Major Requirements in Biology
- Two semesters of general chemistry (100/101 or the equivalent) are prerequisite for Bio200a. One semester of organic chemistry is required for the major and may be taken concurrently with Bio200a or in the junior year. A second semester of organic chemistry is strongly recommended. One semester of physical chemistry may also be useful for those intending to pursue graduate work in biology.
- Both semesters of Biology 200a and 200b, taken in the sophomore year. (100-level courses cannot be counted toward major requirements. ) Note again that to enroll in Bio200a, students must have completed Chem 100/101 (or equivalent).
- Two semesters of the junior laboratory, Biology 300a and 300b; four half-semester advanced topics courses, at least two of which are considered "core" courses (Biology 301-306). Students may also select from multiple "systems" courses that apply core principles to an understanding of complex biological interactions (Biology 307-312 and 354). Occasionally, an upper-level course from Bryn Mawr or Swarthmore is accepted as a substitute for one or two of the half-semester lecture courses, but only with the specific permission of the Haverford biology department.
- One half-semester course in the Haverford Biology Department at the 350 level (Chosen from Biology 350-369; no substitutions permitted).
- A minimum of two 400-level Senior Research Tutorial credits, generally taken over both semesters of the senior year, including active participation in weekly lab meetings and submission of a notebook and a thesis describing the progress and results of the project.
- Biology 499j.
Alternative curricula within the major are offered to students interested in interdisciplinary studies within the science division. These are encompassed within the Areas of Concentration in biochemistry; biophysics; and neural and behavioral sciences (NBS). In these interdisciplinary programs, a student may major in biology and take an enhanced selection of courses to fulfill the requirements of the biology major and their concentration. Further information is given under individual program descriptions for the relevant Areas of Concentration.
Biology majors wishing to follow the biochemistry concentration take the following courses: Biology 200a, 200b; one semester of Biology 300; four Biology 30x/31x courses, two of which must be selected from among 301, 303, 304, and 306; and one 350-level course; two credits of senior research; and Biology 499. In addition, they must take additional chemistry, mathematics and physics courses as outlined in the description of the Area of Concentration.
As preparation for graduate studies in biology, the biology department strongly recommends Physics 105 and 106 and Chemistry 221 and 304.