Biological Sciences/BIO - IAI Major Course Recommendations

Baccalaureate biological science programs are diverse. Some programs emphasize cell and molecular biology, whereas others emphasize organismal, ecological and evolutionary biology. Research universities offer specific programs of study, optional tracks or specialization's within biology. Students should decide the direction or specialization within the Biological Sciences major as early as possible, preferably by the beginning of the sophomore year. Community and junior college students are strongly encouraged to complete an Associate in Science (A.S.) degree prior to transfer. The advice of both community college and university biology faculty members is encouraged prior to selection of biology elective courses. To transfer as a junior into a baccalaureate biological sciences program, students must complete a minimum of 60 semester credits, including all of the prerequisite science courses listed. For maximum transferability, students are encouraged to complete all general education, supporting science, and biology core courses listed.

Students are advised to complete the entire 2- or 3 course introductory biological sciences sequence at one school before transferring. Student who complete only one course may have to repeat that course, since material may be arranged differently by another institution.

The following list of courses is designed for you if you choose to begin your college career at one Illinois school and later transfer to another, and if you want to make sure that the courses you take will count towards a degree at the new school. General education courses recommended for teacher certification are indicated.

Be sure to consult the institution you plan on transferring to for course articulations.

Major Directive

Click here to see how courses at Illinois public 4-year institutions accept courses in transfer for this major.

Biological IAI Major Recommendation

Biology Major Courses
(16-25 semester credits)
Biological Sciences Core Courses
(16-25 semester credits)
BIO 910 - Introduction to Biological Sciences (8-10 semester credits)
The first course in the BIO 910 sequence also fulfills the Illinois Transferable General Education Core Curriculum (IAI GECC) Life Sciences requirement. Biological Sciences Core Courses may be taken in reverse order since some schools offer the cellular and molecular emphasis in the first biology course for the major and organismal biology in the second. To guarantee credit students must complete the entire course sequence at the same school before transfer.
and (depending upon major goals and requirements)
BIO 920 - Anatomy and Physiology Course Sequence (8-10 Semester Credits)
or
BIO 920C - Anatomy and Physiology Course Sequence (Lab with Cadaver) (8-10 Semester Credits)

Strongly Recommended Supporting Science Courses
(10-15 semester credits)
CHM 912 - Chemistry II (4-5 semester credits)
Take 2 required courses in organic chemistry:
CHM 913 - Organic Chemistry I (3-5 semester credits)
CHM 914 - Organic Chemistry II (3-5 semester credits)

Biological Sciences Recommendations or Other Elective Courses (3-10 semester credits)
Students selecting further coursework in biology should consult an advisor. Field courses in biology/botany and comparative vertebrate anatomy are biology electives that offer reasonable probability of transfer, in the major, depending upon the student's choice of biology specialization and the baccalaureate school. Courses such as microbiology and human anatomy and physiology sometimes will transfer for credit in allied health majors, but most often do not transfer as biology major credit.

It is recommended to be successful in the major at a senior institution that students seeking a major in Biology, take the following classes in the IAI GECC: BIO 910 - Biology as Life Sciences with Lab, CHEM 911 Chemistry I as Physical Sciences with Lab , and M1 900-1 General Education Calculus as Math GECC requirement (see Gen Ed plan below)
Biological Sciences IAI GECC Recommendations
(Minimum 37 semester credits)
These are the specific courses in the Illinois Transferable General Education Core Curriculum (IAI GECC) that should be taken for this emphasis.

Communication: 3 courses (9 semester credits)
Select a two-course sequence in writing (6 semester credits) with a grade of "C" or better and,
Select 1 course in oral communication (3 semester credits).

Mathematics: 1 course (3 semester credits)
Select M1 900-1 - General Education Calculus

Physical and Life Sciences: 2 courses (7-8 semester credits)
Select CHEM 911 - Chemistry I as Physical Sciences with Lab . This course fulfills the IAI GECC Physical Sciences requirement.
Select the first course in the BIO 910 - Biology as Life Sciences with Lab . This course fulfills the IAI GECC Life Sciences requirement.
(See the major recommendations above for information on these 2 courses.)

Humanities and Fine Arts: 3 courses (9 semester credits)
Select 1 course from Humanities,
Select 1 course from Fine Arts and
Select 1 from either Humanities or Fine Arts. - Courses can be taken from the same identifier as long as the course outcomes are different.

Social and Behavioral Sciences: 3 courses (9 semester credits)
Select 3 courses from at least 2 different disciplines (e.g., no more than 2 courses from, for example, psychology). - Courses can be taken from the same identifier as long as the course outcomes are different.

Check the worksheet to see what courses you can take to fulfill your general education requirements
The worksheet allows you to see what courses to take to fulfill the IAI Gen. Ed. package (Illinois Transferable General Education Core Curriculum) at any participating college or university in the State. You will find it helpful to use the major recommended general education courses shown above. You may want to print or copy a hard copy of this page.

Return to the Illinois Baccalaureate Majors' Recommendations (IAI Majors).