Biological Sciences, BA

Location(s): Main Campus

The Biological Sciences Bachelor of Arts curriculum is designed for students to meet the following learning outcomes: the ability to evaluate the methodology critically and to carry out scientific investigation in the biological sciences; understanding and critical evaluation of biological information; the ability to discuss and communicate biological concepts accurately, effectively and concisely; and the ability to apply biological training to student’s future careers. The BA is recommended for the student who wishes to use a general education with a major in biology as a foundation for careers in medical professions, environmentally related professions, law, business and finance, education, information technologies, and more. Students have great flexibility in their course choices and selection of courses based on career goals is highly advised.

Program Requirements

University General Education Requirements

All Binghamton University undergraduate students are required to fulfill this set of university-wide requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of a SUNY university undergraduate education. Please refer to the General Education page for more information.

Harpur College Requirements

All students in Harpur College must fulfill additional requirements designated by Harpur College to complement and extend the general education requirements. Please refer to the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences page for more information.

Major Requirements

Declaring the Major

Students should declare their major after having completed 12 credits while attending college, with eight of these credits being from the following list: BIOL 113, BIOL 114, CHEM 104, CHEM 105, CHEM 107, CHEM 108, MATH 147. AP Statistics is not accepted for fulfilling the statistics requirement (MATH 147).

Course Requirements

Students must fulfill the following requirements for the Biological Sciences major:

Introductory Biology:

Students must take the following three courses or approved equivalents:

General chemistry:

One of the following three course sequences:

Organic chemistry:

Statistics:

One full course in statistics from approved list

Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB) Core:

One of the following:

Ecology and Evolution (EE) Core:

Choose one of the following:

Electives

Eight credits of math/science electives from the approved list
12 credits of upper-level biology courses (numbered 300 and above) including two laboratory courses. BIOL 490-493 does not fulfill this requirement.

Additional Information About the Program

Students may not double major or minor in integrative neuroscience or biochemistry.
The following courses may be required for the biological sciences major: MATH 147. If students are not placed into MATH 147, then MATH 107 or BIOL 100 may also required to complete the major. CHEM 100 may be required for students not placed into the introductory chemistry sequence. Some biology majors may take MATH 224. If students are not placed into MATH 224, then MATH 223 and, if needed, MATH 108 are also required. Additionally, some biology majors may take BIOL 347. BIOL 251 is also required if taking BIOL 347.
Students pursuing the SUNY transfer path should check with the school they wish to transfer to in order to determine whether MATH 108 is necessary.
No more than four credits may come from the following list: BIOL 494, 495, 496, 497, and 498. Only one laboratory course requirement may be satisfied by BIOL 495, 497, or 498. Also, a course counting toward the laboratory requirement must be at least two credits. BIOL 490-493 does not fulfill this requirement.
Except for BIOL 391 and 494-498, no BIOL course taken on the Pass/Fail grading option will fulfill the requirements for the biology major.

Residency requirement: A minimum of 20 credits in BIOL courses numbered 300-level and above, including the two upper-level core courses (CMB and EE courses), must be taken in Harpur College in order to qualify for the BA degree.

For more information on the Biological Sciences BA program, please refer to the Biological Sciences website. To apply to the Biological Sciences BA program, please visit the University Admissions website.