BS with a Major in Biological Sciences—Evolution, Ecology, and Environmental Biology Concentration

Degree Requirements

To earn a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts and Sciences degree from UIC, students must complete university, college, and departmental degree requirements. The Department of Biological Sciences degree requirements are outlined below. Students should consult the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for additional degree requirements and college academic policies.

Summary of Requirements
Required Prerequisite and Collateral Courses28
Major Requirements40
General Education and Electives to reach minimum Total Hours52
Total Hours120

General Education

See General Education and Writing-in-the-Discipline in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for information on meeting these requirements. Students should consult the course lists below and their advisors to determine which courses are counted toward the General Education and Writing-in-the-Discipline requirements.

Required Prerequisite and Collateral Courses

Required Courses
Select one of the following math courses:4
Calculus for the Life Sciences a,b
Calculus I a,b,c
Introduction to Statistics for the Life Sciences
Select one of the following sequences in physics:8
Introductory Physics for Life Sciences I b
Introductory Physics for Life Sciences II b
OR
General Physics I (Mechanics) b,c
General Physics II (Electricity and Magnetism) b,c
Select one of the following sequences in general chemistry:10
Honors and Majors General and Analytical Chemistry I b
Honors and Majors General and Analytical Chemistry II b
OR
Matter and Energy d
Foundations of Chemical Inquiry I c,d
Chemical Dynamics d
Foundations of Chemical Inquiry II c,d
CHEM 230Organic Chemistry of Biological Systems3-4
or CHEM 232 Structure and Function
CHEM 233Synthesis Techniques Laboratory2
Total Hours27-28
a

MATH 170, MATH 180, and STAT 130 fulfill the LAS Quantitative Reasoning requirement.

b

This course is approved for the Analyzing the Natural World General Education category.

c

MATH 180 and MATH 181 are recommended for students planning advance work in population biology and required for enrollment in PHYS 141 and PHYS 142

d

General Education credit is given for successful completion of both CHEM 122 and CHEM 123 or CHEM 124 and CHEM 125.

Major Requirements

Of the 40 semester hours for the major, no more than 11 hours may be at the 100 level. At least 9 hours must be from courses designated as Experimental Techniques and Data Analyses. A minimum of 9 hours should be at the 300 and/or 400 level. No more than 5 hours of BIOS independent study and research may be counted toward the major.

Required Courses
BIOS 110Biology of Cells and Organisms a4
BIOS 120Biology of Populations and Communities a4
BIOS 220Genetics3
BIOS 222Cell Biology3
BIOS 230Evolution and Ecology3
In addition to required courses, students must complete one concentration chosen from General Biology; Molecular, Cellular, and Organismal Biology; or Evolution, Ecology, and Environmental Biology.
Concentration in Evolution, Ecology, and Environmental Biology
Required core courses:
BIOS 331General Ecology Laboratory b3
Select at least 6 semester hours in experimental techniques and data analyses from the following:6-7
Genetics Laboratory b
Animal Behavior Laboratory b
Microbiology Laboratory b
Independent Research b,e
Genomics b,c
Evolution c
Introduction to Modern Biostatistics with R b
Select three of the following courses in ecology and environment:9
Animal Behavior
Environmental Physiology
General Microbiology
Human Ecological Systems
Ecosystem Ecology
Plant and Animal Interactions
Topics in Tropical Ecology
Introduction to Landscape Ecology
Topics Biological Sciences d
Select one of the following courses in evolution and genomics:3-4
Plant Evolutionary Ecology
Genomics c
Evolution c
Evolution and Human Disease
Advanced Microbiology
Topics Biological Sciences d
Additional hours of BIOS elective courses to bring the total to 40 semester hours.0-2
Total Hours40
a

This course is approved for the Analyzing the Natural World General Education category.

b

BIOS 310, BIOS 312, BIOS 321, BIOS 323, BIOS 336, BIOS 351, BIOS 399, BIOS 420, BIOS 443, and BIOS 480 fulfill the Writing-in-the-Discipline requirement.

c

BIOS 420 and BIOS 430 appear in both the Evolution and Genomics and Experimental Techniques and Data Analyses lists. They may be used to satisfy either requirement, but not both.

d

BIOS 490 can only be used once to meet the Ecology/Environment or the Evolution/Genomics category with consent of advisor. 

e

BIOS 399 can only be counted once to fulfill Experimental Techniques and Data Analyses credit requirements.

Recommended Plan of Study

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Fall SemesterHours
ENGL 160 Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts 3
MATH 180
Calculus I a
or Calculus for the Life Sciences
or Introduction to Statistics for the Life Sciences
4
Select one of the following: 5
Honors and Majors General and Analytical Chemistry I
Matter and Energy
and Foundations of Chemical Inquiry I b
General Education Requirement course 3
 Hours15
Spring Semester
ENGL 161 Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research 3
Select one of the following: 5
Honors and Majors General and Analytical Chemistry II
Chemical Dynamics
and Foundations of Chemical Inquiry II b
General Education Requirement course 3
BIOS 110
Biology of Cells and Organisms b
or Biology of Populations and Communities
4
 Hours15
Second Year
Fall Semester
CHEM 230
Organic Chemistry of Biological Systems
or Structure and Function
3-4
BIOS 110
Biology of Cells and Organisms b
or Biology of Populations and Communities
4
Foreign Language 4
General Education Requirement course or Elective 3-4
 Hours15
Spring Semester
BIOS 222 Cell Biology 3
BIOS 230 Evolution and Ecology 3
CHEM 233 Synthesis Techniques Laboratory 2
Foreign Language 4
General Education Requirement course 3
 Hours15
Third Year
Fall Semester
BIOS 220 Genetics 3
BIOS 331 General Ecology Laboratory 3
PHYS 131
Introductory Physics for Life Sciences I b
or General Physics I (Mechanics)
4
Foreign Language 4
General Education Requirement course 3
 Hours17
Spring Semester
BIOS experimental techniques and data analyses selective or BIOS Elective c 2-4
BIOS experimental techniques and data analyses selective or BIOS Elective c 2-4
PHYS 132
Introductory Physics for Life Sciences II
or General Physics II (Electricity and Magnetism)
4
General Education Requirement course 3
Foreign Language 4
 Hours15-19
Fourth Year
Fall Semester
Select 5-9 hours from the following: 5-9
BIOS experimental techniques and data analyses selectives c
BIOS Selectives c
BIOS Electives c
General Education Requirement course 3
Electives 7
 Hours15-19
Spring Semester
Select 5-8 hours from the following: c 5-8
BIOS experimental techniques and data analyses selectives c
BIOS Selectives c
BIOS Electives c
Electives 8-9
 Hours13-17
 Total Hours120
a

MATH 170, MATH 180, or STAT 130, individually, will satisfy the Quantitative Reasoning requirement with a grade of C or better.

b

The Analyzing the Natural World and the two additional General Education course requirements can be satisfied with four courses chosen from PHYS 131/PHYS 132, PHYS 141, PHYS 142, BIOS 110, BIOS 120 and/or CHEM 122/CHEM 123 and CHEM 124/CHEM 125.

c

To complete the degree, students must take 23 additional hours, including 9 hours in experimental techniques and data analyses and the biological sciences selectives/electives to meet concentration requirements (21–23 hours for EEEB). At least 9 of these 23 hours must be taken at the 300 to 400 level (excluding BIOS 391).