Requirements for the Biology Major
Last update: August 2001
I. Required Biology Courses
- Two introductory biology courses:
- C2005 - Introduction to molecular and cellular
biology I (Biochemistry and genetics) or ENVB 2001 - Environmental & Evolutionary Biology
- C2006 - Introduction to molecular and cellular
biology II (Cell biology, development, physiology)
- Two lecture courses from this list of core courses:
- One of the following choices to fulfill the lab requirement:
- A 5-point biology lab. Current offerings include:
- W3050 - Project
laboratory in protein biochemistry
- C3052 - Project laboratory in molecular genetics
- Two semesters of C3500 -
Independent research + 1 semester of C3600
(recommended)
- One semester of C3500
for 3 credits and one summer of SURF in the same lab, with permission of the SURF director.
Summer lab work under
other auspices may not be substituted for SURF. Paid laboratory work
may not be substituted for SURF or C3500. C3600
is strongly recommended as a co-requisite for C3500.
- Two of these 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.)
- Two additional 3000- or 4000- level courses. Current
offerings include those listed in
2. and 3. above, and the following:
- W3002 - Introduction to animal structure &
function
- W3004 - Cellular neurobiology
- W3005 - Systems neurobiology
- W3020 - Molecular evolution
- W3022 - Developmental biology
- W3034
- Biotechnology
- W3073 - Immunology
-
W3150 - The Cell as a Machine
- W3208 - Introduction to evolutionary biology
- C3799 - Readings in the
molecular biology of cancer
- G4008 - Advanced seminar in neurobiology
(topic varies)
- G4011 - Neural systems: circuits in the brain
- G4048 - Genetic approaches in cell and
developmental biology
- G4054 - Mammalian cell genetics
(offered every other year)
- W4065 - Molecular biology of disease
- W4205 - Origins of life
-
W4300 - Drugs and Disease
- G4600 - Signal transduction
II. Other Required Courses
- Chemistry: One of the following three groups of chemistry
courses is required:
- C1403-C1404-C1500 - General chemistry and lab
C3443-C3444-C3543 - Organic chemistry and lab
- C2407-C2507 - Intensive general chemistry and intensive lab
C3443-C3444-C3543 - Organic Chemistry and Lab
- C2507 - Intensive general chemistry Lab
C3045-C3046-C3543 - Intensive organic chemistry and lab
- Physics: Two semesters of physics are required, including the
accompanying labs. The usual choices are General physics (W1201-W1202) and labs
(V1291-V1292) or Honors general physics (V1301-V1302) and labs (V1391-V1392).
Higher level physics sequences are ok too.
- Math: The math requirement can be fulfilled
by taking any one 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 A (V1102), Calculus IIS (V1106)
or Honors mathematics III (V1207) is sufficient; however, students with AP credit
are encouraged to take additional courses in math or statistics at Columbia.
See biology
advisors location and
office hours
Back to undergraduate program
Dr. Deborah Mowshowitz, dbm2@columbia.edu
Director of Undergraduate Programs
Department of Biological Sciences
Columbia University