Curriculum
Students are encouraged to use their biology electives to develop a concentration in one area, such as health science, molecular biology, or environmental biology. The curriculum is designed to be flexible and to allow students to tailor their courses to their specific needs.
The faculty in biology, along with cooperative programs, summer courses, clinical experiences, and participation in various research programs, provide biology majors with an undergraduate education that will allow them to pursue a variety of career or graduate study opportunities.
Biology majors are able to minor in several areas such as psychology, business, environmental science and policy, and environmental and occupational health.
You can also find out more about a minor in biology.
Curriculum requirements
The majors' biology curriculum requirements are listed below, with a sample schedule for a general program of study.
Core Biology Courses (22 credits)
(These courses are required for all biology majors.):
- BY140 Inheritance, Evolution and Diversity & BY142 Lab (5 credits)
- BY160 Cell and Molecular Biology & BY162 Lab (5 credits)
- BY214 Genetics (3 credits)
Two of the following lecture/lab sequences:
- BY222 General Ecology & BY224 General Ecology Laboratory (4 credits)
- BY320 Microbiology & BY322 Microbiology Laboratory (4 credits)
- BY350 Comparative Anatomy & BY352 Vertebrate Anatomy Laboratory (4 credits)
- BY360 Physiology & BY362 Physiology Laboratory (4 credits)
- BY422 Undergraduate Seminar (1 credit)
Biology Electives (18 credits required)
BY300 Recent Advances in Biological Research (1 credit)
BY310 Developmental Biology (3 credits)
BY312 Advanced Cell Biology (3 credits)
BY314 Bioinformatics (4 credits)
BY323 Microbiology for Engineering Applications (3 credits)
BY328 Conservation Biology (3 credits)
BY340 Behavioral Ecology (3 credits)
BY342 Vertebrate Biology (3 credits)
BY358 Animal Learning & Cognition (3 credits)
BY400-415 Directed Study in Biology (variable credits)
BY412 Molecular Biology Laboratory (4 credits)
BY416 Toxicology (3 credits)
BY418 Human Anatomy (4 credits)
BY420 Evolution (3 credits)
BY425 Biological Systems and Environmental Change
BY426 Introduction to Biophysics (3 credits)
BY431 Limnology (4 credits)
BY436 Marine Biology (3 credits)
BY438 Biostatistical Analysis (4 credits)
BY440 Intro to Biomed Rehab Engineering (3 credits)
BY444 Medicinal Chemistry (3 credits)
BY450 Biochemistry I (3 credits)
BY451 Biochemistry II (3 credits)
BY454 Physiological Psychology (3 credits)
BY455 Cell and Molecular Biology of Cancer (3 credits)
BY458 Cognitive Neuroscience (3 credits)
BY460 Neurobiology (3 credits)
BY463 Pharmaceutical Chemistry (3 credits)
BY470 Biochemistry and Biotechnology Laboratory (3 credits)
BY473 Advanced Techniques in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (3 credits)
BY476 Current Topics in Biology and Medicine
BY491-2 Undergraduate Thesis (4-6 credits)
BY501 Great Lakes Science Practicum (3 credits)
BY659 Systems Biology (3 credits)
Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics core requirements (37-39 credits):
- 8-10 credits of Freshman Chemistry
- 9 credits of Organic Chemistry
- 3 credits of Calculus
- 8 credits of Physics
- 3 credits in Statistics
- 3 credits in Math, Statistics or Computer Science
Clarkson Common Experience Requirements (28 credits):
- First year Seminar (1 credit)
- The Clarkson Seminar (3 credits)
- Knowledge Area (15 credits)
- Technology (3 credits)
- Information Technology (3 credits)
- Professional Experience in Biology (3 credits)
Liberal Arts requirements (18 credits):
- 6 credits in Great Ideas
- 12 credits in philosophy, politics and social issues; literature and fine arts; history, culture, and society.
University Distribution Requirements (6 credits):
- 3 credits in an Engineering Foundation course
- 3 credits in a Business Foundation course
Free Electives (17-19 credits)
Sample Curriculum**
| Freshman Year | |||
| Fall 1 | Credits | Spring 1 | Credits |
| BY140 Biology I | 3 | BY153 Cellular and Molecular Biology | 3 |
| BY142 Biology I Lab | 2 | BY155 Cellular Biology Laboratory | 2 |
| CM103 Structure & Bonding | 3 | LS196 Great Ideas II | 3 |
| CM105 Chemistry Lab I | 2 | CM104 Chemical Equilibrium & Dynamics | 2 |
| MA131 Calculus I or MA180 Intro Math (4) | 3 | CM106 Chemistry Lab II | 3 |
| UNIV190 Clarkson Seminar | 3 | MA282 Probability & Statistics | 3 |
| First Year Seminar | 1 | ||
| Total | 16 | 16 | |
| Sophomore Year | |||
| Fall 2 | Credits | Spring 2 | Credits |
| BY222 Ecology or BY350 Anatomy | 3 | BY214 Genetics | 3 |
| BY224 Ecology Lab or BY352 Anatomy Lab | 1 | Knowledge / UC Elective | 3 |
| CM241 Organic Chemistry I | 3 | CM242 Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| PH131 or PH141 Physics I or Physics for Life Sciences I | 4 | PH132 or PH142 Physics II or Physics for the Life Sciences II | 4 |
| MA 383 Applied Statistics | 3 | CM244 Organic Chemistry Lab | 3 |
| Total | 14 | 16 | |
| Junior Year | |||
| Fall 3 | Credits | Spring 3 | Credits |
| BY420 Evolution or BY460 Neurobiology | 3 | BY360 Physiology or BY320 Microbiology | 3 |
| BY476 Current Topics / Bio and medicine | 3 | BY362 Physiology Lab or BY322 Microbiology lab | 1 |
| Knowledge / UC Elective | 3 | BY300 Recent Adv in Bio Research | 1 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Technology Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| BY422 Undergraduate Seminar | 1 | BY314 Bioinformatics | 4 |
| Total | 16 | 15 | |
| Senior Year | |||
| Fall 4 | Credits | Spring 4 | Credits |
| BY412 Molecular Biology Lab or BY431 Limnology | 4 | Biology electives | 6 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Knowledge / UC Elective | 3 | Knowledge / UC Elective | 3 |
| BY490 Professional Experience in Biology | 3 | ||
| Total | 16 | 12 | |
