL-UA 42)
Biological Databases and Datamining (BIOL-GA 1009)
Biophysical Modeling of Cells and Populations (BIOL-GA 1131)
III. Reasoning Skill Courses: Reading Intensive Courses
(BIOL-UA 30, BIOL-UA 58, *BIOL-UA 66, *BIOL-UA 332, BIOL-GA 1069)
Genetics (BIOL-UA 30)
Evolution (BIOL-UA 58)
*Biogeochemistry of Global Change (BIOL-UA 66)
*Current Topics in Earth System Science (BIOL-UA 332)
Principles of Evolution (BIOL-GA 1069)
IV. Foundational Courses:
(BIOL-UA 22, BIOL-UA 23, BIOL-UA 25, BIOL-UA 28, *BIOL-UA 70, *BIOL-UA 72, *BIOL-UA 74, *BIOL-UA 76, BIOL-UA 78, BIOL-GA 1004, BIOL-GA 1005, BIOL-GA 1006)
Molecular and Cell Biology II (BIOL-UA 22)
Vertebrate Anatomy (BIOL-UA 23)
Principles of Animal Physiology (BIOL-UA 25)
Developmental Biology (BIOL-UA 26)
*Primate Behavior and Ecology (ANTH-UA 54/BIOL-UA 70)
*Health and Disease in Human Evolution (ANTH-UA 55/BIOL-UA 72)
*Comparative Biology of the Living Primates (ANTH-UA 56/BIOL-UA 74)
*Emerging Diseases (ANTH-UA 80/BIOL-UA 76)
*Human Ecology (ANTH-UA 90/BIOL-UA 78)
Environmental Health (BIOL-GA 1004)
Ecotoxicology (BIOL-GA 1005)
Toxicology (BIOL-GA 1006)
V. Fifth Upper-Level Biology Course for Ecology Track
A fifth upper-level elective is required, and may be chosen from any of the above or any elective that counts toward the standard Biology major.
*Courses marked with an asterisk may only count toward the standard Biology major as the fifth upper-level elective.
(BIOL-UA 23, BIOL-UA 25, BIOL-UA 26, BIOL-UA 27, BIOL-UA 30, BIOL-UA 31, BIOL-UA 32, BIOL-UA 36, BIOL-UA 37, BIOL-UA 38, BIOL-UA 42, BIOL-UA 44, BIOL-UA 45, BIOL-UA 49, BIOL-UA 50, BIOL-UA 58, BIOL-UA 70, BIOL-UA 100, BIOL-UA 103, BIOL-UA 120, BIOL-UA 124, BIOL-UA 130, BIOL-UA 201, BIOL-UA 202, BIOL-UA 332, BIOL-UA 970, BIOL-UA 980 or 981, BIOL-UA 997 or 998, BIOL-GA 1004, BIOL-GA 1006, BIOL-GA 1007, BIOL-GA 1011, BIOL-GA 1023, BIOL-GA 1027, BIOL-GA 1128, BIOL-GA 1129, BIOL-GA 1031, BIOL-GA 1051, BIOL-GA 1069, BIOL-GA 1072, BIOL-GA 1080, BIOL-GA 1082, BIOL-GA 1101, BIOL-GA 1127, BIOL-GA 1130, BIOL-GA 1131, BIOL-GA 1501, BIOL-GA 1502, *BIOL-UA 16, *BIOL-UA 18, *BIOL-UA 64, *BIOL-UA 66, *BIOL-UA 70, *BIOL-UA 72, *BIOL-UA 74, BIOL-UA 76, *BIOL-UA 78 or *BIOL-UA 332)
Additional Courses Required for a Biology Major in the Ecology Track
Chemistry (four courses/24 points)
- General Chemistry I and Laboratory (CHEM-UA 125)
- General Chemistry II and Laboratory (CHEM-UA 126)
- Organic Chemistry I and Laboratory (CHEM-UA 225)
- Organic Chemistry II and Laboratory (CHEM-UA 226)
Physics (one courses/5 points)
- General Physics I (PHYS-UA 11)
Mathematics (two course/4 points)
- Calculus I (MATH-UA 121)
- Calculus II (MATH-UA 122) or Linear Algebra (MATH-UA 140)
Minor
The following courses (completed with grades of C or higher and a minimum GPA of 2.0 in all biology courses) are required for the specific minors. Students interested in one of the minors offered in biology should consult the director of undergraduate studies as early as possible to plan a course of study that meets their needs. Each minor track consists of five 4-point courses plus one 2-credit course.
Minor in Molecular and Cell Biology: BIOL-UA 11, 12, plus BIOL-UA 21, 22, plus either BIOL-UA 123 or BIOL-UA 223 and either At the Bench: Applied Molecular Biology (BIOL-UA 36) or At the Bench: Applied Cell Biology (BIOL-UA 37)
Minor in Genetics: BIOL-UA 11, 12, plus BIOL-UA 21, plus either BIOL-UA 123 or BIOL-UA 223, Genetics (BIOL-UA 30) or Quantitative Methods in Human Genetics (BIOL-UA 35), and At the Bench: Laboratory in Genetics (BIOL-UA 31)
Minor in Genomics and Bioinformatics: BIOL-UA 11, 12, plus BIOL-UA 21, plus either BIOL-UA 123 or BIOL-UA 223, At the Bench: Introduction to Genomics and Bioinformatics (BIOL-UA 38), and one of the following: Microbiology and Microbial Genomics (BIOL-UA 44), Bioinformatics and Genomes (BIOL-GA 1127), or Systems Biology (BIOL-GA 1128)
Minor in Environmental Biology: BIOL-UA 11, 12, plus BIOL-UA 123, or the equivalent; one of the following laboratory courses: Ecological Field Methods (BIOL-UA 16), Urban Ecology (BIOL-UA 18) or Ecological Analysis with Geographic Information System (BIOL-UA 64); and two of the following: Evolution (BIOL-UA 58), Fundamentals of Ecology (BIOL-UA 63), Biogeochemistry of Global Change (BIOL-UA 66), or Current Topics in Earth System Sciences (BIOL-UA 332).
Honors Program
Candidates for a degree with honors in biology must have an overall GPA of at least 3.65 and a minimum 3.65 GPA in all science and mathematics courses required for the major. It is the student's responsibility to secure a faculty member to sponsor the research and to provide laboratory space and equipment. All research credits should be completed by the end of the junior year.
Required Courses for Honor's Program: In addition to the courses required for the biology major, students must also complete the following three courses (8 credits)
4-Point Research Credit: Either Independent Study (Biol-UA 997,998) or Internship (Biol-UA 980, 981). Department approval of laboratory-based research is required. Research credit must be completed before you register into Biol-UA 999. Application forms can be picked up at the department.
Becoming a Scientist (Biol-UA 995): Two-credit course must be taken in the Fall semester before graduation.
Undergraduate Research Thesis Course (Biol-UA 999): Two-credit course must be taken in your final semester. Students prepare a written thesis based on the research results from their independent study or internship experience and defend the thesis at an oral examination before a faculty committee. Application forms, available at the biology departmental office, must be submitted by the beginning of the final semester.
Graduate Courses
A number of courses in specialized fields are given at the graduate level. Courses at the BIOL-GA 1000 level are available to undergraduates who have the necessary prerequisites. To take any of the relevant BIOL-GA 1000-level graduate courses in biology, students must obtain the signature of the course instructor and the Director of Undergraduate Studies and have their registration material approved in the department's graduate office.
Advanced Placement
Students who achieve a score of 4 or 5 on the College Entrance Examination Board Advanced Placement Examination are exempted from taking any Principles of Biology sequence. However, because of medical-school requirements, students on the pre-health track should not place out of Principles of Biology.
Four-Year Plan for Biology Majors on Prehealth Track
| Freshman | |
| (1) General Chemistry – I (CHEM 125) (2) Principles of Biology – I (BIOL 11) (3) MATH 121* (4) Freshmen Seminar (17 Credits) | (1) General Chemistry – II (CHEM 126) (2) Principles of Biology – II (BIOL 12) (3) Principles of Biology Lab (UA-123) (not req'd for BIO majors) (4) MAP SSS: Intr Psy/Soc (5) MAP (Writing in the Sciences) (17 Credits) |
| Sophomore | |
| (1) Organic Chemistry – I (CHEM 225) (2) Molecular and Cell Biology – I (BIOL 21) (3) Molecular and Cell Biology Lab (Biol 223) (optional, but strongly recommended) (4) S & B Health (5) MAP T/I (17 – 18 Credits) | (1) Organic Chemistry – II (CHEM 226) (2) Molecular and Cell Biology – II (BIOL 22) (3) MAP C&C (4) Elective (17 Credits) |
| Junior | |
| (1) General Physics – I (PHYS 11) (2) BIOL Elect # 1 (3) MAP Foreign Language -I (4) Elective (17 Credits) | (1) General Physics – II (PHYS 12) (2) MAP EC/Writing (3) MAP Foreign Language -II (4) BIOL Elect # 2 (17 Credits) |
| Senior | |
| (1) MAP Foreign Language -III (2) BIOL Elect # 3 (3) BIOL Elect # 4 (4) Elective (16 Credits) | (1) MAP Foreign Language -IV (2) Biochemistry (CHEM 881) (3) BIOL Elect # 5 (4) Elective (16 Credits) |
Notes:
This plan requires the student to be calculus-ready
Optional MCB Lab Fall Sophomore Year Strongly Recommended for Biology Majors
Study Away
London: Junior Fall and deferral of BIOL reqs
