University Requirements

Completion of Minimum University Requirements for an Undergraduate Baccalaureate Degree .

• Minimum 120 credits and minimum GPA of 2.0
• Completion of 45 upper-level credits, the residence requirement, the Writing Intensive requirement, and the General Education requirement

Major Requirements

• Minimum 69 credits or 21 courses. Biological Sciences  evaluates completion of major requirements based on courses completed to account for variation in equivalent transfer course credits
• Minimum grade of ‘C’ in courses applied to the major and prerequisites
• Minimum four BIOL courses completed in residence at UMBC
• Students pursuing the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, B.S.  in addition to the Biological Sciences, B.S. complete unique electives for each degree

Course Requirements

Four-Year Academic Pathways

The Four-Year Academic Pathways webpage offers helpful sample pathways for students eager to explore their academic options and stay on track for a four-year graduation. These pathways provide a starting point for students to plan how to complete their degree in four years. However, it’s important to remember that these are just samples. In consultation with their academic advisor, each student will create an individualized degree plan that reflects their unique academic background, interests, and career goals.

Students must develop their personalized degree plan by the time they’ve earned 45 credits and regularly update it with their advisor as their goals and academic journey evolve. This approach ensures that students make thoughtful, strategic choices that set them up for success throughout their time at UMBC.

Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Programs

Qualified students may apply to an accelerated program, which allows them to take graduate courses as undergraduate students and later apply those courses to master’s degrees. A student may apply to participate in an accelerated program even if the desired graduate program is in a department other than the one in which they are majoring. More information is available from the Accelerated Program page of the Graduate School website.