Bachelor of Arts in General Biology Roadmap

120 Total Units Required
Minimum Number of Units in the Major: 49

This roadmap is a suggested plan of study and does not replace meeting with an advisor. Please note that students may need to adjust the actual sequence of courses based on course availability. Please consult an advisor in your major program for further guidance.

Plan of Study Grid
First SemesterUnits
CHEM 115 General Chemistry I (Major Lower-Division Core) 5
ENG 114 Writing the First Year: Finding Your Voice (A2) 1 3
Select One (Major Lower-Division Core, B4): 2 3-4
Elementary Statistics
Calculus I
PHYS 111
PHYS 112
General Physics I
and General Physics I Laboratory (Major Lower-Division Core, B1, B3)
4
 Units15-16
Second Semester
BIOL 230 Introductory Biology I (Major Lower-Division Core) 5
PHYS 121
PHYS 122
General Physics II
and General Physics II Laboratory (Major Lower-Division Core)
4
GE Area A 3 3
GE Area E 3
 Units15
Third Semester
BIOL 240 Introductory Biology II (Major Lower-Division Core) 4 5
CHEM 215 General Chemistry II: Quantitative Applications of Chemistry Concepts (Major Lower-Division Core) 3
GE Area A 3
GE Area C 3
Complementary Studies or SF State Studies or University Elective 5 2
 Units16
Fourth Semester
CHEM 130 General Organic Chemistry (Major Lower-Division Core) 3
Ecology Course - Select One 6 3-4
GE Area C 3
GE Area D - Take Two 6
 Units15-16
Fifth Semester
BIOL 355 Genetics (Major Upper-Division Core) 3
Physiology Course - Select One 7 5-7
Physiology Lab or University Elective 8
GE Area C 3
GE Area F ± 3
 Units14-16
Sixth Semester
Cell Biology Course - Select One 9 4-8
Cell Biology Lab or University Elective 8
Evolutionary or Organismal Biology Course - Select One 10 3-5
GE Area UD-C: Upper-Division Arts and/or Humanities 3
U.S. and California Government 3
 Units14-18
Seventh Semester
Upper-Division Major Electives - Select 4-8 Units in Consultation with an Advisor 11 4
GE Area UD-D: Upper-Division Social Sciences 3
SF State Studies or University Elective - Take Three 5 9
 Units16
Eighth Semester
Upper-Division Major Electives - Take One 11 3
or University Elective if already satisfied
SF State Studies or University Elective - Take Four 5 12
 Units15
 Total Units120-128
1

ENG 114 can only be taken if you complete Directed Self-Placement (DSP) and select ENG 114; if you choose ENG 104/ENG 105 through DSP you will satisfy A2 upon successful completion of ENG 105 in the second semester; multilingual students may be advised into alternative English courses.

2

To determine the best B4 course option, students should complete the online advising activity at mathadvising.sfsu.edu. Questions? Contact Gator Smart Start.

3

To avoid taking additional units, it is recommended that you meet the SF State Studies (AERM, GP, ES, SJ) requirements within your GE or major.

4

GE Area B2 (Life Science) is satisfied upon completion of BIOL 240.

5

Complementary Studies

Students in the B.A. Biology program will satisfy the Complementary Studies Requirement with the completion of courses in chemistry, physics, and mathematics that are required for the major.

6

Ecology Courses - Select One
BIOL 482 Ecology (4 units)
BIOL 490 Ecology of Infectious Diseases (4 units)
BIOL 529GW Plant Ecology - GWAR (4 units)*
BIOL 532 Restoration Ecology (3 units)
BIOL 534 Wetland Ecology (4 units)
BIOL 580 Limnology (3 units)
BIOL 582 Biological Oceanography & Limnology (4 units)
BIOL 585 Marine Ecology (3 units)
BIOL 586GW Marine Ecology Laboratory - GWAR (4 units)*

7

Physiology Courses
BIOL 442 Microbial Physiology (3 units)
BIOL 525 Plant Physiology (3 units)
BIOL 612 Human Physiology (3 units)
BIOL 630 Animal Physiology (3 units)

8

Select One Laboratory Course Associated with the Physiology or Cell Biology Course Taken (Only One Laboratory Course is Required)
BIOL 351GW Experiments in Cell and Molecular Biology - GWAR (4 units)*
BIOL 402GW General Microbiology Laboratory - GWAR (3 units)*
BIOL 436 Immunology Laboratory (2 units)
BIOL 443 Microbial Physiology Laboratory (2 units)
BIOL 454 Parasitology Laboratory (1 units)
BIOL 526 Plant Molecular Physiology Laboratory (2 units)
BIOL 613GW Human Physiology Laboratory - GWAR (3 units)*
BIOL 631GW Animal Physiology Laboratory - GWAR (4 units)*

9

Cell Biology Courses
BIOL 350 Cell Biology (3 units)
BIOL 358 Forensic Genetics: Math Matters (4 units)
BIOL 401 General Microbiology (3 units)
BIOL 435 Immunology (3 units)
BIOL 453 General Parasitology (3 units)
CHEM 349 General Biochemistry (3 units)

10

Evolutionary or Organismal Biology Courses
BIOL 328 Human Anatomy (4 units)
BIOL 337 Evolution (3 units)
BIOL 380 Evolutionary Developmental Biology (3 units)
BIOL 382 Developmental Biology (3 units)
BIOL 425 Emerging Diseases (3 units)
BIOL 453 General Parasitology (3 units)
BIOL 454 Parasitology Laboratory (1 units)
BIOL 460 General Entomology (4 units)
BIOL 475GW Herpetology - GWAR (3 units)*
BIOL 478GW Ornithology - GWAR (4 units)*
BIOL 500 Evolution and Diversity of Plants (4 units)
BIOL 502 Biology of the Algae (3 units)
BIOL 504 Biology of the Fungi (4 units)
BIOL 505 Comparative Anatomy of Vascular Plants (4 units)
BIOL 514 Plant Biodiversity and California Field Botany (5 units)
BIOL 555 Marine Invertebrate Zoology (4 units)
BIOL 570GW Biology of Fishes - GWAR (4 units)*
BIOL 600 Animal Behavior (3 units)
BIOL 638 Bioinformatics and Genome Annotation (4 units)

11

Upper-Division Electives (4-8 units)

Select 4-8 units in consultation with an advisor from among all upper-division Biology courses. Only one of the following courses can be included among those selected:  BIOL 317, BIOL 327, BIOL 330, and BIOL 349. Up to 3 units of BIOL 699 can also be used towards the total of 4-8 units. All Biology courses that have BIOL 230 and/or BIOL 240 as prerequisites can also be used as electives. This includes courses already listed previously under each of the category subheadings, but not used to satisfy the requirements of those categories.

BIOL 332 Health Disparities in Cancer (3 units) (AERM, GP, SJ)
BIOL 337 Evolution (3 units)
BIOL 344GW ( units)*
BIOL 350 Cell Biology (3 units)
BIOL 358 Forensic Genetics: Math Matters (4 units)
BIOL 401 General Microbiology (3 units)
BIOL 425 Emerging Diseases (3 units)
BIOL 453 General Parasitology (3 units)
BIOL 460 General Entomology (4 units)
BIOL 461 ( units)
BIOL 464 ( units)
BIOL 470 Natural History of Vertebrates (4 units)
BIOL 475GW Herpetology - GWAR (3 units)*
BIOL 478GW Ornithology - GWAR (4 units)*
BIOL 482 Ecology (4 units)
BIOL 490 Ecology of Infectious Diseases (4 units)
BIOL 492 ( units)
BIOL 500 Evolution and Diversity of Plants (4 units)
BIOL 502 Biology of the Algae (3 units)
BIOL 504 Biology of the Fungi (4 units)
BIOL 514 Plant Biodiversity and California Field Botany (5 units)
BIOL 525 Plant Physiology (3 units)
BIOL 526 Plant Molecular Physiology Laboratory (2 units)
BIOL 529GW Plant Ecology - GWAR (4 units)*
BIOL 530 Conservation Biology (3 units)
BIOL 532 Restoration Ecology (3 units)
BIOL 534 Wetland Ecology (4 units)
BIOL 550 ( units)
BIOL 555 Marine Invertebrate Zoology (4 units)
BIOL 556 ( units)
BIOL 570GW Biology of Fishes - GWAR (4 units)*
BIOL 577 Climate and Ecological Interactions (4 units)
BIOL 580 Limnology (3 units)
BIOL 582 Biological Oceanography & Limnology (4 units)
BIOL 600 Animal Behavior (3 units)
BIOL 607 Conservation and Management of Marine Mammals (3 units)
BIOL 609 Physics in Medicine (3 units)
BIOL 612 Human Physiology (3 units)
BIOL 614 Vertebrate Histology (4 units)
BIOL 616 Cardiorespiratory Physiology (3 units)
BIOL 620 Endocrinology (3 units)
BIOL 621 Reproductive Physiology (3 units)
BIOL 622 Hormones and Behavior (3 units)
BIOL 623 Pharmacology (3 units)
BIOL 627 Biophysics (3 units)
BIOL 630 Animal Physiology (3 units)
BIOL 638 Bioinformatics and Genome Annotation (4 units)
BIOL 640 Cellular Neurosciences (3 units)
BIOL 652 ( units)

*

Students must complete at least one GWAR course in order to graduate.

±

Given catalog rights, fall 2023 transfer students do not need to complete an Area F course.