BIOSC Courses

Click here for Master Course List PDF:

Organized by semester, includes pre-requisites

Below you will find a complete list of courses offered by the Department of Biological Sciences and past syllabi (if available).

Consult the pages on individual majors for guidance on which courses are appropriate for each major.

Students must earn a grade of C or higher in the prerequisite courses for any upper-level BIOSC courses and in any BIOSC courses required for a major.

 

 

 

Additional Course Information

Lab Requirement Notes

  • All sections of BIOSC 0057 & 0058 fulfill the BIOSC 0050 requirement. 

  • All sections of BIOSC 0067 & 0068 fulfill the BIOSC 0060 requirement.

Abbreviations

  • Term Codes
    • F = Fall 
    • Sp = Spring 
    • Sm = Summer
    • Sm-pym = offered at the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology
    • -e = offered on even-numbered years
      • Ex: Sp-e = runs in even-numbered spring semesters
    • -o = offered on odd-numbered years
      • Ex: F-o = runs in odd-numbered fall semesters
    • Var = offered on a variable basis (not every year)
  • HL = Higher Level
  •  IP = Instructor's permission
  • FHC = Fredrick Honors College
  • Writing Add On = writing option for certain majors; consult pages on individual majors for additional information

 

Sample Syllabi

  • Exact syllabus may vary from semester to semester and year to year

  • See Master Course List, above, for course offering information. Some courses may not be running or may be running on different schedules than those listed below. 

Course Description Credits Syllabi Term(s) Pre- or Co-(C)-requisites
0041 Anatomy for the Health Professions 3 PDF logo F,Sm BIOSC 0042c
0042 Anatomy for the Health Professions Lab 1 PDF logo F,Sm BIOSC 0041c
0050 Foundations of Biology Lab 1 1 PDF logo Last offered Sm 2019. See 0057 instead. BIOSC 0150
0057 Foundations of Biology Research Lab 1 1 PDF logo F, Sp, Sm BIOSC 0150
0058 Foundations of Biology SEA-PHAGES Lab 1

PDF logo F None
0060 Foundations of Biology Lab 2 1   Last offered Sm 2017. See 0067 instead. BIOSC 0050, BIOSC 0160
0067 Foundations of Biology Research Lab 2 - DNA Regulation 1 PDF logo Var BIOSC 005X, BIOSC 0160
0067 Foundations of Biology Research Lab 2 - Neural Defects 1 PDF logo Var BIOSC 005X, BIOSC 0160
0067 Foundations of Biology Research Lab 2 - Water Channels 1 PDF logo Var BIOSC 005X, BIOSC 0160
0067 Foundations of Biology Research Lab 2 - Viral Genomes 1 PDF logo Var BIOSC 005X, BIOSC 0160
0068 Foundations of Biology SEA-PHAGES Lab 2 1 PDF logo Sp BIOSC 0058
0100 Preparation for Biology 3 PDF logo F None
0150 Foundations of Biology 1 3 PDF logo F,Sp,Sm None
0155 Honors Foundations of Biology 1 (FHC) 3 PDF logo F Min. 3.25 CUM GPA, min. AP Bio score of 4 or 5 
0160 Foundations of Biology 2 3 PDF logo F,Sp,Sm BIOSC 0150
0165 Honors Foundations of Biology 2 (FHC) 3 PDF logo Sp Min. 3.25 CUM GPA, BIOSC 0715 or AP Bio score of 5
0350 Genetics 3 PDF F,Sp,Sm BIOSC 0160, CHEM 0120
0351 Genetics Lab 1 PDF logo Sp BIOSC 006X, 0350c
0352 Intro to Molecular Genetics Lab 1 PDF logo Sp BIOSC 006X, 0350
0370 Ecology 4 PDFPDF F,Sp,Sm-pym BIOSC 0160
0390 Ecology Lab (0391 Writing add on) 1 PDFPDF F,Sm-pym
no Writing in Summer
BIOSC 006X, 0370c
0805 The Human Body (Non-Majors) 3 PDF logo F None
0815 Genes and Diseases (Non-Majors) 3 PDF logo Sp None
0835  Our Changing World (Non-Majors) 3 PDF logo F None
1000 Biochemistry* 3 PDF F,Sp,Sm BIOSC 0160, CHEM 0310
  *Course repeat warning: Students who need biochemistry should either take BIOSC 1000 or 1810+1820. BIOSC 1000 and 1810 are considered course repeats, and you cannot take both for credit. BIOSC 1000 is a one-semester biochemistry course, whereas BIOSC 1810+1820 is a two-semester biochemistry sequence that goes into more depth. If you are a Biochemistry major or old Molecular Biology major, you must take BIOSC 1810+1820. If you are a Biological Sciences, Computational Biology, Microbiology, or revised Molecular Biology major, typically you will take BIOSC 1000. However, if  you elect to take BIOSC 1810+1820 instead of BIOSC 1000, then BIOSC 1820 can count as an elective for your major.
1005 Introduction to Biochemistry Lab 1 PDF logo Sp BIOSC 006X, 1000c
1010 Communicating in the Biological Sciences (Writing) 2 PDF logo F,Sp, Sm BIOSC 0350 or 0370 or 1000 or 1810 or 1130, ENGCMP 0200, Jr or Sr Level
1050 Cell and Molecular Biology of Disease* 3 PDF logo Sp BIOSC 0160, CHEM 0120
  *BIOSC 1050 is intended to provide a basic background in Cell Biology and Molecular Biology for Biological Sciences majors. If you want or need in depth background, we recommend that you take BIOSC 1500 Cell Biology and/or BIOSC 1940 Molecular Biology instead.
1070 Human Physiology (FHC) 4 PDF logo Sp BIOSC 0160, CHEM 0120, NROSCI 1000
1120 Biostatistics (HL) 3 PDF logo F BIOSC 0160, BIOSC 0350 or 0370 or 1000 or 1810, STAT 1000
1130 Evolution (HL) 3 PDF logo Sp BIOSC 0350
1140 Behavioral Ecology* 3

PDF logo

Sm-pym BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641
  *Course repeat warning: BIOSC 1440 Animal Behavior and BIOSC 1140 Behavioral Ecology are considered course repeats, and you cannot take both for credit. Although BIOSC 1140 is a field course with an experimental component, both courses cover much of the same material.
1160 Forest Ecology 3 PDF logo Sm-pym BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641
1170 Freshwater Ecology (Limnology) 3

PDF logo

Sm-pym BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641
1180 Ecology of Amphibians and Reptiles 3 PDF logo Sm-pym BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641
1200 Vertebrate Morphology 3 PDF logo F BIOSC 0160 
1205 Vertebrate Morphology Lab 1 PDF logo F BIOSC 006X, 1200c
1221 Urban Ecological Field Studies 1 PDF logo F BIOSC 0370, 006X
1230 Ornithology 3 PDF logo Sm-pym BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641
1250 Human Physiology 3 PDF logo F,Sp,Sm BIOSC 0160, CHEM 0120
1255 Physiology Lab  1 PDF logo Sp,Sm BIOSC 006X, 1250c
1270 Ecology of Fish 3 PDF logo Sm-pym BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641
1275 Genomics (HL) 3 PDF logo S BIOSC 0350
1280 Microbial Genetics (HL) 3 PDF logo Sp BIOSC 0350, 1850
1285 Genomics Lab 1 PDF logo Sp BIOSC 006X, 0350
1290 Genetic Engineering Lab (1291 Writing add on) 1 PDF logo Var BIOSC 1855 or 1860
1310 Wetland Ecology and Management 3 PDF logo Sm-pym BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641
1320 Population Biology (HL) 3 PDF F-o BIOSC 0370, 1130c
1330 Field Botany 3 PDF logo Sm-pym BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641
1340 Field Entomology 3   Sm-pym BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641
1350 Plant Biology 3 PDF F-o BIOSC 0160
1360 Ecology of Fungi  3 PDF logo Sm-pym BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641
1375 Tropical Biology 3 PDF logo F-e BIOSC 0160
1390 Field Techniques in Ecology and Conservation 3 PDF logo Sm-pym BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641
1400 Disease Ecology (HL) 3 PDF logo Sm-pym BIOSC 0370
1415 Field Mammology 3 PDF logo Sm-pym BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641
1420 Wildlife Management 3 PDF logo Sm-pym BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641
1435 Environmental Physiology of Animals (HL) 3 PDF logo Sp BIOSC 0370
1440 Animal Behavior (HL)* 3 PDF logo Sp BIOSC 0370
  *Course repeat warning: BIOSC 1440 Animal Behavior and BIOSC 1140 Behavioral Ecology are considered course repeats, and you cannot take both for credit. Although BIOSC 1140 is a field course with an experimental component, both courses cover much of the same material.
1445

Animal Communication (HL) 

3 PDF logo F BIOSC 0370
1455

Human Endocrinology (HL)

3 PDF logo Sp BIOSC 1070 or 1080 or 1250
1470 Biophysical Chemistry 3 PDF logo Sp BIOSC 1000 or 1810
1500 Cell Biology (HL) 3 PDF logo F BIOSC 1000 or 1810
1510 Cell Biology Lab (1511 Writing add on) 1 PDF logo F BIOSC 006X, 1500c
1520 Developmental Biology (HL) 3 PDF logo Sp BIOSC 0350
1530 Developmental Biology Lab (1531 Writing add on) 1 PDF logo Sp BIOSC 006X, 1520c
1540 Computational Biology  3 PDF logo F BIOSC 0160
1542 Computational Genomics 3 PDF logo Sp-e BIOSC 1540, CS 0011
1544 Simulation and Modeling 3 PDF logo Sp-o BIOSC 1540, CS 0011
1550 Ecology/Evolution Seminar (1551 Writing add on) 1 PDF logo Sp BIOSC 0350, 0370, 1130
1560 Cell & Devel. Biol. Seminar (1561 Writing add on) 1 PDF logo Sp BIOSC 1500, 1520c
1562

Molecular Biology Seminar (1563 Writing add on)

1 New AY23 Sp BIOSC 1940, 1945c
1570 Microbiology Seminar (1571 Writing add on) 1 PDF logo Sp BIOSC 1865
1580 Biochemistry Seminar (1581 Writing add on) 1 PDF logo Sp BIOSC 1810, 1820
1610 Conservation Biology 3 PDF logo Sm-pym BIOSC 0160 or 835 or GEOL 1641
1630 Computational Biology Seminar 2 PDF F BIOSC 1540, ENGCMP 0200, Jr or Sr Level
1640 Computational Biology Research 3 PDF Sp BIOSC 1540, CS 0008, CS 0445
1690 Experience in Undergraduate Teaching 1-3 var - F,Sp,Sm IP
1730 Virology (HL) 3 PDF Sp-e BIOSC 0350, 1000, 1850 (or IP)
1740 Virology Lab (1741 Writing add on) 1 PDF Sp BIOSC 0350,1855 or 1860
1760 Immunology (HL) 3 PDF Sp BIOSC 0350, suggest 1000
1810 Macromolecular Structure and Function* 3 PDF F BIOSC 0160, CHEM 0320
  *Course repeat warning: Students who need biochemistry should either take BIOSC 1000 or 1810+1820. BIOSC 1000 and 1810 are considered course repeats, and you cannot take both for credit. BIOSC 1000 is a one-semester biochemistry course, whereas BIOSC 1810+1820 is a two-semester biochemistry sequence that goes into more depth. If you are a Biochemistry major or old Molecular Biology major, you must take BIOSC 1810+1820. If you are a Biological Sciences, Computational Biology, Microbiology, or revised Molecular Biology major, typically you will take BIOSC 1000. However, if you elect to take BIOSC 1810+1820 instead of BIOSC 1000, then BIOSC 1820 can count as an elective for your major.
1820 Metabolic Pathways and Regulation (HL) 3 PDF logo Sp BIOSC 1810
1830 Biochemistry Lab (1831 Writing add on) 2 PDF logo Sp BIOSC 006X, 1820c
1850 Microbiology 3 PDF logo F, Sp, Sm BIOSC 0160, CHEM 0120
1855 Introduction to Microbiology Lab 1 PDF logo F, Sp, Sm BIOSC 006X, 1850c
1860 Microbiology Lab (1861 Writing add on) 2 PDF logo F BIOSC 006X, 1850
1865 Microbial Physiology (HL) 3 PDF logo F BIOSC 1850, 1000 or 1810
1901 Independent Study 1-6 var - F, Sp BIOSC 0160
1903 Undergraduate Research 1-6 var - F, Sp IP
1904 Undergraduate Honors Research 1-6 var - F, Sp IP
1905 Honors Research Writing Practicum 1 PDF Sp Departmental Honors students
1909 ASBMB Degree Certification Exam Preparation 1 - Sp Biochemistry and Molecular Biology seniors
1940 Molecular Biology (HL) 3 PDF F BIOSC 1000 or 1810; 0350
1945 Advanced Molecular Biology  (HL) 3 PDF Sp BIOSC 1940
1950 Molecular Genetics Lab (1951 Writing add on) 2 PDF logo F BIOSC 006X, 1940c
If 1000: grade B or better
1998 Beneficial Microbes 3 F AY23 BIOSC 1850
1999 Medical Microbiology (HL) 3 PDF logo F BIOSC 1850