The objectives of the Department of Biology are to provide the student with opportunity to obtain a broad foundation of biological knowledge and to pursue the study of a particular area of biology. The curriculum is based strongly in the sciences of biology, chemistry and physics, within the context of the critical and analytical skills derived from the liberal arts core. After successful completion of the program a student may enter any of several career paths. The biology curriculum prepares a student for graduate school, laboratory work and teaching. It also provides all the requirements for application to medical, dental, veterinary and other health-related programs.
Requirements for a Bachelor of Science in Biology
The following table summarizes all requirements for a Bachelor of Science in biology. For an overview of a particular course, click on its title. Our Course Descriptions page lists all biology courses. For one possible breakdown of the major by semester, see the Plan of Study.
* The biology electives must be chosen from among the following: BIO 210, BIO 294, BIO 308, BIO 318, BIO 319, BIO 321, BIO 331, BIO 332, BIO 341, BIO 350, BIO 362, BIO 380, BIO 390, BIO 403, BIO 406, BIO 418, BIO 419, BIO 466, BIO 472.
** The School of Arts and Sciences requires all majors to complete a foreign language course at the 202 level or higher. Students not prepared to begin at this level will need to take additional courses in the language, which count as general electives.
† The Clare College curriculum also includes a three-credit quantitative reasoning requirement. Biology majors satisfy this requirement by passing any of the courses listed in the above table under Mathematics.
The comprehensive requirement for biology majors is the successful completion of BIO 456-457. Senior-Faculty Colloquium in Biology.
Requirements for a Minor in Biology
For non-majors, the following courses constitute a minor in biology. For an overview of a particular course, click on its title. Our Course Descriptions page lists all biology courses.
To declare a minor, a special form must be filled out and filed with the Records Office by the end of the student's junior year. The appropriate form is available from the student's advisor or the Office of the Registrar.