Biology

Overview

Biology is a rapidly expanding, multifaceted discipline, full of possibilities for undergraduate research and for stimulating graduate study and employment after Occidental. Within an evolutionary framework, our program investigates the interactions between molecules, cells, organisms, populations, and ecosystems that constitute life on earth. Interdisciplinary and integrative by nature, the biology program at Occidental engages both majors and non-majors in a curriculum that emphasizes laboratory and field investigation. Our students are encouraged to collaborate with faculty mentors, whose research employs current methods in addressing questions from the molecular to the global in scale. Students acquire skills from careful observation through hypothesis formulation and experimental design to formal oral and written presentations of results. After participating in the biology program at Occidental College, students are prepared for rewarding work and lifelong learning, armed with the tools necessary to understand large complex data sets and help explain the intricacies of living systems. This rigorous program provides our students with the training to enter the work force after graduation and/or transition to an advanced degree program. After completing the major, many students elect to take graduate training toward the PhD. in biological sciences or doctorates of medicine, veterinary medicine, pharmacy or dentistry. Many of our students complete Masters programs in Biological Sciences, teaching, environmental health and safety, and resource management. Receiving a degree in Biology at Occidental College enables our students to excel in any post-baccalaureate professional pursuit.

The Department of Biology is housed within the Bioscience building which is contiguous with the Moore Laboratory of Zoology. Facilities include the bird and mammal collections (70,000 specimens) of Moore Laboratory, greenhouses, facilities for microscopy (scanning and transmission electron and fluorescence), a tissue culture suite and fluorescence-activated cell sorter, fully-equipped molecular biology laboratories, field vehicles, and three research vessels for nearshore marine studies and SCUBA diving. Because of its proximity to the Mojave Desert, the Santa Monica, San Gabriel, and San Bernardino Mountains, and seacoast, Occidental College is ideally suited for field and laboratory studies of environmental biology.

Major Requirements

Students are required to complete all major requirements and supporting coursework as detailed below in order to earn their degree in Biology. Those students looking to complete a concentration in the following fields should familiarize themselves with the additional requirements below.

COURSEWORK

Introductory Biology

Select one course from the list below:

BIO 105	Marine Biology	4 units
BIO 110	Introductory Biology: Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution	4 units

Cellular and Molecular Biology (2 courses)

BIO 130	Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology	4 units
And one course from:
BIO 221	Molecular Biology	4 units
BIO 224	Genetic Analysis	4 units
BIO 226	Cell Biology	4 units

Environmental Biology

Select one course from the list below:

BIO 260	Biodiversity and Organization of Marine Ecosystems	4 units
BIO 270	Ecology	4 units
BIO 275	Flora of Southern California	4 units

Evolutionary Biology

BIO 280

Evolutionary Biology

4 units

Organismal Biology

Select one course from the list below:

BIO 215	Invertebrate Form and Function	4 units
BIO 240	Vertebrate Physiology	4 units
BIO 250	Plant Form and Function	4 units
BIO 275	Flora of Southern California	4 units

Upper-division Biology

Students must select three 300-level Biology courses (excluding Bio 310, Bio 395, and Bio 397) At least two of these must be Occidental College Biology laboratory courses.

Data Analysis

Select one course from the list below:

BIO 268	Biostatistics	4 units
COGS 255	Data Analysis and Visualization	4 units
COMP 146	Statistics	4 units
MATH 150	Statistical Data Analysis	4 units
PSYC 201	Statistics in Psychological Science	4 units

Organic Chemistry

CHEM 220

Organic Chemistry I

4 units

Senior Seminar

BIO 490

Senior Seminar

4 units

Supporting Coursework

Students are required to complete two additional courses to complete the major. One must be the supporting course for Organic Chemistry and one must be Calculus 1 or an equivalent course (e.g. MATH 110 or MATH 114). If a student is awarded credit for Calculus 1 for work prior to college entry, then they are required to take an additional quantitative literacy course at the college level (see list below).

Chemistry

Select one from the list:

CHEM 120	Foundations of General Chemistry	4 units
CHEM 130	Advanced Placement General Chemistry	4 units

Quantitative Literacy

All biology majors are required to complete a Calculus I-equivalent course (e.g. MATH 110 or MATH 114). Students who pass out of Calculus I are required to take an additional quantitative literacy course at the college level.

Select one course from the list below:

Calculus 1		4 units
Or if Calculus I satisfied by exam or other placement
BIO 373	Computational Biology	4 units
Calculus 2		4 units
COMP 131	Fundamentals of Computer Science	4 units
COMP 149	Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science	4 units
COMP 229	Data Structures	4 units
ECON 301	Environmental Economics and Policy	4 units
GEO 255	Remote Exploration of Earth	4 units
MATH 210	Discrete Mathematics	4 units
MATH 212	Multivariable Calculus	4 units
MATH 214	Linear Algebra	4 units
PHYS 110	Introductory Mechanics	4 units
PHYS 115	General Physics I	4 units
PHYS 117	Waves and Thermal Physics	4 units
PHYS 125	General Physics II	4 units

Concentration in Cell and Molecular Biology

In addition to completing all major requirements, students pursuing this concentration must complete:

One additional 200-level course, for a total of two courses, in Cell & Molecular Biology. Coursework must be selected from the list below.

BIO 221	Molecular Biology	4 units
BIO 224	Genetic Analysis	4 units
BIO 226	Cell Biology	4 units

Two of the three required 300-level courses must be selected from the list below.

BIO 320	Developmental Biology	4 units
BIO 322	Principles of Biochemistry	4 units
BIO 323	Histology	4 units
BIO 325	Microbial Diversity	4 units
BIO 326	Molecular Phylogenetics	4 units
BIO 330	Immunology	4 units
BIO 333	Neurobiology	4 units
BIO 336	Microbial Pathogenesis	4 units
BIO 340	Sensory Biology and Neurophysiology	4 units
BIO 345	Virology	4 units
BIO 349	Biochemistry I	4 units
BIO 350	Microbial Symbiosis	4 units
BIO 393	Special Topics in Biology	4 units

Concentration in Environmental Science

In addition to completing all major requirements, students pursuing this concentration must complete:

Environmental Biology

One additional 200-level course, for a total of two 200-level courses in Environmental Biology. Coursework must be selected from the list below:

BIO 260	Biodiversity and Organization of Marine Ecosystems	4 units
BIO 270	Ecology	4 units
BIO 275	Flora of Southern California	4 units

Upper-division Biology

Two of the three required 300-level courses must be selected from the list below:

BIO 325	Microbial Diversity	4 units
BIO 350	Microbial Symbiosis	4 units
BIO 356	The Biology of Marine Fishes	4 units
BIO 360	Avian Biology	4 units
BIO 369	Biological Oceanography	4 units
BIO 370	Field Ecology	4 units
BIO 372	Global Change Biology	4 units
BIO 373	Computational Biology	4 units
BIO 380	Plant Physiological Ecology	4 units

Geology Component

Two geology courses must be selected from the list below:

GEO 105	Earth: Our Environment	4 units
GEO 245	Earth's Climate: Past and Future	4 units
GEO 106	Earth and the Human Future	4 units
GEO 160	Spatial Analysis with Geographic Information Science	4 units
GEO 255	Remote Exploration of Earth	4 units

Concentration in Marine Biology

In addition to completing all major requirements, students pursuing this concentration must complete four courses from the list below:

BIO 260	Biodiversity and Organization of Marine Ecosystems	4 units
BIO 268	Biostatistics	4 units
BIO 325	Microbial Diversity	4 units
BIO 340	Sensory Biology and Neurophysiology	4 units
BIO 350	Microbial Symbiosis	4 units
BIO 356	The Biology of Marine Fishes	4 units
BIO 369	Biological Oceanography	4 units
GEO 245	Earth's Climate: Past and Future	4 units

Honors in the Major

• Student typically will have worked on a research project for 2 semesters (or 1 semester + summer session) minimum, before applying for honors
• Student must have an average GPA of 3.25

Application Process

• Student should discuss with their research mentor and submit an official Letter of Intent to the Biology Chairperson by the beginning of their senior year, or sooner.
• The letter of intent should include a summary of research results (realized and projected), as well as significance of the research and any projects in progress at the time of submission.
• Applications will be evaluated by the Biology faculty.
• Students nominated for honors will be notified by the Biology Chairperson.

Completion Process

• At the time of nomination, each candidate will be assigned an honors thesis committee of two Biology faculty members, in addition to their faculty mentor. This committee will be available for guidance and to help ensure that milestones are met in a timely manner.
• Milestones will include a thorough literature review, written drafts of the introduction, methods, and results sections, including draft figures, and a final discussion section, as well as preparation of a public seminar.
• The candidate must complete a written thesis of their work. It is expected that the student will spend part of their final semester or directed research writing the thesis.
• The written thesis will be due to the mentor by Monday in the 4th week of February.
• The revised honors thesis will be due to the committee by Monday in the 3rd week of February.
• The thesis will be reviewed by committee, and final revisions must be submitted by the last day of March.
• Honors candidates will also give a presentation on their research during the week of April 15. These presentations will last approximately 15 minutes, with 5 min for questions.
• Honors grades are Pass/Fail and reported to the registrar by the Chair. The chair will inform the students of their grade when it is decided upon by the committee.

Minor

Introductory Level

Students must select two courses from:

BIO 105	Marine Biology	4 units
BIO 110	Introductory Biology: Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution	4 units
BIO 115	General Zoology	4 units
BIO 130	Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology	4 units

Additional Electives

Choose three additional biology courses that are required for the major at the 200- or 300-level, two of which must be taken in the Occidental College Biology Department. Two unit courses may not apply to this requirement. Independent Studies and Advanced Placement credit may not count toward the minor.

Second-Stage Writing

Students majoring in Biology will satisfy the second-stage writing requirement by successfully completing two courses at the 300-level (or appropriate course work). Students should familiarize themselves with the departmental requirement at the time of declaring the major. See the Writing Program and consult the department chair for additional information.

Comprehensive Requirement

The Senior Comprehensive in Biology provides an opportunity for every senior to demonstrate mastery of a topic of current importance and research interest in contemporary biology.

Seniors enroll in small, one-semester seminars (BIO 490) organized around current topics that are meant to span a number of scales in biology. The seminar includes extensive reading (both assigned and independently chosen), discussion and evaluation of primary literature, selection of an appropriate subtopic on which to focus, synthesis and writing of a précis or summary of research on the subtopic, and a major oral presentation by each student. The seminar also involves collaboration in that presenters partner with discussion leaders and work together throughout the semester to hone each other’s written and oral presentations.

Transfer Credit Policies

The Biology Department policy on transfer credit conforms to College policy. Students should reference the Transfer Credit section for more details. IB or A-level examinations in Biology will not substitute for an Occidental course, place students into advanced courses, or allow a wider opportunity for choice of electives in the Department.

For the major at most two 200-level courses and at most one 300-level course will be accepted in transfer.

For the minor at most one course in transfer may be counted toward the 200- and 300-level requirement.