Major Requirements for Bachelor of Arts in Biology

The bachelor of arts (B.A.) 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.A. major requires 35 credits of coursework in biological sciences, plus cognate courses in chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Courses are offered on both the Rutgers and NJIT campuses.

Upon successful completion of General Biology 120:101 and 102 (8 credits), with grades of C or better, Rutgers students can officially declare their intention to pursue a course of study leading to a B.A. degree in biology. To declare their major and their preference for the bachelor of arts curriculum, 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 General Biology 101 and 102, students take 120:201 Foundations of Biology: Cell and Molecular Biology (3 credits) and 120:202 Foundations Laboratory (1 credit) as their core curricular requirements; these four courses provide students with the necessary background to enroll in upper-division courses. Please be aware that many upper-division courses require completion of both General Biology and Foundations of Biology: Cell and Molecular Biology as prerequisites.

Beyond the core courses, all students must successfully complete one course from each of three biological concepts clusters and two courses designated as laboratory/field experience.

Students complete their course of study by successfully completing, with grades of C or better, courses in biological sciences for a minimum of 35 credits.

Among the courses successfully completed for the B.A. 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.

1. CORE COURSES

21:120:101,102 General Biology (4,4)

21:120:201 Foundations of Biology: Cell and Molecular Biology (3)

21:120:202 Foundations of Biology: Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory (1)

2. BIOLOGICAL CONCEPTS CLUSTERS

Students must complete one course from each of the three clusters listed below.

A) Ecological and Evolutionary Framework

28:120:205 Foundations of Biology: Ecology and Evolution (3)

28:120:206 Foundations of Biology: Ecology and Evolution Laboratory (1)

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 (4)

C) Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms

21:120:352 Genetics (3)

21:120:355 Cell Biology (3)

21:120:360 Biochemistry (3)

3. LABORATORY/FIELD EXPERIENCE

Majors must complete any two courses from the list below. The course used for requirement 3B above cannot be used again here.

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 Taxonomy Vascular Plants (4)

21:120:313 Mycology (WI) (4)

21:120:325 Animal Parasites (3)

21:120:326 Parasitology Laboratory (1)

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 Developmental Biology (4)

21:120:343 Developmental Biology Laboratory (1)

21:120:371 Field Studies in Plant Ecology (3)

21:120:380 Field Ecology (3)

21:120:405 Microanatomy of Tissues (4)

21:120:430 Plant Growth and Development (4)

21:120:451 Lab in Cell Biophysics (4)

21:120:486 Tropical Field Biology (2)

28:120:205 Foundations of Biology: Ecology and Evolution (3)

28:120:206 Foundations of Biology: Ecology and Evolution Laboratory (1)

28:120:405 Cell Physiology and Imaging (4)

28:120:475 Ecological Field Methods (3)