Biology Major - Requirements

I. Required Biology Courses

A grade of C- or better must be earned and revealed on your transcript for any course -- including the first semester -- to be counted towards the major or concentration requirements. The grade of P is not acceptable, but a course that was taken P/D/F may be counted if and only if the P is uncovered by the Registrar's deadline.

Students may substitute Barnard College courses only with prior permission from an Advisor.

1. Two introductory biology courses:

• C2005 - Introductory Biology I: Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology or ENVB 2001 - Environmental & Evolutionary Biology
• C2006 - Introductory Biology II: Cell Biology, Development & Physiology
  

2. Two lecture courses from this list of core courses
   

• W3022 - Developmental Biology
• W3031 or C3032 - Genetics
• W3041 - Cell biology
• Biol-chemC3501 or BiochemC3512 - Molecular biology
  

3. One of the following 4 options to fulfill the lab requirement:
   

• Option 1: A 5-point biology lab. Current offerings include:
  

• W3040 - Project laboratory in Developmental Biology
• W3050 - Project laboratory in protein biochemistry
• C3052 - Project laboratory in molecular genetics

• Option 2: Two semesters of W3500 - Independent research + 1 semester of W3600 (recommended)
• Option 3: One semester of W3500 for at least 3 credits and one summer of SURF in the same lab.

Summer lab work under other auspices may not be substituted for SURF. Paid laboratory work may not be substituted for SURF or W3500. W3600 is strongly recommended as a co-requisite for W3500.

• Option 4:The following 2 labs:
  

• W2501 - Contemporary biology laboratory and

• W3002 - Introduction to animal structure and function (Note: W3002 is a 6 point course, so it counts both towards the lab requirement and towards the additional course required in 4. below.)
  A 3 pt. Barnard lab course maybe substituted for W3002.

4. Two additional 3000- or 4000- level lecture courses for 3 or more pts. The following are recommended.

• W3002 - Introduction to Animal Structure & Function
• W3004 - Neurobiology I: Cellular & Molecular Neurobiology
• W3005 - Neurobiology II: Development & Systems
• W3006 - Physiology
  
• W3022 - Developmental Biology
• C3032 or W3031 Genetics
• C3799 - Readings-Molecular Biology of Cancer
• W3034 - Biotechnology
• W3041 - Cell Biology
  
• W3073 - Cellular and Molecular Immunology
• W3208 - Introduction to Evolutionary Biology
• W3990 - Readings in Cell Biology
• W4011 - Neural Syst: Circuits in the Brain
  
• W4300 - Drugs and Disease
• W4400 - Biological Networks
  
• W4510(CHBC) - Molecular Systems Biology I
• G4008 - Advanced seminar in neurobiology (topic varies)
• G4044 - Advanced Topics in Cell Biology
• G4095 - Chemical Genomics
• G4260 - Proteomics Lab
• G4305 - Seminar in Biotechnology
  
• G4600 - Signal transduction
• G6002(sec 2) - Protein Thermodynamics (counts as 1/2 course)
  
  Every effort is made to keep this list up to date. However, last min. changes do occur. See recent changes for new course updates.
  
  Note: SCNC & HPSC courses do not count towards the Major even if listed under Biology courses on Bio web site.
  

II. Other Required Courses

1. Chemistry: One of the following three groups of chemistry courses is required:
• Option 1: General chemistry and lab -C1403-C1404-C1500 or F1403-F1404-F1500
  Organic chemistry and lab- C3443-C3444-C3543 or F3443-F3444-F3543
  
• Option2: For students who qualify for intensive chemistry
  Second Semester General Chemistry (Intensive) and Intensive lab - C1604-C2507
  Organic Chemistry and Lab C3443-C3444-C3543
• Option 3: For students who qualify for 1st year organic chemistry
  Intensive general chemistry Lab - C2507
  Organic chemistry for first years and lab - C3045-C3046-C3543
2. Physics: Two semesters of physics are required, including the accompanying labs. The usual choices are General physics (V1201-V1202) and labs (V1291-V1292). The 1400 sequence is recommended if you plan to take 3 terms of physics. Higher level physics sequences are ok too.
3. Math: The math requirement can be fulfilled by taking either of these:
• Two semesters of calculus
• One semester of calculus plus one semester of statistics, with advisor's permission
  
  For students with AP credit, completion of Calculus II (V1102), Calculus III (V1201) or Honors mathematics A (V1207) is sufficient; however, students with AP credit are encouraged to take additional courses in math or statistics at Columbia.