Rather than trying to cover the entire field of biology, the minor in biology has been designed to allow the student to survey a few areas of biology (e.g. ecology and genetics) or to select a specific area of focus (e.g. cell biology) for the minor. In either case, students will complete three courses at the 1000 and 2000 level to provide broad foundational knowledge, 1/3 unit of laboratory courses, and two 3000/4000 level courses for advanced study, including a 4000 level course of the student’s choosing. Students should choose their foundational courses carefully so that they provide recommended background for upper level courses they plan to take. As with all minors, 1 unit of this work may be double counted toward meeting another degree requirement, while a minimum of 1 unit of the work must be unique to the minor; i.e. 1 full unit of courses being counted toward the minor must not be counted anywhere else on a student's major tracking sheet except for the “free electives” category.
The specific requirements for the minor are as follows: