Biology Major Course Information
Common Course Progression
Biology is a prescriptive major, meaning most students follow a similar track. Most differences come in Core class selection, and Major elective course selection.
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Major Requirements |
CURRICULUM NOTE: For students who entered USC PRIOR to Fall 2022, CHEM 334/332L and a Cognate or Minor are REQUIRED.
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Optional Minor
Minors are an optional course of study that students may elect to take to supplement their major coursework. They are completely optional, so students are not required to complete them. That means, if a student begins a minor, but no longer wishes to finish it, they may remove the minor. Minors can also be changed and added at any time, but there are some that require an application or audition. Students may choose almost any minor offered by USC, though some are restricted to students in certain majors or colleges. Students may also choose to have more than one minor at a time.
For application or audition-only minors, you should find the website for the minor and see what next steps are required. The audition-required minors (Music, Dance, etc.) require students to contact the department Undergraduate Director to set up the audition. |
Common Minors for Biology Students:
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Note: Students may not "double-dip" classes between Core, General, or Major requirements and a minor requirement except for the Chemistry minor as CHEM is a program requirement, which does not apply in the other sections.
Ex. PSYC 101 cannot be used to fulfill a GSS or Social Science requirement AND a PSYC minor requirement, it may only count toward the minor.
Ex. PSYC 101 cannot be used to fulfill a GSS or Social Science requirement AND a PSYC minor requirement, it may only count toward the minor.
Options for Pre-Professional Students
Many pre-professional students call the Biology major home, including Pre-Med, Pre-PA, Pre-Dental, Pre-Vet, and more. There are many classes built specifically to help those students earn their pre-requisites for professional school. The Office of Pre-Professional Advising has much more information about specific requirements, but your Biology advisors can help you plan to include those pre-requisite classes you'll need for professional school.
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Most Professional Programs require a combination of the following
courses taken for 1-2 semesters:
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Common Pre-Med/PA Major-level Biology Courses:
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BIOL 399 - Independent Study
An independent study is a class that you develop with your instructor or faculty mentor. Credit hours earned range from one to three credits and generally requires six to 12 hours of work each week. This varies and the schedule is flexible. This is a graded course, so you may have to submit a paper or a report, or make a presentation. This varies and is decided between you and your mentor.
How to Start
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BIOL 398 - Laboratory Teaching Experience
This 1-credit hour course is designed to help students develop as educators, leaders, and communicators in the field of Biological Sciences. Students participating in this course will serve as Peer Leaders in a Peer Led Team Learning (PLTL) environment and use their understanding of biological concepts as they help to support other students currently enrolled in the lab. The Peer Leaders will be expected to ask questions of the lab students that help them progress through an assigned activity or in-class discussion.
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How to Enroll in BIOL 398?
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