Students are required to complete all major requirements and supporting coursework as detailed below in order to earn their degree in Biology. Those students looking to complete a concentration in the following fields should familiarize themselves with the additional requirements below.
COURSEWORK
Introductory Biology
Select one course from the list below:
| BIO 105 | Marine Biology | 4 units |
| BIO 110 | Introductory Biology: Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution | 4 units |
Cellular and Molecular Biology (2 courses)
| BIO 130 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology | 4 units |
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And one course from:
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| BIO 221 | Molecular Biology | 4 units |
| BIO 224 | Genetic Analysis | 4 units |
| BIO 226 | Cell Biology | 4 units |
Environmental Biology
Select one course from the list below:
| BIO 260 | Biodiversity and Organization of Marine Ecosystems | 4 units |
| BIO 270 | Ecology | 4 units |
| BIO 275 | Flora of Southern California | 4 units |
Evolutionary Biology
Organismal Biology
Select one course from the list below:
| BIO 215 | Invertebrate Form and Function | 4 units |
| BIO 240 | Vertebrate Physiology | 4 units |
| BIO 250 | Plant Form and Function | 4 units |
| BIO 275 | Flora of Southern California | 4 units |
Upper-division Biology
Students must select three 300-level Biology courses (excluding Bio 310, Bio 395, and Bio 397) At least two of these must be Occidental College Biology laboratory courses.
Data Analysis
Select one course from the list below:
Organic Chemistry
Senior Seminar
Supporting Coursework
Students are required to complete two additional courses to complete the major. One must be the supporting course for Organic Chemistry and one must be Calculus 1 or an equivalent course (e.g. MATH 110 or MATH 114). If a student is awarded credit for Calculus 1 for work prior to college entry, then they are required to take an additional quantitative literacy course at the college level (see list below).
Chemistry
Select one from the list:
| CHEM 120 | Foundations of General Chemistry | 4 units |
| CHEM 130 | Advanced Placement General Chemistry | 4 units |
Quantitative Literacy
All biology majors are required to complete a Calculus I-equivalent course (e.g. MATH 110 or MATH 114). Students who pass out of Calculus I are required to take an additional quantitative literacy course at the college level.
Select one course from the list below:
Concentration in Cell and Molecular Biology
In addition to completing all major requirements, students pursuing this concentration must complete:
One additional 200-level course, for a total of two courses, in Cell & Molecular Biology. Coursework must be selected from the list below.
Two of the three required 300-level courses must be selected from the list below.
Concentration in Environmental Science
In addition to completing all major requirements, students pursuing this concentration must complete:
Environmental Biology
One additional 200-level course, for a total of two 200-level courses in Environmental Biology. Coursework must be selected from the list below:
| BIO 260 | Biodiversity and Organization of Marine Ecosystems | 4 units |
| BIO 270 | Ecology | 4 units |
| BIO 275 | Flora of Southern California | 4 units |
Upper-division Biology
Two of the three required 300-level courses must be selected from the list below:
| BIO 325 | Microbial Diversity | 4 units |
| BIO 350 | Microbial Symbiosis | 4 units |
| BIO 356 | The Biology of Marine Fishes | 4 units |
| BIO 360 | Avian Biology | 4 units |
| BIO 369 | Biological Oceanography | 4 units |
| BIO 370 | Field Ecology | 4 units |
| BIO 373 | Computational Biology | 4 units |
| BIO 380 | Plant Physiological Ecology | 4 units |
| BIO 372 | Global Change Biology | 4 units |
Geology Component
Two geology courses must be selected from the list below:
| GEO 105 | Earth: Our Environment | 4 units |
| GEO 245 | Earth's Climate: Past and Future | 4 units |
| GEO 106 | Earth and the Human Future | 4 units |
| GEO 160 | Spatial Analysis with Geographic Information Science | 4 units |
| GEO 255 | Remote Exploration of Earth | 4 units |
Concentration in Marine Biology
In addition to completing all major requirements, students pursuing this concentration must complete four courses from the list below:
| BIO 260 | Biodiversity and Organization of Marine Ecosystems | 4 units |
| BIO 268 | Biostatistics | 4 units |
| BIO 325 | Microbial Diversity | 4 units |
| BIO 340 | Sensory Biology and Neurophysiology | 4 units |
| BIO 350 | Microbial Symbiosis | 4 units |
| BIO 356 | The Biology of Marine Fishes | 4 units |
| BIO 369 | Biological Oceanography | 4 units |
| GEO 245 | Earth's Climate: Past and Future | 4 units |
Note that Geo 245 has Geo 105 as a prerequsite.
Honors in the Major
- Student typically will have worked on a research project for 2 semesters (or 1 semester + summer session) minimum, before applying for honors
- Student must have an average GPA of 3.25
Application Process
- Student should discuss with their research mentor and submit an official Letter of Intent to the Biology Chairperson by the beginning of their senior year, or sooner.
- The letter of intent should include a summary of research results (realized and projected), as well as significance of the research and any projects in progress at the time of submission.
- Applications will be evaluated by the Biology faculty.
- Students nominated for honors will be notified by the Biology Chairperson.
Completion Process
- At the time of nomination, each candidate will be assigned an honors thesis committee of two Biology faculty members, in addition to their faculty mentor. This committee will be available for guidance and to help ensure that milestones are met in a timely manner.
- Milestones will include a thorough literature review, written drafts of the introduction, methods, and results sections, including draft figures, and a final discussion section, as well as preparation of a public seminar.
- The candidate must complete a written thesis of their work. It is expected that the student will spend part of their final semester or directed research writing the thesis.
- The written thesis will be due to the mentor by Monday in the 4th week of February.
- The revised honors thesis will be due to the committee by Monday in the 3rd week of February.
- The thesis will be reviewed by committee, and final revisions must be submitted by the last day of March.
- Honors candidates will also give a presentation on their research during the week of April 15. These presentations will last approximately 15 minutes, with 5 min for questions.
- Honors grades are Pass/Fail and reported to the registrar by the Chair. The chair will inform the students of their grade when it is decided upon by the committee.
Minor
Introductory Level
Students must select two courses from:
| BIO 105 | Marine Biology | 4 units |
| BIO 110 | Introductory Biology: Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution | 4 units |
| BIO 115 | General Zoology | 4 units |
| BIO 130 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology | 4 units |
Additional Electives
Choose three additional biology courses that are required for the major at the 200- or 300-level, two of which must be taken in the Occidental College Biology Department. Two unit courses may not apply to this requirement. Independent Studies and Advanced Placement credit may not count toward the minor.