Biological Sciences (BS): Human Biology Concentration
To see more about what you will learn in this program, visit the Learning Outcomes website!
There are five different avenues to earning a B.S. in Biological Sciences at NC State. Students studying for a degree in Biological Sciences can opt for a general curriculum (BLS) or can choose to focus in a particular area by selecting one of four areas of concentration: Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCD), Integrative Physiology and Neurobiology (IPN), Human Biology (HB), or Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology (EEC).
The Human Biology (HB) curriculum provides the opportunity to study those areas of science most important to health-related professions as well as relevant aspects of the humanities and social sciences. It is designed to provide students with a solid education in the scientific and humanistic concepts that underlie modern health sciences and related areas of scientific research. Course requirements in HB include those most commonly required by medical schools.
Plan Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exploring the Life Sciences | |||
| LSC 103 | Exploring Opportunities in the Life Sciences | 1 | |
| Writing | |||
| Advanced Writing Requirement Electives 1 | 3 | ||
Cannot be double-counted for a GEP requirement. | |||
| Biological 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 | |
| Physiology Electives 1 | 7 | ||
| GN 311 | Principles of Genetics 1 | 4 | |
| MB 351 | General Microbiology 1 | 3 | |
| MB 352 | General Microbiology Laboratory 1 | 1 | |
| or MB 354 | Inquiry-Guided Microbiology Lab | ||
| BCH 351 | General Biochemistry 1 | 3 | |
| or BCH 451 | Principles of Biochemistry | ||
| Physical & Mathematical Sciences | |||
| MA 131 | Calculus for Life and Management Sciences A 1 | 3 | |
| or MA 141 | Calculus I | ||
| MA 231 | Calculus for Life and Management Sciences B 1 | 3 | |
| or MA 241 | Calculus II | ||
| CH 101 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science 1 | 3 | |
| CH 102 | General Chemistry Laboratory 1 | 1 | |
| CH 201 | Chemistry - A Quantitative Science 1 | 3 | |
| CH 202 | Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory 1 | 1 | |
| CH 221 | Organic Chemistry I 1 | 3 | |
| CH 222 | Organic Chemistry I Lab 1 | 1 | |
| CH 223 | Organic Chemistry II 1 | 3 | |
| CH 224 | Organic Chemistry II Lab 1 | 1 | |
| Select one of the following: 1 | 4 | ||
| College Physics I | |||
| Physics for Engineers and Scientists I and Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory | |||
| Select one of the following: 1 | 4 | ||
| College Physics II | |||
| Physics for Engineers and Scientists II and Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory | |||
| ST 311 | Introduction to Statistics 1 | 3 | |
| Major Electives | |||
| Human Biology Electives 1 | 12 | ||
| Additional Science & Math Electives | 9 | ||
| GEP Courses | |||
| ENG 101 | Academic Writing and Research 1 | 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 | |||
| Free Electives (12 Hr S/U Lmt) 2 | 10 | ||
| These electives cannot be remedial nor can they be taken at an elementary level after you have taken comparable coursework at a more advanced level. Students interested in graduate school or professional school should check the courses required for admission to the programs to which they plan to apply. | |||
| Total Hours | 120 | ||
- 1
A grade of C- or higher is required.
- 2
Students should consult their academic advisors to determine which courses fill this requirement.
Advanced Writing Requirement Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIO 267 | Research in the Life Sciences I: Research Skills | 3 | |
| COM 211 | Argumentation and Advocacy | 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 381 | Creative Nonfiction Writing Workshop | 3 | |
| ENG 388 | Intermediate Fiction Writing Workshop | 3 | |
| ENG 389 | Intermediate Poetry Writing Workshop | 3 | |
| ENG 416 | Advanced News and Article Writing | 3 | |
| ENG 417 | Editorial and Opinion Writing | 3 | |
| ENG 422 | Writing Theory and the Writing Process | 3 | |
| ENG 425 | Analysis of Scientific and Technical Writing | 3 | |
| ENG 426 | Analyzing Style | 3 |
Physiology Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 424 | Endocrinology | 3 | |
| BIO 488 | Neurobiology | 3 | |
| BIO 588 | Neurobiology | 3 | |
| MB 441 | Immunology | 3 |
Human Biology Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANS 452/552 | Comparative Reproductive Physiology and Biotechnology | 3 | |
| ANT 371 | Human Variation | 3 | |
| ANT 374 | Disease and Society | 3 | |
| ANT 421/521 | Human Osteology | 3 | |
| ANT 424/524 | Bioarchaeology | 3 | |
| ANT 444/544 | Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Women | 3 | |
| ANT 450/550 | Culture, Ecology, and Sustainable Living | 3 | |
| BCH 452 | Introductory Biochemistry Laboratory | 2 | |
| BCH 453/553 | Biochemistry of Gene Expression | 3 | |
| BCH 454 | Advanced Biochemistry Laboratory | 4 | |
| BCH 455/555 | Proteins and Molecular Mechanisms | 3 | |
| BIO 315 | General Parasitology | 3 | |
| BIO 361 | Developmental Biology | 3 | |
| BIO 370 | Developmental Anatomy of the Vertebrates | 3 | |
| BIO 375 | Developmental Anatomy Laboratory | 2 | |
| BIO 405 | Functional Histology | 3 | |
| BIO 414 | Cell Biology | 3 | |
| BIO 416 | Cancer Cell Biology | 3 | |
| BIO 418 | Cell Biology Research Lab | 2 | |
| 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 482 | Capstone Course in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology | 3 | |
| BIO 483 | Capstone Course in Integrative Physiology and Neurobiology | 3 | |
| BIO 484 | Capstone Course in Human Biology | 3 | |
| BIO 488/588 | Neurobiology | 3 | |
| BIT 477/577 | Metagenomics | 2 | |
| EDP 476 | Psychology of Adolescent Development | 3 | |
| ENT 207 | Insects and Human Disease | 3 | |
| FS 301 | Introduction to Human Nutrition | 3 | |
| FS 405 & FS 406 | Food Microbiology and Food Microbiology Lab | 4 | |
| FS 505 & FS 506 | Food Microbiology and Food Microbiology Lab | 4 | |
| GN 301 | Genetics in Human Affairs | 3 | |
| GN 421/521 | Molecular Genetics | 3 | |
| GN 434 | Genes and Development | 3 | |
| GN 441/541 | Human and Biomedical Genetics | 3 | |
| GN 451 | Genome Science | 3 | |
| GN 456 | Epigenetics, Development, and Disease | 3 | |
| GPH 201 | Fundamentals of Global Public Health | 3 | |
| GPH 404 | Epidemiology and Statistics in Global Public Health | 3 | |
| MB 405 & MB 406 | Food Microbiology and Food Microbiology Lab | 4 | |
| MB 411 & MB 412 | Medical Microbiology and Medical Microbiology Laboratory | 4 | |
| MB 435/535 | Bacterial Pathogenesis | 3 | |
| MB 441 | Immunology | 3 | |
| MB 470 | Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases | 3 | |
| NTR 301 | Introduction to Human Nutrition | 3 | |
| NTR 330 | Public Health Nutrition | 3 | |
| NTR 410/510 | Maternal and Infant Nutrition | 3 | |
| NTR 419 | Human Nutrition and Chronic Disease | 3 | |
| NTR 521 | |||
| PB 215 | Medicinal Plants | 3 | |
| PHI 221 | Contemporary Moral Issues | 3 | |
| PHI 325 | Bio-Medical Ethics | 3 | |
| PHY 452 | Comparative Reproductive Physiology and Biotechnology | 3 | |
| PHY 503 | General Physiology I | 3 | |
| PHY 504 | General Physiology II | 3 | |
| PHY 552 | Comparative Reproductive Physiology and Biotechnology | 3 | |
| PSY 370 | Personality | 3 | |
| PSY 376 | Developmental Psychology | 3 | |
| PSY 406 | Psychology of Gender | 3 | |
| PSY 430 | Biological Psychology | 3 | |
| PSY 431 | Health Psychology | 3 | |
| PSY 470 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 | |
| PSY 475 | Child Psychology | 3 | |
| PSY 476 | Psychology of Adolescent Development | 3 | |
| SOC 301 | Human Behavior | 3 | |
| SOC 381 | Sociology of Medicine | 3 | |
| ST 404 | Epidemiology and Statistics in Global Public Health | 3 | |
| STS 325 | Bio-Medical Ethics | 3 | |
| TOX 201 | Poisons, People and the Environment | 3 | |
| TOX 401 | Principles of Toxicology | 4 | |
| TOX 501 | Principles of Toxicology | 4 | |
| WGS 406 | Psychology of Gender | 3 | |
| WGS 444/544 | Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Women | 3 |
Additional Science and Math Electives
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| AEC/GN 450 | Conservation Genetics | 3 | |
| BEC/BIT 463 | Fermentation of Recombinant Microorganisms | 2 | |
| BIO 230 | The Science of Studying Dinosaurs | 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 310 | Quantitative Approaches to Biological Problems | 3 | |
| BIO 416 | Cancer Cell Biology | 3 | |
| BIO 418 | Cell Biology Research Lab | 2 | |
| BIO 432 | Evolutionary Medicine | 3 | |
| BIT 477 | Metagenomics | 2 | |
| GN 428 | Introduction to Machine Learning in Biology | 3 | |
| GN 453 | Personal Genomics | 3 | |
| MA 331 | Differential Equations for the Life Sciences | 3 | |
| MB 470 | Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases | 3 | |
| PB 205 | Our Green World | 3 | |
| ZO 334 | Captive Animal Biology Field Laboratory | 2 | |
| ZO 486 | Capstone Course in Zoology | 3 |
Semester Sequence
This is a sample.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| LSC 101 | Critical and Creative Thinking in the Life Sciences 1 | 2 |
| 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 |
| MA 131 | Calculus for Life and Management Sciences A 1 | 3 |
| LSC 103 | Exploring Opportunities in the Life Sciences | 1 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BIO 183 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology 1 | 4 |
| CH 221 | Organic Chemistry I 1 | 3 |
| CH 222 | Organic Chemistry I Lab 1 | 1 |
| ENG 101 | Academic Writing and Research | 4 |
| MA 231 | Calculus for Life and Management Sciences B 1 | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| Physiology Requirement | 4 | |
| CH 223 | Organic Chemistry II 1 | 3 |
| CH 224 | Organic Chemistry II Lab 1 | 1 |
| ST 311 | Introduction to Statistics 1 | 3 |
| GEP Humanities | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Physiology Requirement or HB Elective | 3-4 | |
| PY 211 | College Physics I 1 | 4 |
| CH 201 | Chemistry - A Quantitative Science 1 | 3 |
| CH 202 | Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory 1 | 1 |
| Advanced Writing Requirement | 3 | |
| Hours | 14-15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| BCH 351 or BCH 451 | General Biochemistry 1 or Principles of Biochemistry | 3-4 |
| PY 212 | College Physics II 1 | 4 |
| MB 351 | General Microbiology 1 | 3 |
| MB 352 or MB 354 | General Microbiology Laboratory 1 or Inquiry-Guided Microbiology Lab | 1 |
| GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 3 | |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| Hours | 15-16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| GN 311 | Principles of Genetics 1 | 4 |
| GEP Social Sciences | 3 | |
| Science & Math Elective | 3 | |
| Physiology Requirement or HB Elective | 3-4 | |
| Hours | 13-14 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| HB Elective | 3 | |
| HB Elective | 3 | |
| GEP Social Sciences | 3 | |
| GEP US Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 3 | |
| Science and Math Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| HB Elective | 3 | |
| GEP Humanities | 3 | |
| Science and Math Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 119-122 | |
- 1
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.