|
|
Fall 2025 Undergraduate Catalog
Biology, BA
|
|
 Return to: Majors
Departments of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Neurobiology and Behavior, and Undergraduate Biology Program; College of Arts and Sciences
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Arts in Biology
Director: John Peter Gergen
Assistant Director: Kaitlyn Cozier
Advisors: Rachel Pilero, Matthew Bialt, Kayla McFadden
Schedule advising appointments online through Navigate
Office: Biology Learning Laboratories, Undergraduate Biology Office Suite, Rooms 104-112
Program Secretary: Lynette Giordano
Phone: (631) 632-8530
Website: http://www.stonybrook.edu/biology
Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Chair: Wali Karzai
Assistant to the Chair: Carol Juliano
Website: http://www.stonybrook.edu/biochem
Department of Ecology and Evolution
Chair: Joshua Rest
Assistant to the Chair: Donna DiGiovanni
Website: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/ecoevo/
Department of Neurobiology and Behavior
Chair: Alfredo Fontanini
Assistant to the Chair: Catherine Costanzo
Website: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/neurobiology/
Biology is the study of organisms, including the molecular and cellular basis of life, development of the individual and its genetic basis, maintenance of the individual, and interaction of organisms with their biotic and physical environment.
Undergraduate Biology offers both Bachelor of Sciences (B.S.) and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree programs in Biology. Both degree programs build on a strong foundation in chemistry, mathematics and physics that provides the concepts and methodologies needed to understand biological complexity at multiple levels. Students explore the Fundamentals of Biology through three foundational courses that provide a thorough introduction to organisms, ecosystems, cellular and molecular biology, and physiology. These courses are complemented by an innovative two-semester, inquiry-based biology laboratory curriculum designed to develop skills in the collection and analysis of data from biological experiments, including explorations into the primary scientific literature and capstone student-designed experiments on human physiology. For the Biology B.S. degree this core foundation is followed by advanced course and laboratory work that includes an in-depth program of study in an area of Specialization along with complementary studies that ensure breadth of exposure to other areas of biology. These Specializations include Developmental Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Environmental Biology, Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences, Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Bioinformatics. The Biology B.A. program involves fewer advanced courses in biology, but instead requires completion of a non-overlapping minor in the College of Arts and Sciences or the School of Communication and Journalism. The B.A. provides an option for students interested in careers that build on foundational knowledge in the biosciences who also have strong interests in areas such as the fine arts, humanities, social sciences, or communication. The B.S. program is most appropriate for students interested in graduate studies in the biological sciences or technical positions in industry, including biotechnology, government agencies, and research institutes. Both programs provide excellent preparation for professional careers in the health sciences.
Students in the Biology B.A. or B.S. programs may not declare a double major among Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Marine Sciences and Marine Vertebrate Biology. A double major in Biology and Human Evolutionary Biology requires a certain course combination in the Human Evolutionary Biology electives as specified in the requirements for the EBH major.
Information related to the Biology major and minor is available from the Undergraduate Biology Office and website: https:// www.stonybrook.edu/biology. The office processes completed forms and petitions concerning the Biology major and minor and all requests for evaluations of transferred biology courses. The Undergraduate Biology office also coordinates advising, BIO course administration and registration and processes graduation clearances for Biology major and minor requirements.
Most students majoring in biology prepare for professional study in the biological or health sciences. Some prepare for secondary school teaching, and others for technical positions in industry, including biotechnology, government agencies, and research institutes.
|
Degree Requirements
Completion of the B.A. major in Biology requires a minimum of 55 credits for the major, along with a required minor (18-24 credits). All foundational courses in related fields must be taken for a letter grade; courses taken under the Pass/No Credit option will not count towards completion of the major, with the exception of the Spring 2020 semester. All core and advanced courses in biology must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a grade of C or higher. At least one semester of the two-semester sequences of required courses in general chemistry lecture, organic chemistry lecture, and physics lecture/lab must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher. The organic chemistry lab must be passed with a C or higher. Foundational Courses in Related Fields
Chemistry Sequence Lecture Options:
Chemistry Sequence Laboratory Options
Organic Chemistry Lecture Options
Organic Chemistry Lecture Options
Notes:
If students do not place into MAT 125 or higher on the basis of the math placement examination, MAT 123 (or MAT 119 /MAT 123 ) is a required course for the major. Statistics Course Options
Students who transfer in AMS 102 from another institution with a grade of ‘A’ or higher will receive credit for the statistics course. Advanced Courses in Biology
At least one of the following 3 credit upper division BIO courses: Advanced Biology Electives
Two additional upper division BIO courses. Research, readings, teaching practica and internship courses cannot be used to satisfy upper-division BIO course requirements. Students cannot take both BIO 320 and BIO 321 for biology major credit. Only one of these courses may be taken for biology major credit. Note Regarding Minors
Approved Liberal Arts Minor within the College of Arts and Sciences or the School of Communication and Journalism Completion of a Minor within the College of Arts and Sciences or the School of Communication and Journalism with no more than a 3-credit overlap with the major requirements for the BIO B.A. The list of approved minors for the Biology BA can be found on Undergraduate Biology’s website. Upper-Division Writing Requirement
Registration: The Upper Division Writing Requirement for the Biology major is consistent with the University Graduation Requirements for General Education, and successful completion will satisfy the Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) learning outcomes for “Write Effectively within One’s Discipline” (WRTD). In order to satisfy the Upper-Division Writing requirement for the major in Biology, students must co-register for the 0-credit BIO 459 course with an approved advanced course as listed below. Students must enroll in BIO 459 at the same time that they are registering for the respective advanced course. To receive a satisfactory grade in BIO 459 and WRTD credit, either a lab report or term paper from the advanced course must be submitted prior to the end of the term. How to submit writing sample: After submitting their lab report or term paper for BIO course credit in their respective courses, students should submit the exact same document to the BIO 459 Brightspace course assignments for writing evaluation. We encourage submission of writing samples early in the semester to allow time for review and revision if needed. Review of writing sample: The Program in Writing and Rhetoric will evaluate the BIO 459 submission and will contact the student directly if remedial efforts are needed. Satisfactory completion of BIO 459 will fulfill the Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) “Write Effectively within One’s Discipline (WRTD) “ learning objectives. If the writing assignment is initially found to be unsatisfactory, the student will be instructed by the Program in Writing and Rhetoric before resubmitting a revised version of their original paper. If, in lieu of making revisions, a student chooses to submit a paper from another course that routinely offers a BIO 459 assignment, they should not enroll in BIO 459 again. To allow for evaluation and possible revision of their writing sample, students are urged to complete their upper division writing requirement in their junior year or by the end of their next-to-last semester. Completion of the upper division writing requirement in the final semester is considered but may delay graduation clearance. Courses that routinely offer assignments that can satisfy the BIO 459 WRTD learning outcomes: Application of Transfer Credits to the Biology BA Requirements:
Core biology courses taken elsewhere apply to major requirements only if listed as equivalent to a Stony Brook course in the official Stony Brook Transfer Course Database maintained by Academic and Transfer Advising Services. Transfer students may satisfy the requirements for courses in related fields with transferred courses, if the courses are approved as being equivalent. Upper-division or upper-division equivalent courses taken elsewhere and transferred to Stony Brook can satisfy the requirement for BIO 320 , BIO 321 , BIO 354 or EBH 302 for the Biology BA; however, students must still take three advanced courses (300-level BIO courses) here at Stony Brook. Honors Programs in Biology and in Biology and Society
Graduation with Honors in Biology or in Biology and Society requires the following: - A cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher in all courses required for the major.
- Presentation of an acceptable thesis based on a project involving independent research for credit in an approved Research or Internship Course for at least two semesters written in the form of a paper for a scientific journal. A student interested in becoming a candidate for honors should submit a completed Honors Application to the Undergraduate Biology office as early as possible but no later than the second week of classes in the last semester (form available at: http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/biology/advising/Forms.html). On the application the student identifies the research project and provides an endorsement from their faculty research sponsor along with recommended names of at least two additional faculty members who have agreed to evaluate the written thesis, including at least one faculty member from a department different from that of the research sponsor. Applications approved by the Biology Program are returned to the student for inclusion with the completed thesis research project. The student must present a copy of the finished thesis along with a completed application form indicating written approval by their research sponsor and the two readers at least one week prior to the date of graduation.
Approved Research and Internship Courses: Biology Secondary Teacher Education Program
See the Education and Teacher Certification entry in the alphabetical listings of Approved Majors, Minors, and Programs. SBC Courses
This table illustrates major courses that can also be used to fulfill SBC requirements. (See Note 1 & Note 2) | SBC Category | Required Major Courses | Optional Major Courses (see Note 3) | | ARTS | | | | GLO | | | | HUM | | | | LANG (see Note 4) | | | | QPS | | AMS 110, AMS 151, EBH 230, MAT 125, MAT 131 | | SBS | | | | SNW | BIO 201 | CHE 129, CHE 131, CHE 132, CHE 152, PHY 121, PHY 122, PHY 125, PHY 126, PHY 127, PHY 131, PHY 132, PHY 141, PHY 142 | | TECH | | BIO 312 | | USA | | | | WRT | | | | STAS | | BIO 336, BIO 358, BIO 371, BIO 385, BIO 386 | | EXP+ | | BIO 444, BIO 475, BIO 477, BIO 484, BIO 486, BIO 487, BIO 488, BIO 489 | | HFA+ | | | | SBS+ | | | | STEM+ | BIO 202, BIO 203 | AMS 310, BIO 211, BIO 342, BIO 347, BIO 351, BIO 353, BIO 356, BIO 383, BIO 384, CHE 321, CHE 331 | | CER | | | | DIV (see Note 5) | | | | ESI | | BIO 312, BIO 319, BIO 327, BIO 335, BIO 352, BIO 358, BIO 365, BIO 446, BIO 447, BIO 449, CHE 383 | | SPK | | BIO 458 | | WRTD | BIO 459 | | Note 1: Some course information may be subject to change. Please contact your major advisor for additional consultation. Note 2: For majors that require study in a related area or completion of a minor, visit the respective program’s “Major SBC Courses” page to view expanded SBC options. Note 3: Denotes any course in which students can choose from more than one option. These may include, but are not limited to, major electives, concentration/track/specialization courses, or calculus/physics/chemistry sequences. Note 4: CEAS majors, the Athletic Training major, the Respiratory Care major, and the Clinical Laboratory Sciences major are exempt from the LANG learning objective. Students enrolled in the major in Social Work are exempt from the LANG learning objective, but are required to enroll in and pass with a letter grade of C or higher the first semester of an elementary foreign language course numbered 111, or satisfy through alternate methods. Note 5: Students are responsible for completing the general education requirements published in the Bulletin that was current as of the first semester of matriculation (or rematriculation). The following student groups must satisfy the DIV learning objective as part of their degree requirements: - Freshmen who matriculate in the Fall of 2019 or later
- Transfer students who matriculate in the Spring of 2020 or later
- Students who rematriculate in the Fall of 2019 or later
|
Return to: Majors
|
|