University Requirements

Students must satisfy all of the major and Undergraduate University Graduation Requirements , which includes unit, GPA, and residency requirements as well as the below identified General Education , American Institutions, Graduation Writing Assessment and Physical Education requirements. Courses that meet Undergraduate University Graduation Requirements are noted with an area designation (see Course Abbreviations ).

Core Lower Division General Education (24 units)

Of the 39 units required by the university, 15 units may be satisfied by coursework outlined below. Courses that meet GE Areas A1, A2, A3 or B4 must be passed with a “C-” or better to meet the requirement. Consult with major advisor for details.

Note: Students who have completed the ADT Transfer degree (under SB 1440) for this major will have completed all lower division GE requirements (except for 1 course in GE area C and 1 course in GE area D) and should follow the 60 unit guarantee roadmap (which include the missing GE in area C and D). Meet with an advisor prior to registering for your first semester for the 60 unit roadmap or specific questions.

Upper Division General Education (6 units)

Of the 9 units required by the university, 3 units may be satisfied by coursework outlined below. Consult with major advisor for details.

American Institutions (6 units)

Complete one 6 unit sequence of American Institutions (US123) courses, which also satisfies GE Area D. Students may also satisfy the American Institutions Requirement  with other courses, but these may not satisfy other GE areas.

The American Studies (AMS 1A /AMS 1B ; 12 units) and Humanities Honors (HUM 1A /HUM 1B /HUM 2A /HUM 2B ; 24 units) sequences satisfy the American Institutions Requirement and additional GE Areas (see the course description for details).

Consult with a major advisor to select the appropriate sequence.

Physical Education (2 units)

All SJSU undergraduate students, regardless of major, have an opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills in physical activities. To accommodate students’ needs and interests, the university offers a diverse selection of activity courses . 

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement

At SJSU, students must pass both the SJSU Writing Skills Test (WST) and a 100W course. Exceptions to the GWAR may be found at Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) .

A grade of C or better (C- not accepted) is required to meet graduation requirement.

Major Preparation (17 units)

• BIOL 100W - Scientific Communication Workshop 3 unit(s) (Z)
• BIOL 155 - Hypothesis Testing 3 unit(s)
• PHYS 2A - Fundamentals of Physics 4 unit(s) (B1+B3)
• PHYS 2B - Fundamentals of Physics 4 unit(s) (B1+B3)
• MATH 30 - Calculus I 3 unit(s) (B4) (Note: MATH 30P  (5 units), or MATH 30X  (3 units), or Advanced Placement (AP) Exam with a score of 3 or higher is also acceptable)  

Major Requirements (42 units)

• BIOL 30 - Principles of Biology I 4 unit(s) (B2+B3)
• BIOL 31 - Principles of Biology II 4 unit(s) (B2+B3)
• BIOL 115 - General Genetics 4 unit(s)
• BIOL 124 - Systems Physiology 3 unit(s)
• BIOL 125 - Systems Physiology Laboratory 2 unit(s)
• BIOL 170 - Cellular and Molecular Physiology 3 unit(s)
• BIOL 178 - Integrative Physiology 3 unit(s) (R)

Chemistry Minor Requirements (23 units)

• CHEM 1A - General Chemistry 5 unit(s) (B1+B3)
• CHEM 1B - General Chemistry 5 unit(s) (B1+B3)
• CHEM 112A - Organic Chemistry 3 unit(s)
• CHEM 112B - Organic Chemistry 3 unit(s)
• CHEM 113A - Organic Chemistry Lab 2 unit(s)
• CHEM 120S - Chemical Safety Seminar 1 unit(s)
• CHEM 135 - General Biochemistry 4 unit(s)

Total Units Required (120 units)