Biology Core (16 credits)
The Biology minor consists of 18-20 credits, comprised of a four-course core sequence and one elective.
The existing lecture courses in the Biology Core are considered an academic sequence in the following manner:
BIOL 141/BIOL 142 → BIOL 302/BIOL 303
Specifically, this means that once a student has received a passing grade in either BIOL 302 or BIOL 303, that student may not re-register for BIOL 141 or BIOL 142.
BIOL Minor additional notes:
1) Students must earn a “C” or better in all BIOL courses and course prerequisites for the minor.
2) BIOL 141, BIOL 142, BIOL 302, and BIOL 303 are considered an academic sequence. Once you pass BIOL 302 or BIOL 303, you may not go back and repeat BIOL 141 or BIOL 142.
3) At least half of the required BIOL courses and electives for the minor (three of five) must be completed in residence at UMBC.
4) The Biology Minor may not be taken with a major in Biological Sciences, B.A. , Biological Sciences, B.S. , Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, B.S. , or Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, B.S. because of complete overlap in requirements.
5) At least two of the courses used for BIOL minor requirements must not be used in the fulfillment of the coursework of another major, minor or certificate.
6) BIOL 396, BIOL 397, BIOL 398, BIOL 399, BIOL 495, BIOL 497H, BIOL 499, BIOL 499H, and BIOL 499L may not be used for the Elective requirement. The BIOL elective class must be taken at UMBC.
7) Biological Sciences evaluates completion of major requirements based on courses completed, not credits completed, because equivalent courses taken elsewhere may not be the same number of credits as the UMBC course they replace.
8) Under exceptional circumstances, the Department may waive or alter a BIOL degree requirement. Students seeking to petition for a waiver must consult with their academic adviser, then may submit a ‘Petition for Waiver/Substitution of Program Requirements’ form, found here: https://biology.umbc.edu/undergrad/forms-links/.
