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Fall 2025 Undergraduate Catalog
Biology, BS
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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 Science 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
Department Website
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.
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Degree Requirements
Completion of the B.S. major in Biology requires a minimum of 70 credits, including foundational courses in chemistry, mathematics and physics. All of these 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 20 semester. At least one semester of the two-semester sequences of required courses in calculus, 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. Completion of the BIO major requires completion of the foundational courses in related fields, core curriculum and a minimum of 20 credits of advanced courses in biology. A list of advanced courses in biology from other Departments that are accepted for Biology major credit is provided below. All core and advanced courses in biology, including advanced courses in biology from other departments, must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a grade of C or higher with the exception of 400 level Reading and Research courses that are graded on an S/U basis. Biology majors must meet the major requirements as published in the official undergraduate Bulletin for the semester in which the student declares the major or minor. Requests for a waiver of major or minor requirements may be granted at the discretion of faculty. Foundational Courses in Related Fields
Chemistry Sequence Lecture Options
Chemistry Sequence Laboratory Options
Organic Chemistry Lecture Options
Organic Chemistry Laboratory Options
Calculus Sequence 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
Advanced Courses in Biology
Programs of study in the Biology major are organized into 6 Specializations that promote in-depth explorations of different areas while also insuring a breadth of exposure to other areas in the biological sciences. DECLARING A SPECIALIZATION IS REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE BIOLOGY BS. The standard program of study includes 5 advanced BIO lecture courses and 2 advanced BIO laboratory courses for a total of 20 advanced BIO credits. The specific program of advanced courses is dependent on the area of Specialization, and may also include the option to use advanced elective courses from other Departments to count towards the Biology major. The 6 Specializations are: Developmental Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Environmental Biology, Interdisciplinary Biology, Neuroscience, and Quantitative Biology and Bioinformatics. There is also a special degree program for students who choose to double major in Biology and Clinical Laboratory Sciences; if students would like to pursue this double major, please speak with a Biology advisor. The requirements for each Specialization are provided after the list of Advanced BIO courses. A complete list of Advanced Courses from other Departments that are accepted for the Biology Major credit is provided after the requirements for the different Specializations. 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. Area I: Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology:
Area II: Neurobiology and Physiology
Area IV: Ecology and Evolution
Environmental Biology
(May only be used for the Environmental Biology Specialization) Advanced Course Requirements for the Specialization in Developmental Genetics
At least one of the following six courses:
Additional Requirements
- Two additional advanced BIO lecture courses including at least one from either Area I (Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology), or Area II (Neurobiology and Physiology) or Area IV (Ecology and Evolution) or from the list of advanced courses offered by other Departments and accepted for BIO Major credit in these three areas.
- One additional advanced BIO laboratory course from any of the four areas of BIO courses or from the list of advanced courses offered by other Departments and accepted for BIO major credit in these four areas. Note, the elective advanced laboratory course can be replaced by two semesters of independent research for a total of at least 4 credits in a BIO research course.
- Additional advanced BIO lecture, laboratory, reading, or independent research courses, as needed, for a minimum of 20 credits of advanced biology coursework.
Advanced Course Requirements for the Specialization in Ecology and Evolution
Additional Requirements
- One additional advanced BIO lecture course and one advanced BIO laboratory course from either Area III (Organisms), or Area IV (Ecology and Evolution) or from the list of advanced courses offered by other Departments that are accepted for BIO major credit in these two areas.
Note: 4 credit courses identified as a Lecture with Laboratory may be used to satisfy both requirements. - Two additional advanced BIO lecture courses including at least one course from either Area I (Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology), or Area II (Neurobiology and Physiology) or from the list of advanced courses offered by other Departments and accepted for BIO major credit in these two areas.
- One advanced BIO laboratory course from either Area I (Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology), Area II (Neurobiology and Physiology), or Area III (Organisms) or from the list of advanced laboratory courses offered by other Departments and accepted for BIO major credit in these three areas. Note, the elective advanced laboratory course can be replaced by two semesters of independent research for a total of at least 4 credits in a BIO research course.
- Additional advanced BIO lecture, laboratory, reading, or independent research courses, as needed, for a minimum of 20 credits of advanced biology coursework.
Advanced Course Requirements for the Specialization in Environmental Biology
Additional Requirements
- One advanced BIO laboratory course from Area IV (Ecology and Evolution) or from the list of advanced laboratory courses offered by other Departments and accepted for BIO major credit in this area.
- Two additional advanced BIO courses from Area IV (Ecology and Evolution) that may include at most one of the advanced courses in Environmental Biology offered by other Departments and accepted for BIO major credit.
- Two additional advanced BIO lecture courses including at least one course from either Area I (Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology), or Area II (Neurobiology and Physiology) or from the list of advanced courses offered by other Departments and accepted for BIO major credit in these two areas.
- One advanced BIO laboratory course from either Area I (Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology), Area II (Neurobiology and Physiology), or Area III (Organisms) or from the list of advanced courses offered by other Departments and accepted for BIO major credit in these three areas. Note, the elective advanced laboratory course can be replaced by two semesters of independent research for a total of at least 4 credits in a BIO research course.
- Additional advanced BIO lecture, laboratory, reading, or independent research courses, as needed, for a minimum of 20 credits of advanced biology coursework.
Advanced Course Requirements for the Specialization in Interdisciplinary Biology
- At least one advanced BIO lecture Course in Area I (Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology), and Area II (Neurobiology and Physiology), and Area III (Organisms), and Area IV (Ecology and Evolution) or from the list of advanced courses offered by other Departments and accepted for BIO major credit in these four areas.
- Two advanced BIO laboratory courses chosen from two of the four different areas of advanced courses or advanced courses from other Departments and accepted for BIO major credit in these four areas. Note, one advanced laboratory course can be replaced by two semesters of independent research for a total of at least 4 credits in a BIO research course.
- A second advanced BIO lecture course in one of the four areas of advanced biology courses or from the list of advanced courses offered by other Departments and accepted for BIO major credit.
- Additional advanced BIO lecture, laboratory, reading, or independent research courses, as needed, for a minimum of 20 credits of advanced biology coursework.
Advanced Course Requirements for the Specialization in Neuroscience
Two courses from the following list:
Additional Requirements
- Two additional advanced BIO lecture courses including at least one course from either Area I (Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology), or Area III (Organisms), or Area IV (Ecology and Evolution) or from the list of advanced courses offered by other Departments and accepted for BIO major credit in these three areas.
- One advanced BIO laboratory course from either Area I (Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology), or Area III (Organisms), or Area IV (Ecology and Evolution) or from the list of advanced courses offered by other Departments and accepted for BIO major credit in these three areas. Note, the elective advanced laboratory course can be replaced by two semesters of independent research for a total of at least 4 credits in a BIO research course.
- Additional advanced BIO lecture, laboratory, reading, or independent research courses, as needed, for a minimum of 20 credits of advanced biology coursework.
Advanced Course Requirements for the Specialization in Quantitative Biology and Bioinformatics
At least one of the following five courses:
Additional Requirements
- Two additional advanced BIO lecture courses, including at least one course from either Area III (Organisms), or Area IV (Ecology and Evolution) or from the list of advanced courses offered by other Departments and accepted for BIO Major credit in these four areas.
- One additional advanced BIO laboratory course from any of the four areas of BIO courses or from the list of advanced courses offered by other Departments and accepted for BIO Major credit in these four areas. Note, the elective advanced laboratory course can be replaced by two semesters of independent research for a total of at least 4 credits in a BIO research course.
- Additional advanced BIO lecture, laboratory, reading, or independent research courses, as needed, for a minimum of 20 credits of advanced biology coursework.
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 BS Requirements
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 must take at least 15 credits of required core and advanced biology at Stony Brook in courses for majors at the 200 level or higher. At least 12 of the 15 credits must be in BIO-designator courses. Both of the two advanced laboratory experiences must be taken at Stony Brook. Transfer students may satisfy the requirements for courses in related fields with transferred courses, if the courses are approved as being equivalent. 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, AMS 161, EBH 230, MAT 125, MAT 131 | | SBS | | | | SNW | BIO 201 | ANP 304, ANP 305, ANP 307, 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 | | ANP 304 (partial fulfillment), ANP 305 (partial fulfillment), BIO 312, EBH 370, EBH 381 | | USA | | | | WRT | | | | STAS | | ANP 360, BIO 336, BIO 358, BIO 371, BIO 385, BIO 386, BME 303, BME 304, ENS 311, MAR 315 | | EXP+ | | AMS 333, MAR 388 | | HFA+ | | | | SBS+ | | | | STEM+ | BIO 202, BIO 203 | AMS 310, ANP 306, ANP 326, ATM 305, BIO 342, BIO 347, BIO 351, BIO 353, BIO 356, BIO 383, BIO 384, CHE 321, CHE 331, EBH 316, EBH 331, EBH 359, MAR 303, MAR 305, MAR 318, MAR 320, MAR 333, MAR 384, MAR 388 | | CER | | ATM 397 | | DIV (see Note 5) | | | | ESI | | ANP 306 (partial fulfillment), BIO 312, BIO 319, BIO 327, BIO 335, BIO 352, BIO 358, BIO 365, CHE 383, MAR 380, MAR 315, MAR 388 | | SPK | | BIO 458 | | WRTD | BIO 459 | AMS 333, MAR 380 | 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
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