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 | Organisms on Earth | 4 units |
| BIO 115 | General Zoology | 4 units |
Cellular and Molecular Biology (2 courses)
| BIO 130 | Introduction to Cell 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 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
Introductory Biology
Select one course from the list below:
| BIO 105 | Marine Biology | 4 units |
| BIO 110 | Organisms on Earth | 4 units |
| BIO 115 | General Zoology | 4 units |
Organismal Biology
Select one course from the list below:
| BIO 240 | Vertebrate Physiology | 4 units |
| BIO 250 | Plant Form and Function | 4 units |
| BIO 275 | Flora of Southern California | 4 units |
Cellular and Molecular Biology
| BIO 130 | Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology | 4 units |
Environmental Biology
Select one 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 |
Upper-division Biology
Students must select three 300-level Biology courses required for the major. At least two of these must be Occidental College Biology laboratory courses, preferably chosen 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 373 | Computational Biology | 4 units |
| BIO 380 | Plant Physiological Ecology | 4 units |
Calculus 1/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:
| MATH 110 | Calculus 1 | 4 units |
| Or | ||
| MATH 114 | Calculus 1 (Advanced) | 4 units |
| Or if Calculus I satisfied by exam or other placement | ||
| BIO 373 | Computational Biology | 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 |
| MATH 120 | Calculus 2 | 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 |
Chemistry Component
| CHEM 120 | Foundations of General Chemistry | 4 units |
| One additional Chemistry course (with a lab) | 4 or 5 units |
Geology Component
Students must complete the following two courses:
| GEO 105 | Earth: Our Environment | 4 units |
| GEO 245 | Earth's Climate: Past and Future | 4 units |
Environmental Policy
One course on environmental policy is recommended, chosen from the suggested list below, or in consultation with faculty advisor:
| GEO 160 | Spatial Analysis with Geographic Information Science | 4 units |
| ECON 301 | Environmental Economics and Policy | 4 units |
| UEP 201 | Environmental Health and Policy | 4 units |
| UEP 300 | Environmental Law and Policy | 4 units |
| UEP 306 | Food and the Environment | 4 units |
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 |
Senior Seminar
| BIO 490 | Senior Seminar | 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 344 | Invertebrate Morphology and Physiology | 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 | Organisms on Earth | 4 units |
| BIO 115 | General Zoology | 4 units |
| BIO 130 | Introduction to Cell 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.