Biology is the study of organisms, including the molecular and cellular basis of life, development of the individual and its genetic basis, maintenance of the individual, and interaction of organisms with their biotic and physical environment.
Undergraduate Biology offers both Bachelor of Sciences (BS) and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree programs in Biology. Both degree programs build on a strong foundation in chemistry, mathematics and physics that provides the concepts and methodologies needed to understand biological complexity at multiple levels. Students explore the Fundamentals of Biology through three foundational courses that provide a thorough introduction to organisms, ecosystems, cellular and molecular biology, and physiology. These courses are complemented by an innovative two-semester, inquiry-based biology laboratory curriculum designed to develop skills in the collection and analysis of data from biological experiments, including explorations into the primary scientific literature and capstone student-designed experiments on human physiology. For the BS degree this core foundation is followed by advanced course and laboratory work that includes an in depth program of study in an area of Specialization along with complementary studies that ensure breadth of exposure to other areas of biology. These Specializations include Developmental Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Environmental Biology, Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences, Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Bioinformatics, and Bioengineering. The BIO BA program involves fewer advanced courses in biology but instead requires completion of a non-overlapping minor in the College of Arts and Sciences. The BA provides an option for students interested in careers that build on foundational knowledge in the biosciences who also have strong interests in areas such as the fine arts, humanities or social sciences. The BS program is most appropriate for students interested in graduate studies in the biological sciences or technical positions in industry, including biotechnology, government agencies, and research institutes. Both programs provide excellent preparation for professional careers in the health sciences.
Students in the Biology BA or BS programs may not declare a double major among Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Marine Sciences and Marine Vertebrate Biology. A double major in Biology and Human Evolutionary Biology requires a certain course combination in the Human Evolutionary Biology electives as specified in the requirements for the EBH major.
Information related to the BIO major and minor is available from the Undergraduate Biology Office and website: http://www.stonybrook.edu/biology. The office processes completed forms and petitions concerning the Biology major and minor and all requests for evaluations of transferred biology courses. The Undergraduate Biology office also coordinates advising, BIO course administration and registration and processes graduation clearances for BIO major and minor requirements.
Most students majoring in biology prepare for professional study in the biological or health sciences. Some prepare for secondary school teaching, and others for technical positions in industry, including biotechnology, government agencies, and research institutes.
Undergraduate Biology offers both Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree programs in Biology, along with a minor in Biology.
Students in the Biology BA or BS programs may not declare a double major among Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Marine Sciences and Marine Vertebrate Biology. A double major in Biology and Human Evolutionary Biology requires a certain course combination in the Human Evolutionary Biology electives as specified in the requirements for the EBH major.
Requirements for the Major in Biology B.A. (BIO)
Completion of the B.A. major in Biology requires a minimum of 55 credits for the major, along with a required minor (18-24 credits). All foundational courses in related fields must be taken for a letter grade; courses taken under the Pass/No Credit option will not count towards completion of the major, with the exception of the Spring 2020 semester. All core and advanced courses in biology must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a grade of C or higher. At least one semester of the two-semester sequences of required courses in general chemistry lecture, organic chemistry lecture, and physics lecture/lab must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher. The organic chemistry lab must be passed with a C or higher.
A. Foundational Courses in Related Fields
1. Chemistry Sequence Lecture Options:
2. Chemistry Sequence Laboratory Options
3. Organic Chemistry Lecture Options
CHE 321, CHE 322 Organic Chemistry I and IIA OR CHE 321, CHE 326 Organic Chemistry I and IIB OR CHE 331, 332 Molecular Science II and III
4. Organic Chemistry Lecture Options
5. Calculus Course Options
If students do not place into MAT 125 or higher on the basis of the math placement examination, MAT 123 (or MAT 119/MAT 123) is a required course for the major.
6. Physics Sequence Options
If students select one of the Classical Physics options (PHY 125/PHY 126/PHY 127/PHY 133/PHY 134 or PHY 131/PHY 132/PHY 133/PHY 134 or PHY 141/PHY 142/PHY 133/PHY 134), hen a mathematics course at the level of Calculus B (AMS 161, MAT 126, MAT 132, MAT 142, or MAT 171) or higher is required for the major.
7. Statistics Course Options
Students who transfer in AMS 102 from another institution with a grade of ‘A’ or higher will receive credit for the statistics course.
B. Core Courses in Biology
C. Advanced Courses in Biology
At least one of the following 3 credit upper division BIO courses:
D. Advanced Biology Electives
Two additional upper division BIO courses. Research, readings, teaching practica and internship courses cannot be used to satisfy upper-division BIO course requirements. Students cannot take both BIO 320 and BIO 321 for biology major credit. Only one of these courses may be taken for biology major credit.
E. Minor within the College of Arts and Sciences
Completion of a Minor within the College of Arts and Sciences with no more than a 3 credit overlap with the major requirements for the BIO B.A. The list of approved minors for the Biology BA can be found on Undergraduate Biology’s website here.
F. Upper-Division Writing Requirement
The advanced writing component of the major in Biology requires registration in the 0-credit BIO 459 and approval of either a term paper or a laboratory report written for an advanced course in biological sciences at Stony Brook (including Readings and Research courses) or a paper or report written for an advanced course taken as part of the student's minor that addresses a topic pertinent to the biological sciences. Students must register for BIO 459 AT THE SAME TIME that they are taking the advanced course in the biological sciences that has the ability to fulfill the upper-division writing requirement.
Students who wish to use material from a participating course should complete the necessary google form and receive the appropriate email confirmation from their professor prior to submission of the material. The course director will give the student confirmation, via email or as mentioned in their syllabus, to confirm that the writing sample that is submitted to the undergraduate biology department is the same writing sample that was submitted for their course, without variation. The completed google form must be submitted on the undergraduate biology website. The Writing Center will evaluate the submission and contact the student directly if remedial efforts are needed. Students are urged to submit appropriate materials in their junior year, or by the end of their next-to-last term, in order to allow for evaluation and possible revision. Later submissions are considered, but may delay graduation. If material is initially found to be unsatisfactory, the student will be instructed by the Writing Program before resubmitting a revised paper or material from another course.
Students should consult with the department advisor to ensure that their plan for completing the Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent with university graduation requirements for General Education. Students completing the Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) must complete a course that satisfies the "Write Effectively within One's Discipline" (WRTD) learning objective to graduate. The Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent in most cases with the SBC learning outcomes for WRTD.
Courses that can fulfill the WRTD requirement:
Application of Transfer Credits to the Biology BA Requirements:
Core biology courses taken elsewhere apply to major requirements only if listed as equivalent to a Stony Brook course in the official Stony Brook Transfer Course Database maintained by Academic and Transfer Advising Services. Transfer students may satisfy the requirements for courses in related fields with transferred courses, if the courses are approved as being equivalent. Upper-division or upper-division equivalent courses taken elsewhere and transferred to Stony Brook can satisfy the requirement for BIO 320, BIO 321, BIO 354 or EBH 302 for the Biology BA; however, students must still take three advanced courses (300-level BIO courses) here at Stony Brook.
Requirements for the Major in Biology B.S. (BIO)
Completion of the B.S. major in Biology requires a minimum of 70 credits, including foundational courses in chemistry, mathematics and physics. All of these foundational courses in related fields must be taken for a letter grade; courses taken under the Pass/No Credit option will not count towards completion of the major, with the exception of the Spring 20 semester. At least one semester of the two-semester sequences of required courses in calculus, general chemistry lecture, organic chemistry lecture, and physics lecture/lab must be passed with a letter grade of C or higher. The organic chemistry lab must be passed with a C or higher. Completion of the BIO major requires completion of the foundational courses in related fields, core curriculum and a minimum of 20 credits of advanced courses in biology. A list of advanced courses in biology from other Departments that are accepted for Biology major credit is provided below. All core and advanced courses in biology, including advanced courses in biology from other departments, must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a grade of C or higher with the exception of 400 level Reading and Research courses that are graded on an S/U basis. Biology majors must meet the major requirements as published in the official undergraduate Bulletin for the semester in which the student declares the major or minor. Requests for a waiver of major or minor requirements may be granted at the discretion of faculty.
A. Foundational Courses in Related Fields
1. Chemistry Sequence Lecture Options
2. Chemistry Sequence Laboratory Options
3. Organic Chemistry Lecture Options
4. Organic Chemistry Laboratory Options
5. Calculus Sequence Options
6. Physics Sequence Options
7. Statistics Course Options
Students who transfer in AMS 102 from another institution with a grade of ‘A’ or higher will receive credit for the statistics course.
B. Core Courses in Biology
C. Advanced Courses in Biology
Programs of study in the Biology major are organized into 7 Specializations that promote in-depth explorations of different areas while also insuring a breadth of exposure to other areas in the biological sciences. DECLARING A SPECIALIZATION IS REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE BIOLOGY BS. The standard program of study includes 5 Advanced BIO lecture courses and 2 advanced BIO laboratory courses for a total of 20 advanced BIO credits. The specific program of advanced courses is dependent on the area of Specialization, and may also include the option to use advanced elective courses from other Departments to count towards the Biology major. The 6 Specializations are: Developmental Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Environmental Biology, Interdisciplinary Biology, Neuroscience, and Quantitative Biology and Bioinformatics. There is also a special degree program for students who choose to double major in Biology and Clinical Laboratory Sciences; if students would like to pursue this double major, please speak with a biology advisor. The requirements for each Specialization are provided after the list of Advanced BIO courses. A complete list of Advanced Courses from other Departments that are accepted for the Biology Major credit is provided after the requirements for the different Specializations.
Students cannot take both BIO 320 and BIO 321 for biology major credit. Only one of these courses may be taken for biology major credit.
Advanced BIO Courses:
Area I: Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology:
Area II: Neurobiology and Physiology
Area III: Organisms
Area IV: Ecology and Evolution
Environmental Biology (May only be used for the Environmental Biology Specialization)
Advanced Course Requirements for the Specialization in Developmental Genetics
Advanced Course Requirements for the Specialization in Ecology and Evolution
Advanced Course Requirements for the Specialization in Environmental Biology
Advanced Course Requirements for the Specialization in Interdisciplinary Biology
Advanced Course Requirements for the Specialization in Neuroscience
Advanced Course Requirements for the Specialization in Quantitative Biology and Bioinformatics
Unlike other specializations, the Quantitative Biology and Bioinformatics Specialization requires completion of foundational courses in mathematics that cover differential equations.
D. Upper-Division Writing Requirement
The advanced writing component of the major in Biology requires registration in the 0-credit BIO 459 and approval of either a term paper or a laboratory report written for an advanced course in biological sciences at Stony Brook (including Readings and Research courses) or a paper or report written for an advanced course taken as part of the student's minor that addresses a topic pertinent to the biological sciences. Students must register for BIO 459 AT THE SAME TIME that they are taking the advanced course in the biological sciences that has the ability to fulfill the upper-division writing requirement.
Students who wish to use material from a participating course should complete the necessary google form and receive the appropriate email confirmation from their professor prior to submission of the material. The course director will give the student confirmation, via email or as mentioned in their syllabus, to confirm that the writing sample that is submitted to the undergraduate biology department is the same writing sample that was submitted for their course, without variation. The completed google form must be submitted on the undergraduate biology website. The Writing Center will evaluate the submission and contact the student directly if remedial efforts are needed. Students are urged to submit appropriate materials in their junior year, or by the end of their next-to-last term, in order to allow for evaluation and possible revision. Later submissions are considered, but may delay graduation. If material is initially found to be unsatisfactory, the student will be instructed by the Writing Program before resubmitting a revised paper or material from another course.
Students should consult with the department advisor to ensure that their plan for completing the Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent with university graduation requirements for General Education. Students completing the Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) must complete a course that satisfies the "Write Effectively within One's Discipline" (WRTD) learning objective to graduate. The Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent in most cases with the SBC learning outcomes for WRTD.
Courses that can fulfill the WRTD requirement:
Application of Transfer Credits to the Biology BS Requirements
Biology courses taken elsewhere apply to major requirements only if listed as equivalent to a Stony Brook course in the official Stony Brook Transfer Course Database maintained by Academic and Transfer Advising Services. Transfer students must take at least 15 credits of required core and advanced biology at Stony Brook in courses for majors at the 200 level or higher. At least 12 of the 15 credits must be in BIO-designator courses. Both of the two advanced laboratory experiences must be taken at Stony Brook. Transfer students may satisfy the requirements for courses in related fields with transferred courses, if the courses are approved as being equivalent.
Honors Programs in Biology and in Biology and Society
Graduation with Honors in Biology or in Biology and Society requires the following:
Approved Research and Internship Courses:
Requirements for the Minor in Biology (BIO)
Only students with majors other than Biology, Biochemistry, Human Evolutionary Biology, Pharmacology, Marine Sciences or Marine Vertebrate Biology may elect the Biology minor. Completion of the minor requires at least 20 credits in BIO courses designed for the Biology major. All courses for the minor must be taken for a letter grade and must be passed with a grade of C or higher, including at least 9 credits at the 300 level. All advanced courses for the minor must be in BIO-designator courses taken at Stony Brook. The specific course requirements for the BIO minor are:
Biology Secondary Teacher Education Program
See the Education and Teacher Certification entry in the alphabetical listings of Approved Majors, Minors, and Programs.
A course planning guide for this major may be found here. The major course planning guides are not part of the official Undergraduate Bulletin, and are only updated periodically for use as an advising tool. The Undergraduate Bulletin supersedes any errors or omissions in the major course planning guides.
| FRESHMAN |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| First Year Seminar 101 | 1 |
| WRT 101 | 3 |
| CHE 131 | 4 |
| CHE 133 | 1 |
|
MAT 125
|
3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| First Year Seminar 102 | 1 |
| WRT 102 | 3 |
| CHE 132 | 4 |
| CHE 134 | 1 |
| AMS 110 or BIO 211 | 3-4 |
| BIO 201 | 3 |
| Total | 15-16 |
| SOPHOMORE |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| CHE 321 | 4 |
| BIO 202 or BIO 203 | 3 |
| course for minor | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 13 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| CHE 322 | 4 |
| CHE 327 | 2 |
| BIO 202 or BIO 203 | 3 |
| course for minor | 3 |
| BIO 3xx elective | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| JUNIOR |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 204 | 3 |
| PHY 121 | 4 |
| course for minor | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| elective | 3 |
| Total | 16 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 205 or BIO 207 | 2 |
| BIO 3XX elective | 3 |
| PHY 122 | 3 |
| upper-division course for minor | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 17 |
| SENIOR |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 3xx elective | 3 |
| upper-division course for minor | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| upper-division elective | 3 |
| upper-division elective | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| upper-division course for minor | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| upper-division elective | 3 |
| upper-division elective | 3 |
| elective | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
A course planning guide for this major may be found here. The major course planning guides are not part of the official Undergraduate Bulletin, and are only updated periodically for use as an advising tool. The Undergraduate Bulletin supersedes any errors or omissions in the major course planning guides.
| FRESHMAN |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| First Year Seminar 101 | 1 |
| WRT 101 | 3 |
| CHE 131 | 4 |
| CHE 133 | 1 |
|
MAT 125 |
3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| First Year Seminar 102 | 1 |
| WRT 102 | 3 |
| CHE 132 | 4 |
| CHE 134 | 1 |
| BIO 201 | 3 |
| MAT 126 | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SOPHOMORE |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| CHE 321 | 4 |
| AMS 110 or BIO 211 | 3-4 |
| BIO 202 or BIO 203 | 3 |
| BIO 204 | 2 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15-16 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| CHE 322 or CHE 326 | 4 |
| BIO 202 or BIO 203 | 3 |
| BIO 205 or BIO 207 | 2 |
| CHE 327 | 2 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 14 |
| JUNIOR |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| Advanced BIO Lecture | 3 |
| PHY 121 | 4 |
| SBC | 2 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 16 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| PHY 122 | 4 |
| Advanced BIO Lecture | 3 |
| Advanced BIO Lab | 2 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15-16 |
| SENIOR |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| Advanced BIO Lecture | 3 |
| Advanced BIO Lab | 2-3 |
| Upper-division Elective | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 14-15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| Advanced BIO Lecture | 3 |
| Advanced BIO Lecture | 3 |
| Upper-division Elective | 3 |
| Upper-division Elective | 3 |
| Upper-division Elective | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
Majors and Minor in Biology
Departments of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Neurobiology and Behavior, and Undergraduate Biology Program; College of Arts and Sciences
Minors of particular interest to students in the Biology BS major: Biomaterials (BES), Bioengineering (BNG), Chemistry (CHE), Environmental Studies (ENS), Health and Wellness (LHW), Science and Engineering (LSE), Writing and Rhetoric (WRT)
The list of approved minors for the Biology BA can be found on Undergraduate Biology’s website here.
The Undergraduate Biology Program
Director: John Peter Gergen
Assistant Director: Kaitlyn Cozier
Advisors: Kira Schultheiss, Rachel Ulysse
Schedule advising appointments online through navigate
Office: Biology Learning Laboratories, Undergraduate Biology Office Suite, Rooms 104-112
Program Secretary: Lynette Giordano
Phone: (631) 632-8530
Website: http://www.stonybrook.edu/biology
Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Chair: Aaron Neiman
Assistant to the Chair: Carol Juliano
Website: http://www.stonybrook.edu/biochem
Department of Ecology and Evolution
Chair: Robert Thacker
Assistant to the Chair: Donna DiGiovanni
Website: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/ecoevo/
Department of Neurobiology and Behavior
Chair: Alfredo Fontanini
Assistant to the Chair: Catherine Costanzo
Website: https://medicine.stonybrookmedicine.edu/neurobiology