Biology, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior (BSBio)
Total Hours Required: 120
Plan of Study
The Plan of Study is a suggested four-year course sequence to support academic planning and serves as a helpful guide. Currently enrolled students should meet with their academic advisor to tailor their course selections and timelines to their individual goals and circumstances.
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Hours | |
| M 408C |
Differential and Integral Calculus or Differential Calculus for Science or Differential and Integral Calculus for the Sciences |
4 |
| CH 301 | Principles of Chemistry I | 3 |
| BIO 311C | Introductory Biology I | 3 |
| First-Year Signature Course (090) | 3 | |
| Hours | 13 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| M 408S | Integral Calculus for Science | 4 |
| CH 302 | Principles of Chemistry II | 3 |
| BIO 311D | Introductory Biology II | 3 |
| BIO 206L | Introductory Laboratory Experiments in Biology | 2 |
| RHE 306 | Rhetoric and Writing | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 3 | ||
| American and Texas Government (070) | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| CH 320M | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| BIO 325 | Genetics | 3 |
| CH 204 | Introduction to Chemical Practice | 2 |
| SDS 320E | Elements of Statistics | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| CH 320N | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CH 220C | Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| INB 370 | Evolution | 3 |
| Humanities (040) | 3 | |
| Visual and Performing Arts (050) | 3 | |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Semester 3 | ||
| American and Texas Government (070) | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| PHY 302K | General Physics Technical Course: Mechanics, Heat, and Sound | 3 |
| PHY 105M | Laboratory For Physics 302K, 303K, and 317K | 1 |
| INB 373 | Ecology | 3 |
| BCH 369 | Fundamentals of Biochemistry | 3 |
| Hours chosen from: upper-division BIO/INB | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 2 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| PHY 302L | General Physics Technical Course: Electricity and Magnetism, Light, Atomic and Nuclear Physics | 3 |
| PHY 105N | Laboratory For Physics 302L, 303L, and 317L | 1 |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (080) | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Taxon-Based BIO/INB | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 13 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| Hours chosen from: upper-division BIO/INB | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: upper-division BIO/INB | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: upper-division BIO/INB Lab | 3 | |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| Hours chosen from: upper-division BIO/INB | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: upper-division BIO/INB | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: upper-division BIO/INB | 3 | |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Requirements
All requirements are listed below, starting with the most specialized moving to the most general. Additional requirements may follow the table, so be sure to read the entire page. Some required courses listed below may also satisfy General Education requirements, including Core Curriculum.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration | ||
| Area Course/Pairs | ||
| Hours chosen from: (one course or pair of courses in each of the following areas) | 9 | |
Ecology: | ||
| Ecology | ||
| Marine Ecology and Laboratory Studies in Marine Ecology | ||
Behavior and Comparative Physiology: | ||
| Structure, Physiology, and Reproduction of Seed Plants and Structure, Physiology, and Reproduction of Seed Plants Laboratory | ||
| Principles of Animal Behavior | ||
| Comparative Animal Physiology | ||
Taxon-based Course: | ||
| Aquatic Entomology | ||
| Survey of the Plant Kingdom and Survey of the Plant Kingdom Laboratory | ||
| Biology of Birds | ||
| Invertebrate Biology | ||
| Economic Botany | ||
| Reproductive Biology of Flowering Plants | ||
| Field Entomology | ||
| Entomology | ||
| Ichthyology | ||
| Vertebrate Natural History | ||
| Plant Systematics | ||
| Field Herpetology | ||
| Herpetology | ||
| Marine Botany | ||
| Marine Invertebrates | ||
| Biology of Fishes | ||
| Aquatic Microbiology | ||
| Additional Courses/Pairs | ||
| Hours chosen from: chosen from the Area Course/Pairs section and from the following: | 9 | |
| Animal Communication | ||
| Natural History Museum Science | ||
| Limnology and Oceanography | ||
| Microbial Ecology | ||
| Ecology Laboratory | ||
| Plant Anatomy with Histological Techniques and Laboratory in Plant Anatomy and Histological Techniques | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | ||
| Estuarine Ecology | ||
| Marine Environmental Science | ||
| Cellular, Developmental, Genetics, Microbiology, or Molecular Biology Course | ||
| Hours chosen from: | 3 | |
| Cell Biology | ||
| Cell Biology Laboratory | ||
| Laboratory Experience in Genetics | ||
| Human Genetics | ||
| General Microbiology | ||
| Introductory Plant Physiology | ||
| Laboratory Studies in Molecular Biology | ||
| Molecular Biology | ||
| Developmental, Stem Cell, and Regenerative Biology | ||
| Experiments in Developmental Biology | ||
| Plant Molecular Biology | ||
| Molecular Genetics and Medicine | ||
| Laboratory Course/Pair | ||
| Laboratory course or pair of courses containing a substantial field component from the following: (A laboratory course or pair of courses may also count toward Area Course/Pairs, Additional Courses/Pairs, and Cellular, Developmental, Genetics, Microbiology, or Molecular Biology Course requirements ) | 3 | |
| Aquatic Entomology | ||
| Biology of Birds | ||
| Field Entomology | ||
| Entomology | ||
| Ichthyology | ||
| Vertebrate Natural History | ||
| Limnology and Oceanography | ||
| Herpetology | ||
| Ecology Laboratory | ||
| Marine Ecology and Laboratory Studies in Marine Ecology | ||
| Estuarine Ecology | ||
| Marine Botany | ||
| Marine Invertebrates | ||
| Biology of Fishes | ||
| Aquatic Microbiology | ||
| Additional Laboratory Course | ||
| Hours chosen from: (One-hour laboratory courses may require credit for or registration in a complementary lecture course. A laboratory course may also count toward Area Course/Pairs, Additional Courses/Pairs, and Cellular, Developmental, Genetics, Microbiology, or Molecular Biology Course requirements. A course counted toward Laboratory Course/Pair requirement may not also count toward Additional Laboratory Course requirement) | 1 | |
| Cell Biology Laboratory | ||
| Aquatic Entomology | ||
| Survey of the Plant Kingdom Laboratory | ||
| Laboratory Experience in Genetics | ||
| Laboratory Studies in Molecular Biology | ||
| Animal Communication | ||
| Biology of Birds | ||
| Invertebrate Biology | ||
| Experiments in Developmental Biology | ||
| Field Entomology | ||
| Entomology | ||
| Ichthyology | ||
| Vertebrate Natural History | ||
| Limnology and Oceanography | ||
| Herpetology | ||
| Ecology Laboratory | ||
| Laboratory in Plant Anatomy and Histological Techniques | ||
| Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | ||
| Animal Behavior Laboratory | ||
| Evolution Laboratory | ||
| Laboratory Studies in Marine Ecology | ||
| Estuarine Ecology | ||
| Marine Botany | ||
| Marine Invertebrates | ||
| Biology of Fishes | ||
| Aquatic Microbiology | ||
| Marine Environmental Science | ||
| Additional Course | ||
| Hours chosen from: | 3 | |
| Mathematical Modeling for Biology | ||
| Organic Chemistry I | ||
| Elements of Computers and Programming | ||
or C S 313E | Elements of Software Design | |
| Physical Geology | ||
or GEO 403 | Introduction to Geology | |
| Elements of Regression Analysis | ||
or SDS 322E | Elements of Data Science | |
| Subtotal | 28 | |
| Degree (see details below) | 34 | |
| Free electives: Additional coursework to reach total hours required. | 16 | |
| Subtotal | 50 | |
| General Education | ||
| Core Curriculum | 42 | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Beginning Proficiency | ||
| Subtotal | 42 | |
| College Requirements - Natural Sciences | ||
| General University Requirements | ||
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Degree-Bachelor of Science Biology (BSBio)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Hours chosen from: | 4 | |
| Differential and Integral Calculus | ||
| Differential and Integral Calculus for the Sciences | ||
| Integral Calculus for Science and Differential Calculus for Science | ||
| SDS 320E | Elements of Statistics | 3 |
| Hours chosen from: | 3 | |
| Principles of Chemistry I | ||
| Foundations of Chemistry I | ||
| Principles of Chemistry I | ||
| Hours chosen from: | 3 | |
| Principles of Chemistry II | ||
| Foundations of Chemistry II | ||
| Principles of Chemistry II | ||
| CH 204 | Introduction to Chemical Practice | 2 |
| Hours chosen from a single sequence below: | 8 | |
| Sequence 1 | ||
| General Physics I | ||
| Laboratory for Physics 317K | ||
| General Physics II | ||
| Laboratory for Physics 317L | ||
| Sequence 2 | ||
| Mechanics | ||
| Laboratory for Physics 301 | ||
| Electricity and Magnetism | ||
| Laboratory for Physics 316 | ||
| Sequence 3 | ||
| Engineering Physics I | ||
| Laboratory for Physics 303K | ||
| Engineering Physics II | ||
| Laboratory for Physics 303L | ||
| Sequence 4 | ||
| General Physics Technical Course: Mechanics, Heat, and Sound | ||
| Laboratory for Physics 302K | ||
| General Physics Technical Course: Electricity and Magnetism, Light, Atomic and Nuclear Physics | ||
| Laboratory for Physics 302L | ||
| Hours chosen from a single sequence below: | 6 | |
| Sequence 1 | ||
| Introductory Biology I | ||
| Introductory Biology II | ||
| Genetics | ||
| Sequence 2 | ||
| Advanced Introduction to Genetics: Honors | ||
| Genetics: Honors | ||
| BIO 206L | Introductory Laboratory Experiments in Biology | 2 |
| or INB 208L | Field Biology | |
| or MBS 226L | General Microbiology Laboratory | |
| INB 370 | Evolution | 3 |
| All students must complete at least 36 semester hours of upper-division coursework; at least 21 semester hours of upper-division coursework in biology must be completed in residence at the University. | ||
| Total Hours | 34 | |
Additional Requirements and Policy
Students in all Options must fulfill both the University's General Requirements for graduation and the college requirements. They must also earn a grade of at least C- in each mathematics and science course required for the degree, and a grade point average in these courses of at least 2.00. More information about grades and the grade point average is given in the General Information Catalog.
To graduate under Biology Honors, students must remain in good standing in the Dean’s Scholars, Health Science Scholars, or Polymathic Scholars Honors Program, must submit an honors thesis, and present their research in an approved public forum, such as the college’s annual Undergraduate Research Forum. More information about the Undergraduate Research Forum is available at https://cns.utexas.edu/.
Order and Choice of Work
Students begin the Bachelor of Science in Biology degree program with six hours of introductory biology for science majors (BIO 311C and BIO 311D), as well as CH 301 or CH 301C and CH 302 or CH 302C and M 408C, M 408N, or M 408R. Students should consult with academic advisors about specific concentrations within biology, about appropriate courses in mathematics and physical sciences, and about course load and the balance between laboratory and nonlaboratory work. Most students select a concentration by the end of the second year and take at least 21 hours of upper-division coursework in the major in the third and fourth years.