Biological Sciences Major
The science of biology spans an extraordinary range of subjects, from molecular biology through ecosystem ecology. Biology also underpins some of the most important challenges and opportunities in human society, such as understanding human health and disease, managing agriculture and developing technologies to feed the global population, and predicting responses of organisms to climatic changes and figuring out ways to protect biological diversity. A student seeking a biology major at Fordham is offered a diverse and rigorous program that encompasses the breadth of this field and provides them the tools they need to address these challenges.
The broad learning goals of our biological sciences program are to:
- Cultivate a life-long curiosity about science and all aspects of biology,
- Provide an understanding of the use of the scientific method in biological investigations, and gain practical experience and technical skills using these methods, and
- Give students a deeper understanding of basic concepts, principles, ideas and theories in biology, so that students become knowledgeable and literate in their field.
We help our students develop an academic program that best fits their interests and career goals. Through this, our graduates pursue diverse careers in fields like healthcare, education, research, and work with government agencies, non-profit organizations, or private-sector research laboratories.
All majors in our undergraduate program begin with Introductory Biology courses BISC 1403 + BISC 1414; and BISC 1404 + BISC 1414 and General Chemistry courses CHEM 1321 + CHEM 1331; and CHEM 1322 + CHEM 1322. From this foundation, Biology majors take more advanced courses, including General Genetics (BISC 2539 + BISC 2549) and Organic Chemistry (CHEM 2521 + CHEM 2541; and CHEM 2522 + CHEM 2542). These courses all include laboratory training and experience. Students may also participate in hands-on research projects working under the mentorship of biology research faculty in a research tutorial (BISC 4999) or senior research thesis (BISC 4792).
A grade of C- is the minimum accepted grade for all courses to count toward fulfilling requirements of the biology major (note: medical schools often require at least a C).
For questions about the program, students can contact the associate chair at undergradbisc@fordham.edu.
The Department of Biological Sciences offers two undergraduate degrees: the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.). Beyond the chemistry, physics, and math requirements, majors must complete a minimum of nine courses in biology for a B.S. degree and seven for a B.A. degree. Lecture and lab courses must be taken concurrently.
The program of biology courses is structured in the following way:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Biology Courses | ||
| Core Courses | ||
| BISC 1403 & BISC 1413 | Introductory Biology I and Introductory Biology Lab I | 5 |
| BISC 1404 & BISC 1414 | Introductory Biology II and Introductory Biology Lab II | 5 |
| BISC 2539 & BISC 2549 | General Genetics and General Genetics Lab | 5 |
| BISC 2561 & BISC 2571 | Ecology and Ecology Lab | 5 |
| Distribution Courses | ||
| Select a minimum of two of the following: | ||
| Human Anatomy and Human Anatomy Lab | ||
| Human Physiology and Human Physiology Lab | ||
| Plant Biology and Plant Biology Lab | ||
| Biochemistry | ||
| Microbiology and Microbiology Lab | ||
| Molecular Biology | ||
| Cell Biology | ||
| Chemistry Courses | ||
| CHEM 1321 & CHEM 1331 | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Lab I | 6 |
| CHEM 1322 & CHEM 1332 | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry Lab II | 6 |
| CHEM 2521 & CHEM 2541 | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry Lab I | 6 |
| CHEM 2522 & CHEM 2542 | Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry Lab II | 6 |
| Physics Courses | ||
| Select one of the following sequences: | ||
Sequence 1: | ||
| Physics I and Physics I Lab | ||
| Physics II and Physics II Lab | ||
Sequence 2: | ||
| General Physics I and Physics I Lab | ||
| General Physics II and Physics II Lab | ||
| Calculus Course 2 | ||
| Select one of the following: | ||
| Applied Calculus I | ||
| Applied Calculus II | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| Calculus II | ||
| Elective Courses | ||
| Select three elective BISC courses for the B.S. degree and one for the B.A. degree 3 | ||
- 1
Either sequence of introductory courses is a prerequisite for all other biology courses in the major.
- 2
A score of 4 or 5 in AP Calculus AB or BC will fulfill the Mathematics requirement.
- 3
Elective courses comprise all courses with the attribute BIEL (see list below). Such courses include additional Distribution courses beyond the two needed to meet Distribution courses requirement. Courses counted toward the Distribution course requirement cannot be double-counted toward the Elective course requirement. Only one tutorial (BISC 4999) can count toward the major.
Elective courses
Courses in this group have the BIEL attribute.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BISC 3000 | Environmental Science | 3 |
| BISC 3132 | Human Physiology | 3 |
| BISC 3221 | Human Anatomy | 3 |
| BISC 3244 | Evolutionary Biology | 3 |
| BISC 3405 | Plant Biology | 3 |
| BISC 3466 | Urban Ecology & Evolution | 3 |
| BISC 3521 | Biochemistry | 3 |
| BISC 3643 | Microbiology | 3 |
| BISC 3752 | Molecular Biology | 3 |
| BISC 3754 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| BISC 3893 | Introduction to Virology | 3 |
| BISC 4530 | Cancer Biology and Signaling | 3 |
| BISC 4532 | Neuroscience | 3 |
| BISC 4575 | Conservation Biology | 4 |
| BISC 4642 | Animal Behavior | 4 |
| BISC 4693 | Developmental Biology | 3 |
| BISC 4792 | Senior Thesis Research | 4 |
| BISC 4999 | Research Tutorial | 0-4 |
| CHEM 4221 | Biochemistry I | 3 |
| ENVS 3000 | Environmental Science | 3 |
It is recommended that first year students take the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Calculus (one of the following): | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| Calculus II | ||
| Applied Calculus I | ||
| Applied Calculus II | ||
| BISC 1403 & BISC 1413 | Introductory Biology I and Introductory Biology Lab I | 5 |
| CHEM 1321 & CHEM 1331 | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Lab I | 6 |
| BISC 1404 & BISC 1414 | Introductory Biology II and Introductory Biology Lab II | 5 |
| CHEM 1322 & CHEM 1332 | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry Lab II | 6 |
Note that BISC 1403, BISC 1404, CHEM 1321, and CHEM 1322 (with their respective labs) are prerequisites for all advanced biology courses.
The following requirement is best fulfilled in sophomore year:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 2521 & CHEM 2541 | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry Lab I | |
| CHEM 2522 & CHEM 2542 | Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry Lab II |
The following requirement is best fulfilled in junior year:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Physics sequence options: | ||
Sequence 1: | ||
| Physics I and Physics I Lab | ||
| Physics II and Physics II Lab | ||
Sequence 2: | ||
| General Physics I and Physics I Lab | ||
| General Physics II and Physics II Lab | ||
C- is the minimum accepted grade for all courses in the biology major. All majors must meet with their adviser each semester prior to registration to have their course schedules approved.
The following courses are college Core Curriculum Life Science courses and are not applicable to the major:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BISC 1000 | Life on the Planet Earth | |
| BISC 1001 | Human Biology | |
| BISC 1002 | Ecology: A Human Approach | |
| BISC 1005 | Aids: A Conspiracy of Cells | |
| BISC 1008 | The Finch, the Seed, and the Storm: Adventures in Contemporary Evolution | |
| BISC 1010 | Foundations of Biology |
Biology majors are expected to take all of their required major courses at Fordham. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis for certain rare and compelling reasons. Under no circumstances can more than two external courses be transferred toward the major.
Note that online courses from other universities are not acceptable substitutes for required courses.
Availability
The major in biological sciences is available at Fordham College at Rose Hill. Students in Fordham's School of Professional and Continuing Studies may major in biological sciences only if they receive the approval of their advising dean and/or department, and their schedules are sufficiently flexible to permit them to take day courses at the Rose Hill campus.
Fordham College at Rose Hill students: The requirements above are in addition to those of the Core Curriculum.
Professional and Continuing Studies students: The requirements above are in addition to those of the PCS Core Curriculum and any additional electives that may be required to earn a minimum of 124 credits.
CIP Code
26.0101 - Biology/Biological Sciences, General.
You can use the CIP code to learn more about career paths associated with this field of study and, for international students, possible post-graduation visa extensions. Learn more about CIP codes and other information resources.