The bachelor of science (B.S.) degree in biology is offered as a joint program between Rutgers University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) through their Federated Department of Biological Sciences. The B.S. major requires 38 credits of coursework in biological sciences, plus cognate courses in chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Courses are offered on both the Rutgers and NJIT campuses. Please notice that the B.S. program has a computational biology cluster and additional cognate courses in mathematics.
Upon successful completion of Concepts in Biology (28:120:200) with a grade of C or better, Rutgers students can officially declare their intention to pursue a course of study leading to a B.S. degree in biology.
To declare their major and their preference for the bachelor of science curriculum, Rutgers students must visit the Biological Sciences Office in Boyden Hall Room 206 to submit an application for admission to the major. At this time the student's record will be reviewed and, if accepted into the major, an academic major adviser will be assigned. Students should meet with their adviser regularly, at least once a semester, to plan their course of study.
After completing Concepts in Biology, students take 120:201 Foundations of Biology: Cell and Molecular Biology (3) and 120:202 Foundations Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory (1), and 120:205 Foundations of Biology: Ecology and Evolution (3) and 120:206 Foundations Ecology and Evolution Laboratory (1) as their core curricular requirements; these five courses provide students with the necessary background to enroll in upper-division courses. Please be aware that many upper-division courses require the successful completion of Concepts in Biology, Foundations of Biology: Cell and Molecular Biology, and Foundations of Biology: Ecology and Evolution as prerequisites.
Beyond the core courses, all students must successfully complete one course from each of four biological concepts clusters and two courses designated as laboratory/field experience courses.
Students complete their course of study by successfully completing, with grades of C or better, courses in biological sciences for a minimum of 38 credits.
Among the courses successfully completed for the B.S. degree, one of those courses must be recognized as writing intensive (WI). Students should check the WI status of courses before registering, as the roster of WI courses may vary from semester to semester.
All cognate courses must be completed with grades of C or better. Cognate courses can be completed by enrolling in the appropriate courses either at Rutgers or at NJIT. Please note that in the case of sequential cognate courses the entire sequence must be completed at one or the other campus. Courses offered by NJIT are indicated as School 28 or with the prefix NJIT.
B.S. in Biology (38 credits in biology courses--one course must be writing intensive)
1. Core Course Requirements (12 credits required)
28:120:200 Concepts in Biology (4)
21:120:201 Foundations of Biology: Cell and Molecular Biology (3)
21:120:202 Foundations of Biology: Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory (1)
28:120:205 Foundations of Biology: Ecology and Evolution (3)
28:120:206 Foundations of Biology: Ecology and Evolution Laboratory (1)
2. Concept Clusters (13 credits)
A) Ecological and Evolutionary Framework (one course required)
28:120:222 Evolution (3)
21:120:280 Ecology (3)
21:120:282 Animal Behavior (3)
21:120:370 Plant Ecology (3)
B) The Functional Organism
21:120:211 Plant Kingdom (4)
21:120:230 Biology of Seed Plants (4)
21:120:330 Plant Physiology (4)
21:120:335 General Microbiology (4)
21:120:340 Mammalian Physiology (4)
21:120:342 Developmental Biology Lecture (3)
21:120:343 Developmental Biology Laboratory (1)
C) Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms
21:120:352 Genetics (3)
21:120:355 Cell Biology (3)
21:120:356 Molecular Biology (3)
21:120:360 Biochemistry (3)
D) Computational Biology (one course required) **
NJIT Math 371 Physiology and Medicine (3)
NJIT Math 372 Population Biology (3)
NJIT Math 373 Intro Mathematical Biology (3)
NJIT Math 430 Computational Neuroscience (3)
3. Laboratory/Field Experience (two courses required)
21:120:211 Plant Kingdom (4)
21:120:227 Biology of Invertebrates (4)
21:120:230 Biology of Seed Plants (4)
21:120:285 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (4)
21:120:311 Flora of New Jersey (4)
21:120:313 Mycology (WI) (4)
21:120:325/326 Animal Parasites and Parasitology Laboratory (4)
21:120:328 Ecology of Birds (3)
21:120:330 Plant Physiology (4)
21:120:335 General Microbiology (4)
21:120:340 Mammalian Physiology (4)
21:120:342/343 Developmental Biology and Developmental Biology Laboratory (4)
21:120:371 Field Studies in Plant Ecology (3)
21:120:380 Field Ecology (3) 21:120:381 Ecological History of North America (3)
21:120:405
Microanatomy of Tissues (4)
21:120:430 Plant Growth and Development (4)
21/28:120:451
Cell Physiology and Imaging (4)
28:120:475
Ecological Field Methods (3)
4. Biology B.S. Electives
28:120:315 Principles in Neurobiology (3)
21:120:325 Animal Parasites (3)
28:120:338 Ecology of the Dining Hall (3)
21:120:342 Developmental Biology (3)
21:120:343 Developmental Biology Laboratory (1)
21:120:346 Neurobiology (3)
21:120:350 Immunology (3)
28:120:368 Ecology and Evolution of Disease (3)
28:120:375 Conservation Biology (3)
28:120:383 Neural Basis of Behavior (3)
28:120:400 Biology of Science Fiction (3)
21:120:402 Biology of Cancer (3)
21:120:422 Biological Invasions (3)
21:120:444 Cellular Neurobiology (3)
21:120:445 Endocrinology (3)
21:120:455 Molecular Cell Biology (3)
21:120:491 Problems in Biology (1-3)
21:120:492
Problems in Biology (1-3)
5. Cognate Courses
21:160:113,114 General Chemistry Laboratory I and II (1,1)
21:160:115,116 General Chemistry I and II (4,4)
21:160:331 Organic Chemistry Laboratory (2)
21:160:335,336 Organic Chemistry I and II (4,4)
21:640:135,136,235 Calculus I (4,4,4)
21:750:203 General Physics I (4) or
21:750:213 University Physics I (4)
21:750:204 General Physics II (4) or
21:750:214 University Physics II (4)
21:750:205,206 Introductory Physics Laboratory (1,1)
**D) Computational Biology Courses and
Mathematics Prerequisites
NJIT
Math 371 Physiology and Medicine
Prerequisites:
21:640:314 Elementary Differential Equations or
NJIT Math 222 Differential Equations
NJIT
Math 372 Population Biology
Prerequisites:
21:640:314 Elementary Differential Equations or
NJIT
Math 222 Differential Equations
NJIT
Math 373 Introduction to
Mathematical Biology
Prerequisites:
21:640:235 Calculus III
21:640:219 Basic Linear Algebra or
NJIT
Math 337 Linear Algebra
NJIT
Math 430 Computational Neuroscience
Prerequisites:
21:640:235 Calculus III
21:750:204 General Physics II
21:198:101 Computers and Programming I or
NJIT BNFO 135, 136
