This curriculum is designed for students who plan to attend graduate school and for pre professional students who wish to prepare for admission to a school of chiropractic, dentistry, medicine, osteopathy, pharmacy, podiatry, or veterinary medicine.

Students should consult the catalog of the school they plan to attend in order to include in their undergraduate programs any special prerequisites not included in the biology curriculum. The pre professional adviser helps students prepare for entrance into their desired professions. It should be noted that the majority of the students accepted to graduate schools have completed four years of undergraduate work.

Program Outcomes

Students majoring in Biology develop the following skills and abilities:

Ability to use the scientific method and understand its strengths and weaknesses: Clearly states a hypothesis; Identifies not only the basics of the issue, but recognizes the nuances of the issue.

Ability to research a biological topic using traditional and computer technology: Provides a thorough and relevant literature review; Considers alternate ways to approach the questions; Ability to read and evaluate professional scientific literature; Demonstrates understanding of the relationship between experiment and theory.

Ability to write and communicate science: Writing enhances the presentation; Writing is consistently well written; Writing communicates clearly using the language of biology; Writing displays an excellent command of writing mechanics; Topics are clearly organized; Topics are covered in-depth; Topics display an abundance of original ideas; APA style is used consistently and accurately without any errors.

Ability to utilize mathematical reasoning and quantitative skills in biology: Analyzes data via graphs, statistics and curve fitting as appropriate; Possess observational and technical skills; Carries out controlled experiments using the proper equipment and safety measurements; Identifies relevant constraints; Collects data carefully and with appropriate precision; Uses initial data to refine the experiment.

Possess major field knowledge: Identifies an appropriate question by using prior knowledge; Ability to successfully compete in biologically related fields; Obtains acceptance into graduate/professional schools or employment in the field.

Degree Plan

NOTE: All students are required to complete the General Education Requirements in fulfillment of their Bachelor degree requirements.

  • Florham Campus students are required to take SPCH 1107 Fundamentals of Speech and  PHIL1440 Bio-Medical Ethics as part of their general education requirements.
  • During semesters 4 and 5 the Florham students will take Molecular Cell Biology before Genetics and Metro students will take Genetics before Molecular Cell Biology] 
  • Florham campus students take Applied Statistics (MATH 1133) and Metropolitan campus students take Experimental Design (BIOL 2300)
  • General Physics I and II can be taken with or without calculus on both New Jersey campuses
  • Marine Biology can satisfy Ecology requirement on the Metropolitan campus only
  • Biochemistry lecture (without lab) can count towards a chemistry minor as an elective and may be a requirement in certain tracks on both New Jersey campuses
  • Ethics in Science can count for the Moral/Ethics requirement on the Metropolitan campus only

Semesters 1 and 2

Semester 3 and 4

Semesters 5 and 6

  • BIOL3100, BIOL3101 Genetics and Laboratory
  • BIOL3___/4___ Biology Elective I
  • BIOL3___/4___ Biology Elective II

Semesters 7 and 8

  • BIOL3___/4___ Biology Elective III
  • BIOL4950 Biology Seminar
  • BIOL3___/4___ Biology Elective IV
  • BIOL3___/4___ Biology Elective V

Biology electives (15-20 credits)

  • Elective area I: Ecology and Environmental Biology
  • Elective area II: Cellular and Molecular Biology
  • Elective area III: Organismal Biology
  • Elective area IV and V: Anatomy and Physiology, Ecology and Environmental Biology, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Organismal Biology
Courses for BIOL 3000/4000 Elective I (and Electives IV and V if concentrating in Ecology and Environmental Biology):
  • BIOL 3310, BIOL 3311 Evolution
  • BIOL 3380, BIOL 3381 Animal Behavior
  • BIOL 3390, BIOL 3391 Conservation Biology and Wildlife Management
  • BIOL 4100, BIOL 4110 Marine Ecology
  • BIOL 4210, BIOL 4215, Wildlife and Population Ecology
  • BIOL 4420, BIOL 4423 Evolution and Biodiversity
  • BIOL 4431 Selected Studies in Ecology and Environmental Biology
  • BIOL 4460, BIOL 4461 Environmental Toxicology
  • BIOL 4771 Behavioral Ecology
  • BIOL 4772 Ecotoxicology
  • BIOL 4775 Physiological Ecology
  • MBIO 3201 Aquatic Vegetation
  • MBIO 3701 Marine Ecology
Courses for BIOL 3000/4000 Elective II (and Electives IV and V if concentrating in Cellular and Molecular Biology):
  • BIOL 3009, BIOL 3019 Microbiology
  • BIOL 3221, BIOL 3231 Microbiology – Medical Focus
  • BIOL 3225, BIOL 3226 General Microbiology
  • BIOL 3332, BIOL 3333 Immunology
  • BIOL 3345 Molecular Genetics
  • BIOL 3360, BIOL 3361 Advanced Molecular Biology
  • BIOL 3408, BIOL 3409 Forensic Science
  • BIOL 3417 Introduction to Recombinant DNA
  • BIOL 3420, BIOL 3421 Developmental Biology
  • BIOL 4220, BIOL 4221 Histology
  • BIOL 4235, BIOL 4236 Developmental Biology
  • BIOL 4240, BIOL 4241 Molecular Cell Biology
  • BIOL 4444 Selected Studies in Cell and Molecular Biology
  • BIOL 4470, BIOL 4471 Introduction to Neuroscience
  • BIOL 4500, BIOL 4501 Cell Biology Cancer
  • BIOL 4600, BIOL 4601 Gene Expression and Regulation
  • BIOL 4855, BIOL 4856 Molecular Biology Techniques
  • BIOL 6720 or BIOL 4720 Molecular Biotechnology
  • BIOL 5306 or BIOL 4306 Immunology
  • BIOL 6840 or BIOL 4840 Cell Culture
Courses for BIOL 3000/4000 Elective III:
  • BIOL 3238, BIOL 3239 Human Structure and Function I
  • BIOL 3028, BIOL 3029 Plant Morphology
  • BIOL 3225, BIOL 3226 General Microbiology
  • BIOL 3253, BIOL 3254 Comparative Anatomy
  • BIOL 3310, BIOL 3311 Evolution
  • BIOL 3337, BIOL 3327 General Physiology
  • BIOL 3357, BIOL 3358 Human Structure and Function II
  • BIOL 3380, BIOL 3381 Animal Behavior
  • BIOL 3413, BIOL 3423 Entomology
  • BIOL 3420, BIOL 3421 Developmental Biology
  • BIOL 4235, BIOL 4236 Developmental Biology
  • BIOL 4420, BIOL 4421 Evolution and Biodiversity
  • BIOL 4452 Selected Studies in Anatomy and Physiology
  • BIOL 4480, BIOL 4481 Insect-transmitted Diseases
  • MBIO 3201 Aquatic Vegetation
  • MBIO 3401 Marine Invertebrates
  • MBIO 3650, MBIO 3651 Physiology of Marine Animals
  • MBIO 3901 Marine Vertebrates
Courses for BIOL 3000/4000 Electives IV and V if concentrating in Anatomy and Physiology:
  • BIOL 3237, BIOL 3239 Human Structure and Function I
  • BIOL 3253, BIOL 3254 Comparative Anatomy
  • BIOL 3337, BIOL 3327 General Physiology
  • BIOL 3357, BIOL 3358 Human Structure and Function II
  • BIOL 3420, BIOL 3421 Developmental Biology
  • BIOL 4235, BIOL 4236 Developmental Biology
  • BIOL 4452 Selected Studies in Anatomy and Physiology
  • BIOL 4745 Endocrinology
  • BIOL 4888 Physiology of Disease
  • BIOL 4421 Neuroscience
  • BIOL 4893 Human Physiology
  • MBIO 3650, MBIO 3651 Physiology of Marine Animals

If two biology elective courses are selected from the same major area, a concentration in that area may be declared. Four credits of undergraduate research (permission of instructor required) may be substituted for one major area course as a biology elective.

Anatomy and Physiology Concentration

Students majoring in Biology with a concentration in Anatomy and Physiology must take

Semesters 5 and 6

Semesters 7 and 8

  • BIOL3___/4___ Biology Elective II
  • BIOL3___/4___ Biology Elective III
  • BIOL3___/4___ Biology Elective IV
  • BIOL3___/4___ Biology Elective V
  • BIOL4405 Ethics in Science
  • BIOL4950 Biology Seminar 

A minimum of 121 credits is required for graduation.

Ecology & Environmental Biology Concentration

Semesters 5

Semesters 7 and 8

  • BIOL3___/4___ Biology Elective II
  • BIOL3___/4___ Biology Elective III
  • BIOL3___/4___ Biology Elective IV
  • BIOL4405 Ethics in Science
  • BIOL4950 Biology Seminar 
  • BIOL3___/4___ Biology Elective V

A minimum of 120 credits is required for graduation.

Cellular and Molecular Biology Concentration

Semesters 5 and 6

Semesters 7 and 8

  • BIOL3___/4___ Biology Elective II
  • BIOL3___/4___ Biology Elective III
  • BIOL3___/4___ Biology Elective IV
  • BIOL3___/4___ Biology Elective V
  • BIOL4405 Ethics in Science
  • BIOL4950 Biology Seminar 

A minimum of 120 credits is required for graduation.

Biotechnology Concentration

(offered only at Metropolitan Campus)

Semesters 5

Semesters 7 and 8

A minimum of 120 credits is required for graduation.

Common Cognate Requirements

Semesters 1 and 2

Semesters 3 and 4

Semesters 5 and 6

Major Requirements:

  • Free Electives: May be chosen from any courses offered at the University after consultation with an advisor, but may include no more than six credits of “1000” level Biology courses. Physical Education is recommended for students to go on to schools of Veterinary Medicine. Foreign language is recommended for students intending to go on to Graduate School.
  • The Program is designed for students who plan to attend Graduate school or who wish to prepare for admission to a School of Medicine, Dentistry, Chiropractic, Optometry, etc., as well as those interested in entering directly into the workforce.