Biological Sciences, BSGS
Curriculum
Biological Sciences Major Requirements
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| BIOL_SCI 201-CN | Molecular Biology |
| BIOL_SCI 202-CN | Cell Biology 1 |
| BIOL_SCI 203-CN | Genetics and Evolution |
| BIOL_SCI 232-CN | Molecular and Cellular Processes Laboratory |
| BIOL_SCI 233-CN | Genetics and Molecular Processes Laboratory |
| BIOL_SCI 234-CN | Investigative Laboratory |
| BIOL_SCI 308-CN | Biochemistry 2 |
| BIOL_SCI 342-CN | Evolutionary Processes |
| CHEM 110-CN | Quantitative Problem Solving in Chemistry |
| CHEM 131-CN & CHEM 141-CN | Fundamentals of Chemistry I and Fundamentals of Chemistry Laboratory I |
| CHEM 132-CN & CHEM 142-CN | Fundamentals of Chemistry II and Fundamentals of Chemistry Laboratory II |
| CHEM 215-A & CHEM 235-A | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry Lab I |
| CHEM 215-B & CHEM 235-B | Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry Lab II |
| MATH 220-A | Single-Variable Differential Calculus 3 |
| MATH 220-B | Single-Variable Integral Calculus 4 |
| PHYSICS 130-A & PHYSICS 131-A | College Physics I and Physics Laboratory I |
| PHYSICS 130-B & PHYSICS 131-B | College Physics II and Physics Laboratory II |
| PHYSICS 130-C & PHYSICS 131-C | College Physics III and Physics Laboratory III |
| STAT 202-CN | Introduction to Statistics and Data Science |
| Plus four courses selected from the following: | |
| Fundamentals of Neurobiology | |
| The Evolutionary Biology of Human Anatomy, Health and Disease | |
| Human Anatomy | |
| Advanced Cell Biology | |
| Human Structure and Function | |
| Advanced Human Physiology | |
| Biology of Aging | |
| Microbiology | |
| Immunobiology | |
300-level biological anthropology course 5 | |
- 1
Formerly BIOL_SCI 216-CN Cell Biology or BIOL_SCI 219-CN Cell Biology
- 2
Formerly BIOL_SCI 218-CN Biochemistry
- 3
As of Fall 2019; formerly MATH 220-CN
- 4
As of Fall 2019; formerly MATH 224-CN
- 5
A maximum of one anthropology course can be applied toward this requirement
Degree Requirements
Bachelor of Science in General Studies
The Bachelor of Science in General Studies (BSGS) degree is conferred by the Judd A. and Marjorie Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. To earn the BSGS degree, students must complete 45 units*, including a writing requirement, a foundational disciplines requirement, a major, and electives. Minors are optional.
*Each course carries 1 unit of credit unless otherwise noted in academic catalog.
| Courses | Units Earned |
|---|---|
| English 111 and 205 | 2 |
| Humanities | 4 |
| Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning | 4 |
| Social Sciences | 4 |
| Major Requirements | 10-20 |
| Electives | Up to 21 |
| Total | 45 |
About the Writing Requirement
The writing requirement ensures that students have the skills necessary to meet the rigorous writing demands of subsequent SPS courses in all majors, degrees, and disciplines. Expository writing courses — ENGLISH 111 Writing Seminar II and ENGLISH 205 Intermediate Composition — provide the tools to meet the demands of advanced academic writing. Completion of ENGLISH 111 Writing Seminar II and ENGLISH 205 Intermediate Composition with a grade of C or higher satisfies the writing requirement in all SPS bachelor’s degree programs.
Writing requirement courses may not be audited or taken on a pass/no credit basis. Performance-Based Admission students are required to complete ENGLISH 111 and ENGLISH 205 as two of their first four courses.
Writing Requirement Appeals
Students who have been admitted into the degree program as transfer admits may appeal the writing requirement. The writing requirement appeal is reserved for students who can demonstrate the necessary skills for writing university-level research and analytical papers by submitting previous college research papers written within the last three to five years. The papers submitted for the appeal will be evaluated for standards of good expository writing, including: a fully developed thesis; sound logic and adequate evidence in support of the thesis; effective organization, coherent structure, and an overall unity; correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling. A successful appeal does not result in credit for the writing requirement courses; the requirement for ENGLISH 111 and 205 is waived. Students must complete other courses in place of the writing requirement that meet the curriculum requirements of their program. Performance-Based Admission students may not appeal the writing requirement. To appeal the writing requirement, see instructions in the Undergraduate Academic Policies and Procedures.
About the Foundational Disciplines Requirement
Students complete coursework in three foundational disciplines—humanities, scientific inquiry and quantitative reasoning, and social sciences—to obtain broad experience in the liberal arts. Included in the foundational disciplines requirement are two courses that apply perspectives on power, justice, and equity: one course focused within the United States and one course focused globally. A philosophy course on professional ethics is required for one of the four humanities courses.
Students in the BSGS degree select courses from the following areas that satisfy the foundational disciplines requirement, including the two U.S. and global perspectives courses and one business ethics philosophy course (PHIL 264 or PHIL 364).
Humanities
Art history, classics, comparative literary studies, English literature, languages other than English (up to two units), history, humanities (HUM), music history, philosophy, religion, and some courses in black studies, languages with literature, gender studies, performance studies, radio/television/film, and theatre.
Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning
Astronomy, biological sciences, chemistry, computer information systems, earth and planetary sciences, engineering, mathematics, physics and some courses in anthropology, communication sciences and disorders, psychology, radio/television/film, and statistics.
Social Sciences
Anthropology, economics, history, linguistics, political science, social sciences, sociology, and some courses in black studies, communication sciences and disorders, gender studies, psychology, and statistics.