Jun 05, 2025

DRAFT 2025-2026 Academic Catalog

Biological Sciences, BA

The BA Biological Sciences degree, offered by the Department of Biological Sciences , provides a fundamental biology background while affording ample electives for students that desire a high degree of flexibility. This degree program is desirable for careers involving some aspect of biology such as preparation for K-12 teaching programs, pre-professional programs for pharmacy, optometry and dental schools, government fields related to biology, science writing, science illustration, or patent agent.

Program Learning Outcomes

Program Roadmaps

The 4-Year Roadmap is available online. Roadmaps should be used in consultation with the catalog and your advisor to identify additional requirements for completing the major (for example, course grade minimums). Associate Degrees (ADT) Pathways are also available online.

Major-Specific Graduation Requirements

Students in this major must complete all lower division courses in the Requirements of the Major with a “C- or better” to graduate.

Prerequisite Requirements

Enrollment in any chemistry course requires that the prerequisite courses be passed with a grade of “C or better” (C- not accepted). Exceptions may be made only with instructor consent or if not explicitly stated in the course description. Refer to the SJSU Course Catalog for specific information regarding course prerequisites.

1. Complete the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Students must satisfy the specific degree requirements for their undergraduate major and fulfill the following University degree requirements:

Academic (program total units with an average 2.0 GPA - “C” or better)
General Education (GE) (34 Lower Division + 9 Upper Division)
American Institutions (AI) (0-6 units) (may be satisfied in GE Areas 3B, 4, UD 3, UD 4)
Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) (3 units)
Physical Education (PE) (0-2 units)
Units in Residence (30 units, including 24 upper division and 12 in major)
Upper Division Units (40 units, including 12 upper div in major for BA, 18 upper div in major for BS)
Undergraduate Policies & Procedures
Apply for Graduation
Information about the Commencement Ceremony and Conferral of the Degree

Exceptions for University Graduation Requirements including exemptions and waivers, are approved for specific majors and on a case-by-case evaluation only.

Summary of Degree Units

Core Lower Division GE: 18 (10 units may be satisfied by major coursework: Areas 5A, 5B, 5C, 2)

6 required units of American Institutions/US123 may be satisfied by selecting applicable GE courses in Areas 3B and/or 4

Upper Division GE: 6 (3 units satisfied by major coursework: UD Areas 2or5)

Physical Education: 2

GWAR / WID: 0 (3 units may be satisfied by BIOL 100W )

Major Requirements: 34-35

Science Electives: 6

University Electives: 6-13

Total: 120

2. Major Preparation (35-41 units)

BIOL 100W - Scientific Communication Workshop 3 unit(s) (WID + GE UD Area 2/5 / Formerly Area R)
BIOL 155 - Hypothesis Testing 3 unit(s)
CHEM 1A - General Chemistry 5 unit(s) (GE Area 5A and 5C / Formerly Area B1 and B3)
CHEM 1B - General Chemistry 5 unit(s) (GE Area 5A and 5C / Formerly Area B1 and B3)
PHYS 2A - Fundamentals of Physics 4 unit(s) (GE Area 5A and 5C / Formerly Area B1 and B3)
PHYS 2B - Fundamentals of Physics 4 unit(s) (GE Area 5A and 5C / Formerly Area B1 and B3)

Organic Chemistry (4-8 units)

Complete the Organic Chemistry A or B course sequence:

Organic Chemistry A

CHEM 8 - Organic Chemistry 3 unit(s)
CHEM 9 - Organic Chemistry Lab 1 unit(s)

Organic Chemistry B

CHEM 112A - Organic Chemistry 3 unit(s)
CHEM 112B - Organic Chemistry 3 unit(s)
CHEM 113A - Organic Chemistry Lab 2 unit(s)

Biochemistry (4 units)

Complete one course:

CHEM 132 - Introductory Biochemistry 4 unit(s)
CHEM 135 - General Biochemistry 4 unit(s)

Calculus (3-5 units)

Complete one course:

MATH 19 - Precalculus 5 unit(s) (GE Area 2 / Formerly Area B4)
MATH 30 - Calculus I 3 unit(s) (GE Area 2 / Formerly Area B4)

3. Major Requirements (34-35 units)

Core Courses (15-16 units)

BIOL 30 - Principles of Biology I 4 unit(s) (GE Area 5B and 5C / Formerly Area B2 and B3)
BIOL 31 - Principles of Biology II 4 unit(s) (GE Area 5B and 5C / Formerly Area B2 and B3)

Complete One Course From:

BIOL 115 - General Genetics 4 unit(s)
BIOL 118 - Evolution 4 unit(s)

Complete One Course From:

BIOL 135B - Eukaryotic Cell and Molecular Biology II 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area: 2/5: Earth, Environment, and Sustainability / Formerly Area R)
BIOL 159 - Integrative Biology 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area: 2/5: Earth, Environment, and Sustainability / Formerly Area R)
BIOL 160 - Ecology 4 unit(s)
BIOL 178 - Integrative Physiology 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area: 2/5: Earth, Environment, and Sustainability / Formerly Area R)
MICR 127 - Microbial Physiology 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area: 2/5: Earth, Environment, and Sustainability / Formerly Area R)

Major Electives (19 units)

Major electives selected in consultation with a major advisor. BIOL 115 , BIOL 118 , BIOL 159 , and/or BIOL 160 may be used as electives if they are not used to satisfy a requirement in Core Courses. The following courses may be taken as electives in the major for a combined total of 4 units: BIOL 180 , BIOL 182 , BIOL 184 , BIOL 186 , BOT 180 , BOT 186 , ENT 180 , ENT 186 , MICR 180 , ZOOL 180 , ZOOL 186 , and CHEM 180 .

BIOL 105 - Principles of Developmental Biology 3 unit(s)
BIOL 106 - Physiological Ecology 3 unit(s)
BIOL 106L - Physiological Ecology Lab 1 unit(s)
BIOL 107 - Immunology 3 unit(s)
BIOL 107L - Immunology Laboratory 2 unit(s)
BIOL 111 - Fire Ecology 4 unit(s)
BIOL 113 - Principles of Systematics 3 unit(s)
BIOL 115 - General Genetics 4 unit(s)
BIOL 116 - Molecular Genetics 4 unit(s)
BIOL 116L - Molecular Genetics Laboratory 3 unit(s)
BIOL 117 - Human Genetics 3 unit(s)
BIOL 118 - Evolution 4 unit(s)
BIOL 119 - Neurogenetics 3 unit(s)
BIOL 122 - Bacterial Diversity 2 unit(s)
BIOL 122L - Bacterial Diversity Laboratory 2 unit(s)
BIOL 123A - Bioinformatics I 3 unit(s)
BIOL 123B - Bioinformatics II 3 unit(s)
BIOL 124 - Systems Physiology 3 unit(s)
BIOL 125 - Systems Physiology Laboratory 2 unit(s)
BIOL 131 - Endocrine Physiology 3 unit(s)
BIOL 134 - Vertebrate Histology 4 unit(s)
BIOL 135A - Eukaryotic Cell and Molecular Biology I 3 unit(s)
BIOL 135B - Eukaryotic Cell and Molecular Biology II 3 unit(s)
BIOL 135L - Molecular Cell Biology Lab 3 unit(s)
BIOL 136 - Vertebrate Neurophysiology 3 unit(s)
BIOL 136L - Vertebrate Neurophysiology Laboratory 1 unit(s)
BIOL 137 - Introduction to Principles of Toxicology 3 unit(s)
BIOL 138 - Stem Cell Biology 3 unit(s)
BIOL 139 - Cancer Biology 3 unit(s)
BIOL 143 - Biogeography 3 unit(s)
BIOL 145 - Advanced Undergraduate Biology Seminar 1-3 unit(s)
BIOL 145L - Advanced Undergraduate Biology Lab 1-2 unit(s)
BIOL 155 - Hypothesis Testing 3 unit(s)
BIOL 156 - Ecological Sampling Design and Analyses 3 unit(s)
BIOL 159 - Integrative Biology 3 unit(s)
BIOL 160 - Ecology 4 unit(s)
BIOL 161 - Introduction to Marine Ecology 4 unit(s)
BIOL 162 - Marine Biology and Oceanography 4 unit(s)
BIOL 163 - Conservation Biology 3 unit(s)
BIOL 164 - Ecological Field Methods 3 unit(s)
BIOL 165 - Advanced Human Anatomy 4 unit(s)
BIOL 167 - Cardiorespiratory Physiology 3 unit(s)
BIOL 168 - Reproductive Physiology 3 unit(s)
BIOL 170 - Cellular and Molecular Physiology 3 unit(s)
BIOL 178 - Integrative Physiology 3 unit(s)
BIOL 180 - Individual Studies 1-4 unit(s)
BIOL 181 - Introduction to Health Care 1-3 unit(s)
BIOL 182 - Tutor Assistant in Biology 1-2 unit(s)
BIOL 184 - Directed Reading 1-4 unit(s)
BIOL 186 - Senior Thesis 2-4 unit(s)
BIOL 190 - Field Studies in Biology 1-4 unit(s)
BIOL 198 - Undergraduate Research 0.5-4 unit(s)
BOT 104 - Plant Taxonomy 4 unit(s)
BOT 143 - Biogeography 3 unit(s)
BOT 160 - Ecology 4 unit(s)
BOT 165 - Plant Communities of California 4 unit(s)
BOT 180 - Individual Studies 1-4 unit(s)
BOT 186 - Senior Thesis 2-4 unit(s)
CHEM 180 - Individual Studies 1-4 unit(s)
ENT 101 - Insect Diversity 4 unit(s)
ENT 106 - Forensic Entomology 3 unit(s)
ENT 143 - Biogeography 3 unit(s)
MICR 101 - General Microbiology 5 unit(s)
MICR 122 - Bacterial Diversity 2 unit(s)
MICR 122L - Bacterial Diversity Laboratory 2 unit(s)
MICR 123 - Food Microbiology 2 unit(s)
MICR 123L - Food Microbiology Laboratory 2 unit(s)
MICR 127 - Microbial Physiology 3 unit(s)
MICR 127L - Microbial Physiology Laboratory 2 unit(s)
MICR 140 - Hematology 3 unit(s)
MICR 140L - Hematology Laboratory 2 unit(s)
MICR 141 - Pathogenic Microbiology I 3 unit(s)
MICR 141L - Pathogenic Microbiology I Laboratory 3 unit(s)
MICR 142 - Pathogenic Microbiology II 3 unit(s)
MICR 166 - Bacterial Genetics 4 unit(s)
MICR 170 - General Virology 3 unit(s)
MICR 180 - Individual Studies 1-4 unit(s)
MICR 184 - Directed Reading 1-4 unit(s)
ZOOL 143 - Biogeography 3 unit(s)

4. Science Electives (6 units)

Science electives selected from any of the following departments and/or in consultation with a major advisor: Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Environmental Studies, Forensic Science, Geography, Geology, Mathematics and Statistics, Meteorology and Climate Science, Moss Landing Marine Labs (MS), Physics and Astronomy, Public Health, and Science Education.

5. University Electives (6-13 units)

University electives selected in consultation with a major advisor.

About

Biological Sciences, BA

1. Complete the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Summary of Degree Units

2. Major Preparation (35-41 units)

Organic Chemistry (4-8 units)

Organic Chemistry A

Organic Chemistry B

Biochemistry (4 units)

Calculus (3-5 units)

3. Major Requirements (34-35 units)

Core Courses (15-16 units)

Complete One Course From:

Complete One Course From:

Major Electives (19 units)

4. Science Electives (6 units)

5. University Electives (6-13 units)

Total Units Required (120 units)