General
Students intending to major in Biology should begin to satisfy the requirements early in their career at Holy Cross, since advanced courses frequently have prerequisites. Although it is possible to complete the Biology major without having satisfied any of the requirements before the sophomore year, prospective biology majors are encouraged to take both chemistry and biology in their first year.
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Please Read This Important Note:
Biology Department webpages dealing with courses and requirements for the major are scrupulously kept up to date. The course descriptions and advice found here are often more detailed than those in the College Catalog because there is no space limitation.
Nevertheless, the Dean of Students Office requires the following statement: "The final authority on college and departmental policy is the College Catalog. The Catalog should always be consulted when planning your curriculum." If you wish to look at a pdf version of the College catalog, press this link . |
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Course and Grade Requirements Specific to the Biology Major
1. Biology Course Requirements
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8 courses--6 must be with lab.
Note that six of these biology courses must be physically taken at Holy Cross from the Biology Department. Thus, students who do study away must be sure that six of the courses they intend to count towards graduation were taken at Holy Cross.
- All majors take Introductory Biology Biology 131, 132 and Genetics (either Biology 261 or 262).
- All majors must take one course from each of three following three areas of biology to meet the departmental distribution requirement.
- Note: Students must earn the grade of "C" or better in Introductory Biology (Biology 131 and 132) to continue in the major.
- Advanced Placement Credit: A score of 5 or 4 on the Advanced Placement Biology Test will earn a student one course credit towards graduation.
2. Science and Mathematics Requirements
- Mathematics: Students must have Mathematics through Math 132, 134, or 136. Requirements for previous classes can be obtained from academic advisors.
- Chemistry: (4 courses with lab): Chemistry 101, 221, 222, 231.
- Physics: (2 courses with lab): Physics 111 and 112 or 115 and 116.
- Geology (please see the note in the box immediately below)
Important note concerning geology and natural science requirements
Students interested in ecological or paleontological aspects of biology may substitute Biology 150 -- Introduction to Geology for either:
- Chemistry 222 (Organic 2) or
- Physics 112 or 116 (Physics 2)
after consulting with their advisor and with the permission of the Biology Department Chair.
Keep in mind, however, that both the chemistry and physics courses are still required for students in the premedical program, biochemistry concentrators, or those intending graduate study in areas of functional biology.
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| Premeds Note: Premedical biology majors must also take two courses in English to satisfy the requirements of the premedical program. |
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Special Opportunities Available to Biology Majors
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Special Academic Programs Available to Biology Majors:
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Courses that Fulfill the Departmental Distribution Requirements
(Click on each heading for the webpage that describes all course offerings for a given distribution area.)
Molecular and Cellular Biology-- this link takes you to the page that describes all regularly offered molecular and cellular biology courses.
Organismal Biology -- this link takes you to the page that describes all regularly offered organismal biology courses.
Ecological and Evolutionary Biology -- this link takes you to the page that describes all regularly offered ecology and evolution courses.
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Biology 311, 312 Problems in Biology These courses may satisfy distribution requirements that are appropriate to the subject. For example, Field Botany and Electrophysiology are organismal. Ornithology may be either organismal or ecological depending on the term paper topic. Inquire in the Department Office regarding the classification of specific Problems courses.
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Courses That Do Not Fill Distribution Requirements
(link to the entire list)
These interesting and useful courses count towards the major but generally cannot be used to fill the distribution requirements for the major (i.e., they do not count as cellular, organismal, or evolutionary courses). The exception to this is that some problems in biology course can be used for distribution requirements (see below).
