Biology

The Department of Biology offers a B.S. in Biology, a B.S. in Biology of Global Health, a B.S. in Environment Biology, and a B.S. in Neurobiology, as well as a minor in Biology.

Major Programs

The Department of Biology offers four majors: Biology, Biology of Global Health, Environmental Biology, and Neurobiology. These majors are designed to educate students in the breadth of subject matter encompassed by the biological sciences, including advances in knowledge at the forefront of this discipline. Graduates will be well prepared for advanced study in biological sciences, medicine, public health, education, science policy, or law, as well as professional careers in business and biotechnology.

The First and Second Years

Entering the Program, Choosing the Major, and Advising

First-year students enter the program as Biology majors; specific majors within the department are declared in the fall semester of the second year. Students receive an academic advisor from among the faculty in the Department of Biology who will work with them during their first year and beyond. Transfer students should see the Director of Undergraduate Studies to be assigned an advisor.

Declaration Deadlines: If you are declaring any of the majors within Biology, you must declare by October 20th during the Fall term and March 1st during the Spring term.

During the first year, in addition to core requirements/courses in the liberal arts, students generally enroll in Foundations in Biology I and II (which may be taken in either order), General Chemistry I and II, Calculus I, and either Probability and Statistics or Calculus II. We strongly recommend that students enroll in no more than four courses in their first semester (e.g., Foundations with lab, General Chemistry with lab, a math course, and one core requirement). Students may also choose to defer Chemistry or Math until the second year in order to ease the transition to college-level work. Consult with your advising dean and your departmental advisor in order to determine the most appropriate plan.

During the fall term of the second year, all students will submit a declaration comprising an essay of no more than 250 words and an academic plan that proposes future coursework to fulfill the specific requirements of their chosen major. At this time, students are asked to choose which of the four majors within the department they plan to formally declare: Biology, Biology of Global Health, Environmental Biology, or Neurobiology. Students will be assigned new academic advisors who will meet with the students each semester to ensure that their academic plans are compatible with the goals of the major. Students should take the Gateway class for their declared major in the spring of their second year.

Second-year students who are undeclared or are considering changing majors may also declare any of the majors offered through the Department during the fall term and are generally not at a significant curricular disadvantage relative to other students. Interested transfer students or third-year students can also declare a major in the Biology department, but they must pay close attention to their four-year plan and ascertain that they will be able to complete the coursework for their proposed major.

Learning Goals and Research

The Department of Biology has developed a set of learning goals for majors in the department, outlined below and detailed on the Department web site. The first five learning goals are grouped as “Insight into the Process and Product of Science.” These focus on the process of science, to emphasize our belief that the goal of a biology education is to enable students to make creative use of their knowledge. The second five learning goals are grouped as “Fundamental Biological Concepts.” The learning goals are:

Integrate new knowledge into existing intellectual frameworks.
Engage with scientific inquiry.
Represent and interpret data in quantitative and statistically meaningful forms.
Communicate scientific understanding in oral and written forms.
Appreciate the epistemology of science.
Understand the organization of molecular, cellular, organismal and ecological systems.
Appreciate evolution as a framework for understanding biological systems.
Understand the flow of biological information.
Work with the flow of energy and matter in biological systems.
Understand the interdependence and interactions within biological systems and their emergent properties.

Two themes arise from the five fundamental biological concepts. First, all of biology operates under constraints defined by our understanding of math, physics, and chemistry; it is therefore essential that majors have a strong foundational understanding of both the concepts and the “ways of knowing” in these fields. Second, all of biology operates under the constraints of the mechanisms of evolution; it is therefore essential that majors have a strong foundational understanding of the theories, evidence, and mechanisms of evolution.

The Biology Department also supports two additional learning frameworks: Integrated Writing (or Writing in the Discipline) and Integrated Quantitation (or Quantitative Reasoning in the Discipline).

Research Intensive Senior Experience (RISE)

The Department of Biology encourages its majors to engage deeply in the subject of biology through a capstone project as a senior. Students can opt to conduct a research project through the RISE program that will earn credit toward any of the four Biology majors.

Majors work with a faculty mentor to: 1) conduct an independent laboratory, field, or computational research project; 2) build from an internship experience to conduct critical in-depth research of the literature or publicly available data; or 3) teach biology and conduct research in the community.

Many students begin research before the senior year, some as early as their first year. Students who start their research early (often in the junior year) can earn up to three credits that apply towards the major (BIOL-4950, Research Tutorial) and up to three additional credits that apply as College elective credits but do not count towards the major (BIOL-4997, Continuing Research). Students interested in research during the senior year will take RISE-I (BIOL-4951) in the fall and RISE-II (BIOL-4952) in the spring. Note that enrollments in all RISE and tutorial courses is by permission of instructor only, so students must consult with a Biology faculty member in order to be enrolled in these options. With approval of a faculty advisor within the Department, research also may be conducted in laboratories outside the Department of Biology, including other departments within the College, laboratories at the GU Medical Center, or in the greater DC area, including the National Institutes of Health, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Zoo, etc.

Study Abroad

Majors from the Department of Biology can study abroad and transfer credits to the majors. All majors are encouraged to consider building a summer or semester abroad into their undergraduate programs. Although not a specific requirement, the perspective gained from the international experience is of value to all majors. Students should plan early and discuss their plans with their departmental advisor, their Dean, and the Office of Global Education. Biology courses successfully completed while studying abroad may count toward the credit requirements for the majors in Biology when specifically approved by the Department in advance. No more than two courses taken abroad may be counted towards the major.

Pre-health studies (medicine, dentistry, etc.)

At Georgetown, pre-health is a set of courses, not a major or degree program. Each of the majors offered through the Department of Biology provides students with a strong foundation in science and a significant overlap with the pre-health program requirements. For more information, students can consult Georgetown’s pre-health website.

Major in Biology

The Biology major provides a comprehensive perspective on all aspects of the biological world, including ecology, evolutionary biology, molecular and cell biology, and development. This major affords students the greatest latitude in choosing courses of interest across the breadth of biology. It also permits students who want to further focus their studies to concentrate in either Ecology, Evolution, and Behavioral Biology (EEB) or Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (BMCDB).

The Biology major consists of courses in biology, mathematics, general chemistry, and additional sciences. After completing the first-year courses, students enroll in intermediate-level courses. Students should take at least one course from each of two distribution areas (“Molecules” and “Populations”) and complete them by the end of the third year. Students will also enroll in the Gateway course (BIOL 1910) which should be taken in the spring of their second year. This course is a communication-intensive course that satisfies the University Integrated Writing requirement. Upper-level students then choose elective courses from the courses offered by the Department to complete the major.

A concentration within the major (either EEB or BMCDB) requires the completion of 15 credits in the area of concentration. Courses that apply to each area of concentration can be found in a list on the Department’s website. Each concentration should be devised during careful consultation with a faculty advisor and requires declaration to the Dean’s office. The area of the concentration will appear on the student’s transcript.

Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Credit

For students who choose to major in Biology, credit from either the AP Biology Exam, AP Environmental Science Exam, or IB Higher Level Biology will be counted toward the major. If a student has taken more than one of these exams, only one will count toward the major.

For an AP score of 5, students will receive four credits, two of which will be applied to the total credits required for the major. For an AP score of 4, students will receive three credits, one of which will be applied to the total credits required for the major. No credit is awarded for an AP score of 3.
For the IB program, students will receive credit from the Higher Level Biology but not the Standard Level. For a score of 6 or 7, students receive four credits, two of which will apply to the major. No credit is awarded for an IB score of 5 or below.
Regardless of AP or IB score, all majors are required to take BIOL 1203/1213 (Foundations in Biology I with laboratory) and BIOL 1204/1214 (Foundations in Biology II with laboratory). The equivalent summer courses are BIOL 1205/1215 and BIOL 1206/1216, respectively, and can be used to fulfill this requirement in place of the Academic Year courses.

Courses for the Biology Major

Required Biology Courses (22 credits)

Intermediate-level distribution courses should be completed by the end of the third year.

Foundations in Biology I and II (BIOL 1203/1213 and BIOL 1204/1214). Note that despite the numbering, these two courses may be taken in either order. The equivalent summer courses are BIOL 1205/1215 and BIOL 1206/1216, respectively, and can be used to fulfill this requirement in place of the Academic Year courses.
Two intermediate-level courses: at least one “Molecules” course (BIOL 1510 or BIOL 1520), and at least one “Populations” course (BIOL 1800 or BIOL 1850)
Biology Gateway course (BIOL 1910), which students should take in spring of their second year. This course satisfies the University-wide Integrated Writing requirement.

Biology Elective Courses (17 credits)

17 credits of additional elective courses offered by the Department of Biology will be taken for a total of 39 credits. If a student takes both intermediate-level courses from a distribution area (“Molecules” or “Populations”), the second course will count as a Biology elective. In place of traditional coursework, students may take Research Tutorial (BIOL 4950) for up to 3 credits and RISE (BIOL 4951/4952) for an additional 6 credits. Six credits of coursework must be taken at the advanced level (courses in the BIOL 3500:4899 range). The Biology Department also offers a variety of 1-credit courses that count as Biology elective credits.

Almost all courses with a BIOL prefix count as Biology electives. Exceptions to this are courses intended for non-majors (i.e., courses that are numbered BIOL 1000–1199 and that have the Science For All attribute tag) and BIOL 4997. Courses numbered BIOL 5000 and above are reserved for graduate students. Students are permitted to count a single 2000-level Biology course, which explores interdisciplinary connections with biology, toward the major.

Students should note that course offerings change frequently, most courses are offered in only a single semester each year, and not all courses are offered every year.

Additional Required Science Courses for the Biology Major (21-23 credits)

Calculus I (MATH 1350) and either Probability and Statistics (MATH 1040, or Intro to Math Stats MATH 2140) or Calculus II (MATH 1360)
General Chemistry I and II with laboratory (CHEM 1100/1105 and CHEM 1200/1205)
3-5 credits in additional science. Examples include Organic Chemistry I (CHEM 2100); Principles of Physics I (PHYS 2051); Mechanics (PHYS 2101); Electromagnetic Phenomena (PHYS 2102); Math Methods for Computer Science (COSC 1110); Computer Science I (COSC 1020); Advanced Programming (COSC 2020); Introduction to Databases (COSC 3510); and Environmental Geoscience (STIA 2127). Students should be aware of prerequisites for individual classes. Students should also note that many of these courses represent the first course in a two-semester sequence and, depending on future plans, they may need to take the second course in the sequence for goals outside of the Biology major (i.e., pre-health studies).

Major in Biology of Global Health

An underlying motivation for the study of science is the impact that basic discoveries have on human health across the globe. This major examines the biology behind global health concerns and includes coursework and research spanning laboratory and quantitative sciences, while integrating perspectives from policy, economics, ethics, culture, etc. Georgetown is especially strong in infectious- and genetic-disease research and is at the forefront of interdisciplinary work in application of policy, law, and ethics to global health issues.

Students interested in this major enter the program as Biology majors. Students opting for the Biology of Global Health major will have the opportunity to declare in the fall of second year. At this time, students will be assigned a faculty advisor from within the major.

In spring of the second year, students take BIOL 1940, Biology of Global Health. This Gateway course into the major is a communication-intensive course that satisfies the University Integrated Writing requirement. Required courses in departments outside of Biology include two semesters of Chemistry, one semester of Calculus, one semester of Statistics, and one semester of Quantitative Science (Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Economic Statistics, etc.). In addition, students must take two courses from a diverse course selection that addresses issues at the intersection of global health and society (Ethics, Policy, Law, Economics, etc.).

Students should plan their program in close consultation with their faculty advisor to ensure that they have taken any prerequisites necessary for desired upper level courses. Biology courses successfully completed while studying abroad may count toward the credit requirements for the major in Biology of Global Health when specifically approved by the Department in advance. No more than two courses taken abroad may be counted towards the major.

Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Credit

For students who choose to major in Biology of Global Health, credit from either the AP Biology Exam, AP Environmental Science Exam, or IB Biology will be counted toward the major. If a student has taken more than one of these exams, only one will count toward the major.

For an AP score of 5, students will receive four credits, two of which will be applied to the total credits required for the major. For an AP score of 4, students will receive three credits, one of which will be applied to the total credits required for the major. No credit is awarded for an AP score of 3.
For the IB program, students will receive credit from the Higher Level Biology but not the Standard Level. For a score of 6 or 7, students receive four credits, two of which will apply to the major. No credit is awarded for an IB score of 5 or below.
Regardless of AP or IB score, all majors are required to take BIOL 1203/1213 (Foundations in Biology I with laboratory) and BIOL 1204/1214 (Foundations in Biology II with laboratory). The equivalent summer courses are BIOL 1205/1215 and BIOL 1206/1216, respectively, and can be used to fulfill this requirement in place of the Academic Year courses.

Courses for the Biology of Global Health Major

Required Biology Core Courses (14 credits)

Foundations in Biology I and II (BIOL 1203/1213 and BIOL 1204/1214). Note that despite the numbering, these two courses may be taken in either order. The equivalent summer courses are BIOL 1205/1215 and BIOL 1206/1216, respectively, and can be used to fulfill this requirement in place of the Academic Year courses.
Biology of Global Health (BIOL 1940), which satisfies the University-wide Integrated Writing requirement

Additional Required Science Courses (21-23 credits)

General Chemistry I and II (CHEM 1100/1105 and CHEM 1200/1205)
Calculus I (MATH 1350)
Probability and Statistics (MATH 1040) or Introduction to Mathematical Statistics (MATH 2140)
Additional Quantitative Science: Genomics and Bioinformatics (BIOL 3615), Biology of Global Health Statistics (BIOL 3840), Experimental Design and Analysis for Biology (BIOL 4180), Population Genetics (BIOL 4535), Modeling Populations and Diseases (BIOL 4615), Math Methods for Computer Science (COSC 1110), Economics Statistics (ECON 2110), Introduction to Epidemiology (HESY 2004), Regression Analysis (MATH 2540), or Biostatistical Methods (MATH 2625). If students have already fulfilled the Quantitative Science requirement, any Biology courses on this list can also count for Biology elective credit.

Biology Elective Courses (25 credits)

At least one course must be taken in each of the three clusters (Cell and Molecular Biology; Ecology and Evolution; and Host and Disease). Students may count Research Tutorial (BIOL 4950) for up to 3 credits and may take RISE (BIOL 4951 and BIOL 4952) for an additional 6 credits towards the total of 25 credits. The Biology Department also offers 1-credit courses that count as Biology elective credits. In general, biology courses numbered 1000-1199 are for non-majors and bear the Science for All tag, while courses numbered 5000 and above are for graduate students. The Department of Biology offers several courses in the 2000 range; these courses count for the Interdisciplinary Perspectives requirement for Biology of Global Health majors. Note that Animal Behavior (BIOL 3275) and Marine Biology (BIOL 3504) do not count for the Biology of Global Health major.

Students should note that course offerings change frequently, most courses are offered in only a single semester each year, and not all courses are offered every year. Furthermore, courses offered outside of Biology may have limited enrollments for Biology of Global Health majors, and some courses may have prerequisites not listed here or may require permission of the instructor. Students should talk with their Dean and departmental advisors and also look carefully on the departmental and Registrar’s websites to identify course offerings.

Cell and Molecular Cluster

Biochemistry (BIOL 1510)
Genetics (BIOL 1520)
Neurobiology (BIOL 1950)
Seminar: Inquiry into Foundations of Biology (BIOL 1960)
Dynamic Processes in Biological Physics (BIOL 3551)
Genomics and Bioinformatics (BIOL 3615)
Cell Biology (BIOL 3701)
Molecular Biology (BIOL 3702)
Developmental Biology (BIOL 3730)
Synaptic Transmission (BIOL 3798)
Developmental Neurobiology (BIOL 3799)
Sensory Systems (BIOL 3800)
Genome Instability and Human Disease (BIOL 4360)

Ecology and Evolution Cluster

Ecology (BIOL 1800)
Evolutionary Processes (BIOL 1850)
Conservation Biology (BIOL 3503)
Global Climate Change (BIOL 3515)
Infectious Disease Ecology (BIOL 3518)
Genomics and Bioinformatics (BIOL 3615), if the quantitative science requirement above is fulfilled by another choice
Genetic Conflict (BIOL 3635)
Experimental Design and Analysis for Biology (BIOL 4180), if the quantitative science requirement above is fulfilled by another choice
Phylogenetics (BIOL 4516)
Population Genetics (BIOL 4535), if the quantitative science requirement above is fulfilled by another choice
Biology of Sex (BIOL 4515)
Modeling Biological Populations (BIOL 4615), if the quantitative science requirement above is fulfilled by another choice

Host and Disease Cluster

Mammalian Physiology (BIOL 1750)
Neurobiology (BIOL 1950)
Microbiology (BIOL 3500)
Infection and Immunity (BIOL 3700)
Introduction to Virology and Viral Disease (BIOL 3801)
Introduction to Parasites (BIOL 3802)
Genomics, Disability & Health (BIOL 3940)
Endocrinology (BIOL 4250)
Cell Biology of Cancer (BIOL 4750)

Interdisciplinary Perspectives (minimum of 6 credits)

Students choose two courses in interdisciplinary perspectives from courses offered across campus, including 2000-level courses in the Biology Department, such as BIOL 2501 (Global Health History). Most courses with GLOH, HESY, or STIA prefixes will fill this requirement. Students are cautioned that not all courses are offered every year, courses offered in School of Health and STIA may have limited enrollments for Biology of Global Health majors, and that some courses have additional prerequisites not explicitly listed here or may require permission of the instructor. Courses may be added to these lists as new courses are offered. Students may petition the director of the major to determine whether new courses can fulfill this requirement.

Students planning to study abroad may count up to two courses taken abroad as Biology elective credit. Students should consult with their dean and their advisor ahead of time in order to have study abroad courses approved.

Major in Environmental Biology

The Environmental Biology Major is a “liberal science” major, focused on the science of the biological, chemical, and geological processes that operate on our planet, as well as the ways that humans utilize and alter these processes in cultural, economic, agricultural, and public health systems. This major stresses foundations in biological and quantitative sciences, application of biological principles to human activities, and scientific communication as a means to understand environmental studies and multifaceted environmental issues.

Students interested in this major typically enter the program as Biology majors; however, transfer and undeclared students are also welcome. Students declare their intention to become an Environmental Biology major in the fall of second year, and should enroll in Ecology (BIOL 1800) during this term. In the Spring term, Environmental Biology majors will enroll in Evolutionary Processes (BIOL 1850), which also serves as a Gateway course and is a communication-intensive course that satisfies the University-wide Integrated Writing requirement. All students in this major also take Experimental Design and Analysis for Biology (BIOL-4180) in their third or fourth year.

Environmental Biology majors complete 22 credits of upper-level courses, nine credits from thematic categories and 13 credits from a broad range of upper-level elective courses that are approved for the major. The Biology Department offers 1-credit courses that may count as elective credits. In general, Biology courses numbered from 3500-4999 are upper-level electives for the Environmental Biology major with middle-level course prerequisites such as BIOL 1800 and/or BIOL 1850. BIOL course numbers 1000-1199 are for non-majors, course numbers in the 2000s do not count toward Environmental Biology requirements, and courses numbered 5000 and above are for graduate students only.

Students should plan their program of study in consultation with their faculty advisors and with the aid of four-year plan templates available for each of the Biology majors. Faculty advisors also help students identify summer or senior research opportunities relevant to environmental biology topics as well as sources of competitive financial support for such activities. Biology courses successfully completed while studying abroad may count toward the credit requirements for the major in Environmental Biology when specifically approved by the Department in advance.

Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Credit

For students who choose to major in Environmental Biology, credit from either the AP Biology Exam, AP Environmental Science Exam, or IB Biology will be counted toward the major. If a student has taken more than one of these exams, only one will count toward the major.

For an AP score of 5, students will receive four credits, two of which will be applied to the total credits required for the major. For an AP score of 4, students will receive three credits, one of which will be applied to the total credits required for the major. No credit is awarded for an AP score of 3.
For the IB program, students will receive credit from the Higher Level Biology but not the Standard Level. For a score of 6 or 7, students receive four credits, two of which will apply to the major. No credit is awarded for an IB score of 5 or below.
Regardless of AP or IB score, all majors are required to take BIOL 1203/1213 (Foundations in Biology I with laboratory) and BIOL 1204/1214 (Foundations in Biology II with laboratory). The equivalent summer courses are BIOL 1205/1215 and BIOL 1206/1216, respectively, and can be used to fulfill this requirement in place of the Academic Year courses.

Courses for the Environmental Biology Major

Required Biology Courses (22 credits)

Foundations in Biology I and II (BIOL 1203/1213 and BIOL 1204/1214). Note that despite the numbering, these two courses may be taken in either order. The equivalent summer courses are BIOL 1205/1215 and BIOL 1206/1216, respectively, and can be used to fulfill this requirement in place of the Academic Year courses.
Ecology (BIOL 1800)
Evolutionary Processes (BIOL 1850)
Experimental Design and Analysis for Biology (BIOL 4180)

Distribution Courses (22 credits minimum)

Students must take at least 3 credits from Group A and 3 credits in Group B, as well as at least 3 additional credits from A or B. 13 additional credits may come from A or B or other upper-level electives. One-credit courses may be included in the tally.

Students should note that course offerings change frequently, most courses are offered in only a single semester each year, and not all courses are offered every year. Furthermore, courses offered outside of Biology may have limited enrollments for Environmental Biology majors, and some courses may have prerequisites not listed here or may require permission of the instructor. Students should talk with their departmental advisor and Dean, and also look carefully on the Registrar’s website to identify course offerings. Listed below are examples of appropriate courses. Others may also be acceptable. Consult with the Director of the major.

Group A: Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior

Animal Behavior (BIOL 3275)
Microbiology (BIOL 3500)
Plants and Society (BIOL 3502)
Conservation Biology (BIOL 3503)
Marine Biology (BIOL 3504)
Ecology of U.S. National Parks (BIOL 3505)
Global Climate Change Ecology (BIOL 3515)
Microbial Genomics (BIOL 3535)
Evolution of Mammalian Diversity (BIOL 4500)
Biodiversity: Genes to Ecosystems (BIOL 4504)
Biology of Sex (BIOL-4515)
Phylogenetics (BIOL 4516)
Population Genetics (BIOL 4535)
Modeling Populations & Diseases (BIOL 4615)

Group B: Environmental and Earth Sciences

Genomics and Bioinformatics (BIOL 3615)
Genetic Conflict (BIOL 3635)
Networks in Biology (BIOL 4501)
Biology of Sex (BIOL 4515)
Phylogenetics (BIOL 4516)
Population Genetics (BIOL 4535)
Modeling Populations and Diseases (BIOL 4615)
Environmental Geoscience (STIA 2127)
Oceanography (STIA 3170)
Geographic Information Systems (STIA 3541)
Remote Sensing (STIA 3554)
Physics and Chemistry of Earth’s Climate (STIA 4131)

Other Upper-level Electives

Principles and Practice in Biology (BIOL 1200; for Regents Scholars only)
Genetics (BIOL 1520)

Science and Society: Grand Challenges (BIOL 2500)

Global Health History (BIOL 2501)
Global History of Plague (BIOL 2504)
Shaping National Science Policy (BIOL 2620)
Dynamic Processes in Biological Physics (BIOL 3551)
Research Tutorial (BIOL 4950)
RISE I (BIOL 4951)
RISE II (BIOL 4952)
Math Methods for Computer Science (COSC 1110)
Computer Science I (COSC 1020)
Environmental Economics (ECON 2675) (Note: requires ECON-1001)
Environment and Society (ENST 1110)
Issues in Environmental Science (ENST 2220)
Population, Gender, and Environment (ENST 2247)
Environmental Communication (ENST 2290)
Topics in Marine Conservation (ENST 3292)
Gender and Sustainability (ENST 3350)
Environmental Politics (GOVT 2253)
The Politics of Climate Change (GOVT 3243)
Political Theory of Nature and the Environment (GOVT 3823)
Ancient Climate Changes (HIST 4103)
Global History of the Plague (HIST 4104)

Health Impact of the Environment (HSCI 3320)

Environment in Africa (STIA 3127)
Green Revolutions (STIA 3130)
Environmental Security (STIA 3159)
Environmental Security in the Arctic (STIA 3164)
Environmental Policy (STIA 3173)
Water (STIA 3181)
Environmental Sustainability and Business Strategy (STIA 3197)
Clean Energy Innovation (STIA 4102)
Energy & Environment in Eurasia (STIA 4119)
GIS for Environmental Analysis (STIA 4235)
Climate Science and Policy (STIA 4961)

1-credit courses (examples):

Urban Foraging and Ecology (BIOL 4502/ENST 1161)
Advanced Topics in Evolution (BIOL 4503)
Data Analysis with R (BIOL 4550)
Introduction to Programming (BIOL 4650)

Other courses will be considered upon consultation with the Director of the Environmental Biology major.

Additional Required Science Courses (18 credits)

General Chemistry I and II (CHEM 1100/1105 and CHEM 1200/1205)
Calculus I (MATH 1350)
Probability and Statistics (MATH 1040) or Introduction to Mathematical Statistics (MATH 2140)

Major in Neurobiology

Given our rapidly evolving understanding of the brain as mind, study of the nervous system is considered one of the great frontiers in science today. Within the broader area of Neuroscience, Neurobiology focuses on the molecules, cells, and circuits that promote brain function. The Neurobiology major is designed to educate students in the foundations of biology and neurobiology while providing opportunities for advanced study on a range of disciplines, from cell, molecular, and developmental neuroscience to cognitive science and psychology as well as the intersections of these disciplines.

Students interested in the Neurobiology major typically enter the program as Biology majors. Students declare their intention to join the major in the fall of the second year. In spring of the second year, students take Neurobiology (BIOL 1950). This course is a communication-intensive course that satisfies the University Integrated Writing requirement. In subsequent years, a series of four additional required courses as well as electives to develop depth in neurobiology are required. The Biology Department also offers 1-credit courses that may count as Neurobiology elective credits.

Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Credit

For students who choose to major in Neurobiology, credit from either the AP Biology Exam or IB Higher Level Biology will be counted toward the major. If a student has taken both these exams, only one will count toward the major. The AP Environmental Science Exam will not count toward the Neurobiology major, (i.e., majors in Neurobiology will not be granted credit towards the major for the AP Environmental Science exam, although they will receive elective credit toward their degree).

For an AP score of 5 on the Biology exam, students will receive four credits, two of which will be applied to the total credits required for the major. For an AP score of 4, students will receive three credits, one of which will be applied to the total credits required for the major. No credit is awarded for an AP score of 3.
For the IB program, students will receive credit from the Higher Level Biology but not the Standard Level. For a score of 6 or 7, students receive four credits, two of which will apply to the major. No credit is awarded for an IB score of 5 or below.
Regardless of AP or IB score, all majors are required to take BIOL 1203/1213 (Foundations in Biology I with laboratory) and BIOL 1204/1214 (Foundations in Biology II with laboratory). The equivalent summer courses are BIOL1205/1215 and BIOL1206/1216, respectively, and can be used to fulfill this requirement in place of the Academic Year courses.
NEUB majors who received a 5 on the AP Psychology exam can place out of PSYC 1000 but will not receive elective credit toward the NEUB major. Students to whom this applies can still take two Group B electives toward the major requirements.

Courses for the Neurobiology Major

Required Biology Courses (27 credits)

Foundations in Biology I and II (BIOL 1203/1213 and BIOL1204/1214). Note that despite the numbering, these two courses may be taken in either order. The equivalent summer courses are BIOL 1205/1215 and BIOL 1206/1216, respectively, and can be used to fulfill this requirement in place of the Academic Year courses.
Neurobiology (BIOL 1950)
Synaptic Transmission (BIOL 3798)
Developmental Neurobiology (BIOL 3799)
Sensory Systems (BIOL 3800)
Neurodisorders (BIOL 4140)
Senior Seminar (BIOL 4960)

Elective Courses for the Neurobiology Major (21 credits)

Enrollment in graduate-level courses (numbered 5000 and above) is at the discretion of the instructor. No more than two courses from Group B (Psychology and Animal Behavior classes) can count as Neurobiology electives, unless they are part of a student’s Interdisciplinary Group choice. Students may take up to 3 credits from Group C and up to 3 credits from the Interdisciplinary Group. Groups B, C, and the Interdisciplinary Group are not required.

Students should note that course offerings change frequently, most courses are offered in only a single semester each year, and not all courses are offered every year. Furthermore, courses offered outside of Biology may have limited enrollments for Neurobiology majors, and some courses may have prerequisites not listed here or may require permission of the instructor. Students should talk with their advising dean and faculty advisor and also look carefully on the Registrar’s websites to identify course offerings.

Group A

Biological Chemistry (BIOL 1510)
Genetics (BIOL 1520)
Mammalian Physiology (BIOL 1750)
Genomics and Bioinformatics (BIOL 3615)
Genetic Conflict (BIOL 3635)
Infection and Immunity (BIOL 3700)
Cell Biology (BIOL 3701)
Molecular Biology (BIOL 3702)
Developmental Biology (BIOL 3730)
Advanced Developmental Biology (BIOL 4240)
Modeling Biological Populations (BIOL 4615)
Endocrinology (BIOL 4701)
Architecture and Dynamics of the Nucleus (BIOL 4703)
The Dynamic Brain (BIOL 4704)
Unsung Receptors (BIOL 4707)
Advanced Molecular Biology (BIOL 4711)
Cell Biology of Cancer (BIOL 4750)
Research Tutorial (BIOL 4950)
RISE I (BIOL 4951)
RISE II (BIOL 4952)
Molecular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration (NSCI 6007)

Group B

Animal Behavior (BIOL 3275)
General Psychology (PSYC 1000)
Research Methods and Statistics (PSYC 2000)
Physiological Psychology (PSYC 2200)
Information in the Brain (PSYC 2300)
Psychological Disorders (PSYC 2700)
Cognitive Neuroscience (PSYC 3200)
Social and Affective Neurosciences (PSYC 3210)
Psychology of Memory (PSYC 3300)
Psychology of Aging (PSYC 3610)

Group C

Organic Chemistry I (CHEM 2100)
Principles of Physics (PHYS 2051)
Mechanics (PHYS 2101)
Computer Science I (COSC 1020)
Biostatistical Methods (MATH 2625)

Interdisciplinary Group

The Interdisciplinary Group is intended to allow students to reach beyond the conventions of our neurobiology major to where neuroscience meets other disciplines. Courses in this category require approval by the director of the neurobiology major; approvals will typically happen en masse during registration. Courses in this category are typically upper- or graduate level. As an example: Brain and Language (NSCI 6004).

Additional Science and Math Courses (18 credits)

General Chemistry I and II with laboratory (CHEM 1100/1105 and CHEM 1200/1205)
Calculus I (MATH 1350)
Calculus II (MATH 1360), Probability and Statistics (MATH 1040, or Introduction to Mathematical Statistics (MATH-2140)

Minor in Biology

A minor in Biology requires a minimum of five courses and nineteen credits in Biology. Courses numbered BIOL 1000-1199, which are intended to satisfy the Science for All requirement, do not count in the minor. Courses numbered in the 2000s, which explore interdisciplinary connections with biology, similarly do not count in the minor. Foundations in Biology I (BIOL 1203/1213) and II (BIOL 1204/1214) are required (these may also be fulfilled via the summer equivalents of these courses, BIOL 1205/1215 and 1206/1216, respectively). BIOL 4950 (Research Tutorial) may be counted towards the minor, but BIOL 4951 and BIOL 4952 (RISE) may not. Credit for AP Biology, AP Environmental Science, or IB Biology is not applicable toward the Biology minor. One Biology course taken abroad may count toward the minor.

Contact Information

Please contact the Director of Undergraduate Students and Studies in Biology with general questions about the majors or minor. This information may be found on the Department website (https://biology.georgetown.edu).

(For course listings for Biology see the Schedule of Classes)