GS Biology Concentration - 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.

Any exceptions must be approved in advance by an Advisor and you must receive an email notification of that approval.

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, AND
   • C2006 - Introductory Biology II: Cell Biology, Development & Physiology
2. One lecture course from this list of core courses:
   • C3032 or W3031- Genetics
   • W3022 - Developmental biology
     
   • W3041 - Cell biology
   • C3501 - Biochemistry or C3512 - Molecular biology
     
3. One of these two options to fulfill the lab requirement:
   W2501 - Contemporary biology lab (formerly W1501) and one of the following
   
   
   • W3002 Introduction to animal structure and function
   • W3040 - Lab in Developmental Biology
   • A 3 pt. Barnard lab course.
     
     
   • A five-point lab. Current offerings include:
     C3052 - Project laboratory in molecular genetics
     W3050 - Project laboratory in protein biochemistry
     W3058 - Project laboratory in microbiology
     

   Note: Biol W1015 or W1130 or W3500 (Independent research) may not be used to fulfill the laboratory requirement for the concentration.

4. One or two additional biology or biochemistry lecture courses, level 3000 or above, to reach the total Biology credits of 22 points required for the concentration. Either W2501 or a five-point lab course, but not both, may count towards the 22 point total. Current offerings include the core courses listed above and the following:
   
   
   • C3512 - Molecular biology
   • W3002 Intro to Animal Structure and Function
   • W3004 Neurobiology I: Cellular & Molecular Neurobiology or
   • W3005 Neurobiology II: Development & Systems
     
   • W3006 Physiology
     
   • C3032 or W3031Genetics
   • C3799 Readings Molecular Biology of Cancer
     
   • W3034 Biotechnology
   • W3022 Developmental Biology
   • W3041 Cell Biology
   • W3073 Cellular and Molecular Immunology
   • W3190 Stem Cells: Biology, Ethics and Applications
     
   • W3208 Intro to Evolutionary Biology
   • W3310 Virology
   • W3990 Readings in Cell Biology
   • W4008 The Cellular Physiology of disease
     
   • W4011 Neural Syst: Circuits in the Brain
   • W4077 Survey in Molecular and Cellular Biology
     
   • W4200 Biotechnology: Biopharmaceutical Dev & Reg
   • W4300 Drugs and Disease
   • W4400 Biological Networks
     
   • W4510(CHBC) Molecular Systems Biology I
   • G4008 Advanced Seminar in Neurobiology
     
   • G4044 Advanced Topics in Cell Biology
   • G4095 Chemical Genomics
   • 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. Required Science and Math Courses

1. One of the following three groups of Chemistry courses:
   • F1403-F1404-F1504 - General Chemistry and Lab F3443-F3444-F3543 - Organic Chemistry and Lab
     
   • F1604-F2507 - Second Semester General Chemistry (Intensive) and Intensive Lab
     F3443-F3444-F3543 - Organic Chemistry and Lab
     
   • F2507 - Intensive General Chemistry Lab
     F3045-F3046-F3543 - Intensive Organic Chemistry and Lab
     
2. 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 also acceptable.
3. The math requirement can be fulfilled by taking any 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 III (V1207) is sufficient; however, students with AP credit are encouraged to take additional courses in math or statistics at Columbia.

For transfer students, at least 4 biology or biochemistry courses and at least 18 credits of the total (biology, biochemistry, math, physics and chemistry) must be taken at Columbia. Barnard courses may not be substituted for the required Columbia courses without advance permission from the advisor.