Bachelor of Science in Biology: Concentration in Microbiology Roadmap – Quantitative Reasoning Category III/IV and ENG 114

120 Total Units Required
Minimum Number of Units in the Major: 60

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 Semester		Units
BIOL 230	Introductory Biology I (Major Lower-Division Core)	5
BIOL 231	Advising for Success as a Biology Major (Major Lower-Division Core)	1
ENG 114	Writing the First Year: Finding Your Voice (A2) ¹	3
MATH 197	Prelude to Calculus I (Prerequisite for MATH 226) ^2,3	3
GE Area A ⁴		3
	Units	15
Second Semester
CHEM 115	General Chemistry I: Essential Concepts of Chemistry (Major Lower-Division Core)	5
MATH 198	Prelude to Calculus II (Prerequisite for MATH 226, B4) ^2,3	3
GE Area A		3
GE Area E		3
	Units	14
Third Semester
BIOL 240	Introductory Biology II (Major Lower-Division Core) ⁵	5
CHEM 215	General Chemistry II: Quantitative Applications of Chemistry Concepts (Major Lower-Division Core)	3
MATH 226	Calculus I (Major Lower-Division Core, B4) ^2,3	4
GE Area D		3
	Units	15
Fourth Semester
Select One (Major Lower-Division Core): ⁶		3
CHEM 130	General Organic Chemistry
CHEM 233	Organic Chemistry I
PHYS 111 & PHYS 112	General Physics I and General Physics I Laboratory (Major Lower-Division Core, B1, B3)	4
GE Area C - Take Two		6
GE Area D		3
	Units	16
Fifth Semester
BIOL 355	Genetics (Major Upper-Division Core)	3
BIOL 401 & BIOL 402GW	General Microbiology and General Microbiology Laboratory - GWAR (Major Upper-Division Core)	6
Select One (Major Lower-Division Core): ⁶		3
CHEM 335	Organic Chemistry II
SF State Studies or University Elective (if CHEM 130 taken)
PHYS 121 & PHYS 122	General Physics II and General Physics II Laboratory (Major Lower-Division Core)	4
	Units	16
Sixth Semester
BIOL 337	Evolution (Major Upper-Division Core)	3
Select One (Major Upper-Division Core):
CHEM 340	Biochemistry I
CHEM 349	General Biochemistry
GE Area C		3
GE Area F ^±		3
U.S. and California Government		3
SF State Studies or University Elective		3
	Units	15
Seventh Semester
Major Upper-Division Electives (11 Units Total) ⁷		6
GE Area UD-C: Upper-Division Arts and/or Humanities (Consider SF State Studies Course)		3
SF State Studies or University Elective - Take Two		6
	Units	15
Eighth Semester
Major Upper-Division Electives (11 Units Total) ⁷		5
GE Area UD-D: Upper-Division Social Sciences (Consider SF State Studies Course)		3
SF State Studies or University Elective - Take Two		6
	Units	14
	Total Units	120

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 GE Area A2 upon successful completion of ENG 105 in the second semester; multilingual students may be advised into alternative English courses.

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

QR Category III students with a grade of B or higher in high school pre-calculus in the past year may be able to enroll in MATH 226. Please see a department advisor.

⁴

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.

⁵

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

⁶

CHEM 233 is a prerequisite for CHEM 335. If students plan to take CHEM 335, they must take CHEM 233.

⁷

Electives in Microbiology
Select 11 units from the following courses, including at least two laboratory courses. Consult an advisor to select electives that best align with your interests and future career goals. Any course taken as an elective that does not appear on this list will not be counted towards the completion of the Microbiology degree requirements unless it is approved by an advisor prior to enrolling in the course. Students who intend to apply for admission to Clinical Laboratory Science programs after graduation are strongly advised to speak with a Microbiology advisor for help in choosing their elective classes.
BIOL 420 General Virology (3 units)
BIOL 425 Emerging Diseases (3 units)
BIOL 430 Medical Microbiology (3 units)
BIOL 435 Immunology (3 units)
BIOL 442 Microbial Physiology (3 units)
BIOL 446 Microbial Genomics (4 units)
BIOL 453 General Parasitology (3 units)
BIOL 490 Ecology of Infectious Diseases (4 units)
BIOL 638 Bioinformatics and Genome Annotation (4 units)
BIOL 644 LEADerS Service Learning Course: Learners Engaged in Advocating for Diversity in Science (4 units)
or BIOL 652 Science Education Partners in Biology (4 units)

Select two laboratory courses from the following:
BIOL 431 Medical Microbiology Laboratory (2 units)
BIOL 436 Immunology Laboratory (2 units)
BIOL 443 Microbial Physiology Laboratory (2 units)
BIOL 454 Parasitology Laboratory (1 unit)
BIOL 625 Hematology (3 units)
BIOL 699 Independent Study in Biology (1-3 units)
CHEM 343 Biochemistry I Laboratory (3 units)
or CHEM 336 Organic Chemistry II Laboratory (2 units)

Given catalog rights, fall 2022 transfer students do not need to complete an Area F course.