Biological Sciences (BA)
To see more about what you will learn in this program, visit the Learning Outcomes website!
The NC State Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology is designed for students who want to combine studies in the life sciences with studies in a second discipline of interest (chosen from outside of the life sciences). Students in the B.A. are required to take just as much biology (through their Life Science Electives) as students in the B.S. in Biological Sciences, but requirements in the supporting sciences (chemistry, physics, and calculus) are reduced. Instead, Biology B.A. students identify a second area of interest outside the life sciences and create a focal area of study in that area (e.g., psychology, social work, communication, international studies, political science, anthropology, gender studies, education, mathematics, statistics). Their proposed list of Cross Discipline Electives is reviewed and approved by their academic advisor and the program director.
At the end of their undergraduate studies, students in this degree program complete a Senior Capstone Project through which they draw on both the life sciences (or a sub-discipline within the life sciences) and their chosen Cross Discipline to address a problem or issue that they identify. Experiential learning (related to their academic and/or career interests) is also required of all students in this program.
Students who graduate with a B.A. in Biology will benefit from training in scientific thinking and from gaining a broader perspective through their Cross Disciplinary studies. In choosing courses, students are encouraged to consider the course pre-requisites of graduate or professional programs to which they are interested in applying. Depending on their course choices, students will be prepared for a wide range of careers or further studies. This is a relatively new program, but so far our Biology B.A. graduates are employed or pursuing advanced study in bioethics, bioinformatics, law, health analytics, health care (nursing, physician assistant, physical therapy), clinical research, public health, science communication and informal education, neurobiology and psychology.
Plan Requirements
- Students should check with their adviser before electing to take any course with S/U grading if it is normally graded A-F. Up to 12 hours of Free Electives can be taken S/U.
- Students cannot use the same course both as a Cross Discipline Elective and to meet a GEP requirement (with the exception of Global Knowledge and US Diversity).
- Student are responsible for determining the pre-requisites for any course they are interested in taking.
- Students interested in graduate school or professional school should check the courses required for admission to the programs to which they plan to apply.
- The B.A. in Biological Sciences cannot be used as a second major for many students already in a degree program in the life sciences – students interested in a second major should first check with the coordinator of their desired second major.
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exploring the Life Sciences | |||
| LSC 103 | Exploring Opportunities in the Life Sciences | 1 | |
LSC 103 deals with transition-to-college issues while exploring degree program options within the life sciences. If a student transfers into the B.A. in Biological Sciences after taking a similar course in another program, that course can be substituted for LSC 103 on the degree audit, an action initiated by the academic advisor. | |||
| Communication and Writing | |||
| Communication and Writing Electives | 6 | ||
| Foundational Sciences | |||
| LSC 101 | Critical and Creative Thinking in the Life Sciences 1 | 2 | |
| BIO 181 | Introductory Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity 1 | 4 | |
| BIO 183 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology 1 | 4 | |
| CH 101 & CH 102 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science and General Chemistry Laboratory 1 | 4 | |
| Select one of the following Organic Chemistry course sets: | 4 | ||
| Introductory Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry I Lab | |||
| Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I Lab | |||
| Select one of the following Calculus courses: | 3 | ||
| Elements of Calculus | |||
| Calculus for Life and Management Sciences A | |||
| Calculus I | |||
| PY 131 | Conceptual Physics | 4 | |
| Select one of the following Quantitative Elective courses: | 3 | ||
| Economics and Business Statistics | |||
| Introduction to Statistics | |||
| Economics and Business Statistics | |||
| Major Electives 2,5 | |||
| Life Science Electives 300/400 level | 18 | ||
| Life Science Electives | 6 | ||
| Cross Discipline Electives 300/400 lvl | 15 | ||
| Cross Discipline Electives | 6 | ||
| Experiential Learning 2 | 3 | ||
| Experiential Learning opportunities can take many forms, but should be relevant to a possible career path or other academic interest for the student. The out-of-class experience to be undertaken to meet this requirement must be approved in advance by the adviser and program director. It is the responsibility of the student to identify an opportunity, to make arrangements with a supervisor to pursue that opportunity, and to complete the contract necessary for credit to be awarded for the experience. | |||
| Professional Experience | |||
| Research Experience | |||
| Teaching Experience | |||
| BIO 481 | Senior Capstone Project | 1 | |
| GEP Courses | |||
| ENG 101 | Academic Writing and Research | 4 | |
| GEP Humanities | 6 | ||
| GEP Social Sciences | 6 | ||
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 2 | ||
| GEP US Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 3 | ||
| GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 3 | ||
| GEP Global Knowledge (Verify Requirement) | |||
| Foreign Language Proficiency (Verify Requirement) | |||
| Free Electives (12 Hr S/U Lmt) 2 | 12 | ||
These electives cannot be taken at an elementary level after you have taken comparable coursework at a more advanced level. | |||
| Total Hours | 120 | ||
- 1
A grade of C- or higher is required.
- 2
Students who wish to take two semesters of organic chemistry should NOT start with CH 220, but should take CH 221/222 and CH 223/224.
- 3
Students interested in taking more than one semester of calculus should start with either MA 131 or MA 141, because MA 121 does not serve as a pre-requisite for either MA 231 or MA 241. Additional semesters of calculus can be used toward Life Science Electives requirements. MA 121 Elements of Calculus MA 131 Calculus for Life and Management Sciences A (first of two-semester series) MA 141 Calculus I (first of three-semester series)
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Students should consult their academic advisors to determine how to complete these requirements. With advisor approval, students can use a total of up to 3 hours of learning experience towards Life Science Electives or toward Cross-Discipline Electives - whichever category the experience appropriately fits. Some experimental courses (295, 495, 592) and graduate (500-level) courses may also be used with advisor and departmental approval. Students should check the prerequisites and restrictions on courses in which they are interested.
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Students in the B.A. in Biological Sciences will identify a second discipline of interest in which to also focus their studies. These 21 credit hours will be planned by the student in consultation with their advisor and must be approved by the advisor and by the program. This second disciplinary focal area can be selected from a wide range of fields outside of the life sciences (see examples below). At least 12 of these hours must be at the 300 level or higher and the rest must be at the 200 level or higher. With adviser approval, students can use a total of up to 3 hours of learning experience (e.g., BSC 492, 493, 494) or honors research experience toward 7Life Science Electives or toward Cross Discipline Electives – whichever category the experience appropriately fits. Some experimental courses (295, 495, and 592) and graduate (500-) level courses may also be used as Cross Discipline Electives, with adviser and program approval. Students should check the prerequisites and restrictions on courses in which they are interested. For example, most ELM courses are restricted to Elementary Education majors and therefore would be appropriate only to those with a second major in Elementary Education. Courses used to meet GEP requirements cannot also be used to meet Cross Discipline Electives requirements.
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Students in the B.A. in Biological Sciences will identify a second discipline of interest in which to also focus their studies. These 21 credit hours will be planned by the student in consultation with their advisor and must be approved by the advisor and by the program. This second disciplinary focal area can be selected from a wide range of fields outside of the life sciences (see examples below). At least 15 of these hours must be at the 300 level or higher and the rest must be at the 200 level or higher. With adviser approval, students can use a total of up to 3 hours of learning experience (e.g., BSC 492, 493, 494) or honors research experience toward 7Life Science Electives or toward Cross Discipline Electives – whichever category the experience appropriately fits. Some experimental courses (295, 495, and 592) and graduate (500-) level courses may also be used as Cross Discipline Electives, with adviser and program approval. Students should check the prerequisites and restrictions on courses in which they are interested. For example, most ELM courses are restricted to Elementary Education majors and therefore would be appropriate only to those with a second major in Elementary Education. Courses used to meet GEP requirements cannot also be used to meet Cross Discipline Electives requirements.
Communication and Writing Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communication Courses | |||
| COM 110 | Public Speaking | 3 | |
| COM 112 | Interpersonal Communication | 3 | |
| COM 201 | Introduction to Persuasion Theory | 3 | |
| COM 202 | Small Group Communication | 3 | |
| COM 211 | Argumentation and Advocacy | 3 | |
| COM 226 | Introduction to Public Relations | 3 | |
| COM 240 | Communication Inquiry | 3 | |
| THE 203 | Theory and Practice of Acting | 3 | |
| Writing Courses | |||
| BIO 267 | Research in the Life Sciences I: Research Skills | 3 | |
| ENG 214 | Introduction to Editing | 3 | |
| ENG 232 | Literature and Medicine | 3 | |
| ENG 287 | Explorations in Creative Writing | 3 | |
| ENG 288 | Fiction Writing | 3 | |
| ENG 289 | Poetry Writing | 3 | |
| ENG 292 | Writing About Film | 3 | |
| ENG 316 | Introduction to News and Article Writing | 3 | |
| ENG 323 | Writing in Rhetorical Traditions | 3 | |
| ENG 331 | Communication for Engineering and Technology | 3 | |
| ENG 332 | Communication for Business and Management | 3 | |
| ENG 333 | Communication for Science and Research | 3 | |
| ENG 333 | Communication for Science and Research | 3 | |
| ENG 381 | Creative Nonfiction Writing Workshop | 3 | |
| ENG 422 | Writing Theory and the Writing Process | 3 | |
Life Science Electives 300/400 Level
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| AEC 360 | Ecology | 4 | |
| AEC 380 | Water Resources: Global Issues in Ecology, Policy, Management, and Advocacy | 3 | |
| AEC 400 | Applied Ecology | 3 | |
| AEC 419/519 | Freshwater Ecology | 4 | |
| AEC 420 | Introduction to Fisheries Science | 3 | |
| AEC 423 | Introduction to Fisheries Sciences Laboratory | 1 | |
| AEC 441 | Biology of Fishes | 3 | |
| AEC 442 | Biology of Fishes Laboratory | 1 | |
| AEC 460 | Field Ecology and Methods | 4 | |
| ANS 330 | Laboratory Animal Science | 3 | |
| ANS 415 | Comparative Nutrition | 3 | |
| ANS 554 | Lactation, Milk and Nutrition | 3 | |
| ANT 371 | Human Variation | 3 | |
| BCH 351 | General Biochemistry | 3 | |
| BCH 452 | Introductory Biochemistry Laboratory | 2 | |
| BCH 453/553 | Biochemistry of Gene Expression | 3 | |
| BCH 454 | Advanced Biochemistry Laboratory | 4 | |
| BCH 455 & BCH 555 | Proteins and Molecular Mechanisms and Proteins and Molecular Mechanisms | 6 | |
| BIO 315 | General Parasitology | 3 | |
| BIO 330 | Evolutionary Biology | 3 | |
| BIO 361 | Developmental Biology | 3 | |
| BIO 370 | Developmental Anatomy of the Vertebrates | 3 | |
| BIO 405 | Functional Histology | 3 | |
| BIO 414 | Cell Biology | 3 | |
| BIO 424 | Endocrinology | 3 | |
| BIO 432 | Evolutionary Medicine | 3 | |
| BIO 434 | Hormones and Behavior | 3 | |
| BIO 440 | The Human Animal: An Evolutionary Perspective | 3 | |
| BIO 444 | The Biology of Love and Sex | 3 | |
| BIO 488/588 | Neurobiology | 3 | |
| BIT 410 | Manipulation of Recombinant DNA | 4 | |
| BIT 462/562 | |||
| BIT 464/564 | Protein Purification | 2 | |
| BIT 465/565 | Real-time PCR Techniques | 2 | |
| BIT 466/566 | Animal Cell Culture Techniques | 2 | |
| BIT 467/567 | PCR and DNA Fingerprinting | 2 | |
| BIT 468/568 | |||
| BIT 471/571 | RNA Interference and Model Organisms | 2 | |
| BIT 473/573 | Protein Interactions | 2 | |
| BIT 474/574 | Plant Genetic Engineering | 2 | |
| BIT 476 | Applied Bioinformatics | 2 | |
| BIT 481 | Plant Tissue Culture and Transformation | 2 | |
| BSC 478 | Research Fundamentals in Biological Sciences | 3 | |
| COM 436 | Environmental Communication | 3 | |
| ENT 305 | Introduction to Forensic Entomology | 3 | |
| ENT 402 | Forest Entomology | 3 | |
| ENT 425 | General Entomology | 3 | |
| ES 300 | Energy and Environment | 3 | |
| ES 400 | Analysis of Environmental Issues | 3 | |
| FOR 402 | Forest Entomology | 3 | |
| FS 301 | Introduction to Human Nutrition | 3 | |
| FS 401/501 | Advanced Nutrition and Metabolism | 3 | |
| FS 405 & FS 406 | Food Microbiology and Food Microbiology Lab | 4 | |
| FS 505 & FS 506 | Food Microbiology and Food Microbiology Lab | 4 | |
| FW 444/FS 544 | Mammalogy | 3 | |
| FW 465/FS 565 | African Ecology and Conservation | 4 | |
| GN 301 | Genetics in Human Affairs | 3 | |
| GN 311 & GN 312 | Principles of Genetics and Elementary Genetics Laboratory | 5 | |
| GN 421/521 | Molecular Genetics | 3 | |
| GN 423 | Population, Quantitative and Evolutionary Genetics | 3 | |
| GN 425 | Advanced Genetics Laboratory | 2 | |
| GN 427 | Introductory Bioinformatics | 3 | |
| GN 434 | Genes and Development | 3 | |
| GN 441/541 | Human and Biomedical Genetics | 3 | |
| GN 451 | Genome Science | 3 | |
| IDS 303 | Humans and the Environment | 3 | |
| MA 331 | Differential Equations for the Life Sciences | 3 | |
| MA 432 | Mathematical Models in Life Sciences | 3 | |
| MB 351 & MB 352 | General Microbiology and General Microbiology Laboratory | 4 | |
| MB 354 | Inquiry-Guided Microbiology Lab | 1 | |
| MB 360 | Scientific Inquiry in Microbiology: At the Bench | 3 | |
| MB 405 & MB 406 | Food Microbiology and Food Microbiology Lab | 4 | |
| MB 411 & MB 412 | Medical Microbiology and Medical Microbiology Laboratory | 4 | |
| MB 414 | Microbial Metabolic Regulation | 3 | |
| MB 420/520 | Fundamentals of Microbial Cell Biotransformations | 2 | |
| MB 435/535 | Bacterial Pathogenesis | 3 | |
| MB 441 | Immunology | 3 | |
| MB 451 & MB 452 | Microbial Diversity and Microbial Diversity Lab | 5 | |
| MB 455 | Microbial Biotechnology | 3 | |
| MB 461 | Molecular Virology | 3 | |
| MB 470 | Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases | 3 | |
| MB 505 & MB 506 | Food Microbiology and Food Microbiology Lab | 4 | |
| MEA 300 | Environmental Geology | 4 | |
| MEA 369 | Life on Earth: Principles of Paleontology | 3 | |
| NR 303 | Humans and the Environment | 3 | |
| NR 406 | Conservation of Biological Diversity | 3 | |
| NTR 301 | Introduction to Human Nutrition | 3 | |
| NTR 401/501 | Advanced Nutrition and Metabolism | 3 | |
| NTR 410/510 | Maternal and Infant Nutrition | 3 | |
| NTR 415/515 | Comparative Nutrition | 3 | |
| NTR 419 | Human Nutrition and Chronic Disease | 3 | |
| NTR 421/521 | |||
| NTR 454 | Lactation, Milk and Nutrition | 3 | |
| PB 321 | Introduction to Whole Plant Physiology | 3 | |
| PB 360 | Ecology | 4 | |
| PB 403/503 | Systematic Botany | 4 | |
| PB 421 | Plant Physiology | 3 | |
| PB 480/580 | Introduction to Plant Biotechnology | 3 | |
| PB 481 | Plant Tissue Culture and Transformation | 2 | |
| PO 404/504 | Avian Anatomy and Physiology | 4 | |
| PO 415/515 | Comparative Nutrition | 3 | |
| PO 466/566 | Animal Cell Culture Techniques | 2 | |
| PP 315 | Principles of Plant Pathology | 4 | |
| SSC 332 | Environmental Soil Microbiology | 3 | |
| TOX 401/501 | Principles of Toxicology | 4 | |
| TOX 415 | Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry | 4 | |
| ZO 333 | Captive Animal Biology | 3 | |
| ZO 350 | Animal Phylogeny and Diversity | 4 | |
| ZO 402 | Invertebrate Biology | 4 | |
| ZO 410 | Introduction to Animal Behavior | 3 |
Life Sciences Electivesx
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any course from the Life Sciences Electives 300/400 level list | |||
| ANS 205 & ANS 206 | Physiology of Domestic Animals and Anatomy of Domestic Animals Lab | 4 | |
| ANS 220 & ANS 221 | Reproductive Physiology and Reproductive Physiology Lab | 4 | |
| ANS 225 | Principles of Animal Nutrition | 3 | |
| ANS 230 & ANS 231 | Animal Nutrition and Animal Nutrition Lab | 4 | |
| BCH 220 | Role of Biotechnology in Society | 3 | |
| BIO 240 | Principles of Human Anatomy & Physiology (A): Nervous, Skeletal, Muscular, & Digestive Systems | 4 | |
| BIO 245 | Principles of Human Anatomy & Physiology (B): Endocrine, Cardiovascular, Respiratory & Renal Systems | 4 | |
| BIO 267 | Research in the Life Sciences I: Research Skills | 3 | |
| BIO 269 | Research in the Life Sciences II: Guided Research | 3 | |
| BIT 200 | Early Research in Biotechnology | 4 | |
| BIT 210 | Phage Hunters | 3 | |
| BIT 211 | Phage Genomics | 2 | |
| CH 223 & CH 224 | Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry II Lab | 4 | |
| CS 230 | Introduction to Agroecology | 3 | |
| ENT 201 | Insects and People | 3 | |
| ENT 207 | Insects and Human Disease | 3 | |
| ENT 212 | Basic Entomology | 1 | |
| ES 200 | Climate Change and Sustainability | 3 | |
| FOR 261 | Forest Communities | 2 | |
| MB 200 | The Fourth Horseman: Plagues that Changed the World | 3 | |
| MB 210 | Phage Hunters | 3 | |
| MB 211 | Phage Genomics | 2 | |
| MEA 200 | Introduction to Oceanography | 3 | |
| MEA 210 | Oceanography Lab | 1 | |
| MEA 220 | Marine Biology | 3 | |
| MEA 250 & MEA 251 | Introduction to Coastal Environments and Introduction to Coastal Environments Laboratory | 4 | |
| PB 200 | Plant Life | 4 | |
| PB 215 | Medicinal Plants | 3 | |
| PB 219 | Plants in Folklore, Myth, and religion | 3 | |
| PB 220 | Local Flora | 3 | |
| PB 277 | Space Biology | 3 | |
| PY 212 | College Physics II | 4 | |
| SSC 201 | Soil Science Laboratory | 1 | |
| TOX 201 | Poisons, People and the Environment | 3 | |
| ZO 250 | Animal Anatomy and Physiology | 4 | |
Semester Sequence
This is a sample.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| BIO 181 | Introductory Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity 1 | 4 |
| CH 101 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science 1 | 3 |
| CH 102 | General Chemistry Laboratory 1 | 1 |
| LSC 101 | Critical and Creative Thinking in the Life Sciences 1 | 2 |
| Calculus | 3 | |
| LSC 103 | Exploring Opportunities in the Life Sciences 1 | 1 |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BIO 183 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology 1 | 4 |
| Organic Chemistry and Lab | 4 | |
| ENG 101 | Academic Writing and Research 1 | 4 |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| Statistics | 3 | |
| Communication Requirement | 3 | |
| Life Science | 3 | |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Life Science Elective | 3 | |
| Life Science Elective | 3 | |
| Cross Discipline Elective (Advised) | 3 | |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| PY 131 | Conceptual Physics | 4 |
| Experiential Learning Requirement | 3 | |
| Cross Discipline Elective (Advised) | 3 | |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Life Science Elective | 3 | |
| Life Science Elective | 3 | |
| Cross Discipline Elective (Advised) | 3 | |
| Writing | 3 | |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| Life Science Elective | 3 | |
| Life Science Elective | 3 | |
| Cross Discipline Elective (Advised) | 3 | |
| Cross Discipline Elective (Advised) | 3 | |
| GEP Requirement | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Life Science Elective | 3 | |
| Cross Discipline Elective (Advised) | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Cross Discipline Elective (Advised) | 3 | |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| BIO 481 | Senior Capstone Project | 1 |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
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A grade of C- or higher is required.
Career Opportunities
Many students majoring in the Department of Biological Sciences take advantage of scholarship and honors programs available at NC State, including the University Honors Program and the University Scholars Program. In addition, we offer a discipline-based Undergraduate Honors Program in Biological Sciences (DBS Honors Program). The DBS Honors Program requires students to design a challenging program of advanced study, including eight credits of honors coursework in biology and at least two semesters of research or teaching scholarship. Participants write an honors thesis and are required to present their scholarly work at a local, regional, or national meeting. Invitations to join the DBS Honors Program are sent in the first three weeks of the Fall and Spring semesters. Students in any major in the Department of Biological Sciences who have earned an overall GPA of 3.60 after completing 30-65 credit hours at NC State will receive an invitation to join the DBS Honors Program; transfer students in any of our majors who have earned an overall GPA of 3.60 in 15 credit hours at NC State also will receive an invitation.
Students who graduate from the Department of Biological Sciences are well prepared for employment in various government agencies and private industries. Graduates may continue their education with studies leading to advanced degrees in many areas of the biological sciences, including cell biology, ecology, microbiology, genetics, zoology, neurobiology, and biomedical disciplines. Many choose to seek advanced degrees in medicine, dentistry, optometry, veterinary medicine, public health, and other health-related fields. Students who plan to seek certification for pre-college teaching may want to pursue a second major in the Department of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics Education.