Biology | Academic Advising Handbook

Advanced Placement

Students who achieve a score of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement exam in Biology will receive four credits toward graduation. However, credit based on the Biology Advanced Placement exam is not equivalent to the Introductory Biology I or II courses (BIOL 200 or 201) at Pacific. Students who plan to major or minor in Biology (or other majors or minors that require Introductory Biology) will need to enroll in these courses at Pacific.

Requirements and Prerequisites

Students who major in Biology may be planning to attend graduate programs in biological fields, to find employment in the biological sciences, to attend a health care professions graduate program, or to enter a career in teaching. Regardless of their future plans, it is critical to complete the following courses during their first two years:

Ideally, students will complete all of the above courses as well as CHEM 300 during their first two years at Pacific.

General Requirements and Timeline Recommendations

Students who have the math background to complete CHEM 220 and 230 (i.e. are "chem ready") in their first year should do so. This allows for more flexibility (e.g. greater opportunities to Study Abroad) in Junior and Senior year.

Students may start Biology during either their first or second semester at Pacific and complete the major in four years (assuming success in all courses). To start Biology in the first semester, freshmen must be placed into Math 226 (i.e. are "Bio ready") or they will start Biology in the Spring semester of their freshmen year. Transfer students who enter with Sophomore standing are "bio ready" and may enroll in either BIOL 200 or 201 or both in the fall.

The Biology major includes an introductory year (BIOL 200 and 201) and an intensive year (BIOL 314 and 2 from the following: BIOL 313, 315, 317). For each year, the courses are not sequenced, and thus can be taken in any order.

First Year Schedules | Subject Ready

Below are suggested schedules for students who fall into 3 groups: neither Chemistry nor Biology ready, Chemistry ready but not Biology ready, and both Chemistry and Biology ready.

Students should follow the suggested schedule for the group they belong to.

Neither Chem nor Bio ready

First Year Schedule

Fall

• MATH 122 | College Algebra | 4
• HUM 100 | First-Year Seminar | 4
• Core Requirement | 8

Total: 16 Credits

Winter

• Elective | 2

Total: 2 Credits

Spring

• MATH 125 | Pre-Calculus | 4
• BIOL 200 or BIOL 201 | Introductory Biology | 4 (Recommendation: starting with BIOL 201)
• Core Requirements | 8

Total: 16 Credits

Second Year Schedule

Fall

• BIOL 200 or 201 | Introductory Biology | 4  (Per Recommendation: this should be BIOL 200)
• CHEM 220 | General Chemistry I | 4
• MATH core | 4
• Core elective (Recommendation: ENGW 180) | 4

Total: 16 Credits

Winter

• Elective | 2

Total: 2 Credits

Spring

• CHEM 230 | General Chemistry II | 4
• BIOL 313 or 315 or 317 | 4
• BIOL 313 or 315 or 317 | 4
• BIOL 314 | 2
• Elective | 0-4

Total: 14-18 Credits

Chem Ready but not Bio Ready (entering as first year student)

First Year Schedule

Fall

• MATH 125 | Pre-Calculus | 4
• CHEM 220 | General Chemistry I | 4
• HUM 100 | First Year Seminar |4
• Core Elective | 4

Total: 16 Credits

Winter

• Elective | 2

Total: 2 Credits

Spring

• MATH Core | 4
• CHEM 230 | General Chemistry II | 4
• BIOL 200 or  BIOL 201 | Introductory Biology | 4 (Recommendation: starting with BIOL 201)
• Core elective | 4

Total: 16 Credits

Second Year Schedule

Fall

• BIOL 200 or 201 | Introductory Biology | 4 (Per Recommendation: this should be BIOL 200)
• CHEM 300: Fund. of Organic Chemistry | 4
• Core Electives (Recommendation: ENGW 180) | 8

Total: 16 Credits

Winter

• Elective | 2

Total: 2 Credits

Spring

• BIOL 313, 315, or 317 | 4
• BIOL 313, 315, or 317 | 4 
• BIOL 314 | 2 
• CHEM 400: Advanced Organic Chemistry | 4 *
• Elective | 0-2

Total: 14-16 Credits

Both Chem and BIo Ready (entering as first year student)

First Year Schedule

Fall

• BIOL 200 or BIOL 201 | Introductory Biology | 4 (Recommendation: starting with BIOL 201)
• CHEM 220 | General Chemistry I | 4
• HUM 100 | First Year Seminar | 4
• Core Elective or Math 226 | 4

Total: 16 Credits

Winter

• Elective | 2

Total: 2 Credits

Spring

• BIOL 200 or BIOL 201 | Introductory Biology | 4
• CHEM 230 | General Chemistry II | 4
• Core Electives | 8

Total: 16 Credits

Second Year Schedule

Fall

• BIOL 313, 315, or 317 | 4
• BIOL 314 (can be taken in spring) | 2
• CHEM 300: Fund. of Organic Chemistry |4 
• Core Electives (Recommendation: ENGW 201) | 4-6

Total: 14-16 Credits

Winter

• Elective | 2

Total: 2 Credits

Spring

• BIOL 313, 315, or 317 | 4
• BIOL 314 (can be taken in fall) | 2
• Chem 400 | Adv. Organic Chemistry | 4 *
• Elective | 4-6

Total: 14-16 Credits

*Notes

It is not recommended that students enroll in BIOL 307 or 308 until they have completed BIOL 314 and 2 of the following: BIOL 313, 315, and 317. The biology major requires a 1-semester survey course in organic chemistry (CHEM 300); however, many graduate and health programs require a full year of organic chemistry. Students who may be uncertain about their future plans should be advised to take the full year of organic chemistry.

Potential Biology majors should be enrolled in CHEM 220: General Chemistry I during the fall of their first year. Grades of C- or better in CHEM 220 and MATH 125 Pre-calculus are prerequisites for CHEM 230 General Chemistry II in the spring term.

Students planning on a Biology minor

Students interested in a minor in Biology must complete MATH 125 or 226, CHEM 220, CHEM 230, BIOL 200, BIOL 201 plus three additional upper-division courses in Biology (excluding BIOL 385, BIOL 490 and BIOL 495). At least one of these courses must include a lab. Up to 4 credits of CHEM 380 or ENV 301 may be used toward elective credits.  All upper division courses must be completed on campus.

Rev 2019