BS with a Major in Biological Sciences—Molecular, Cellular, and Organismal 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 a
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 Molecular, Cellular, and Organismal Biology
Required core courses:
BIOS 310Genetics Laboratory b2
BIOS 312Cell Biology Laboratory b2
BIOS 343Animal Physiological Systems b3
Select at least 5 hours in Experimental Techniques and Data Analyses: 5-7
Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy
Developmental Biology Laboratory b
Molecular Biology Laboratory b
Embryology Laboratory
Microbiology Laboratory b
Independent Research b,d
Genomics b
Animal Physiological Systems Laboratory b,c
Select three courses from the following: 9-11
Developmental Biology
Human Embryology
General Microbiology
Animal Physiological Systems Laboratory b,c
Advanced Microbiology
Biotechnology and Drug Discovery
Biochemistry I
and Biochemistry II e
Introductory Biochemistry
Topics Biological Sciences f
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 443 can be used as a selective to either meet the Experimental Techniques and Data Analyses requirement OR the MCOB requirement for this concentration but not both.

d

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

e

BIOS 452 and BIOS 454 will count as two courses toward the three course requirement. However, if only BIOS 452 is taken, it will not count as an MCOB selective course.

f

BIOS 490 can only be used once with the consent of the advisor.

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
PHYS 131
Introductory Physics for Life Sciences I b
or General Physics I (Mechanics)
4
BIOS 310
Genetics Laboratory
or Cell Biology Laboratory
2
Foreign Language 4
General Education Requirement course 3
 Hours16
Spring Semester
BIOS 310
Genetics Laboratory
or Cell Biology Laboratory
2
BIOS 343 Animal Physiological Systems 3
PHYS 132
Introductory Physics for Life Sciences II
or General Physics II (Electricity and Magnetism)
4
General Education Requirement course 3
Foreign Language 4
 Hours16
Fourth Year
Fall Semester
Select 5-9 hours from the following: c 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 5-9 hours from the following: c 5-9
BIOS experimental techniques and data analyses selectives c
 
BIOS Selectives c
 
BIOS Electives c
 
Electives 8-9
 Hours13-18
 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 131PHYS 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 (21-25 hours for MCOB). At least 9 of these 23 hours must be taken at the 300 to 400 level (excluding BIOS 391).