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Concentration and Academic Minor Offerings
Declaring a Major Concentration or an Academic Minor
Advising
Course and GPA Requirements
Transfer Credit
Registering for Courses and Course Overrides
Independent Research
Honors Program
Course Scheduling
Concentration and Academic Minor Offerings
What is the Program in Biology?
The Program in Biology is made up of two departments: the Departments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department (EEB) and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB). There are seven concentrations and three minors offered through the Program in Biology.
How many concentrations are offered through the Program in Biology?
There are seven concentrations:
Biology
General Biology
Cellular and Molecular Biology
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Microbiology
Neuroscience
Plant Biology
Declaring a Major Concentration or an Academic Minor
I don't know what concentration to choose.
If you are just beginning your career at U-M, it is not necessary to decide on a specific concentration right away. Instead, you should decide whether or not you are interested in pursuing a degree in science. If you are interested in any of the natural sciences, we suggest you begin the prerequisite courses as soon as possible. Specifically, we recommend taking the chemistry and math prerequisites in your freshman year and taking BIO 162 (Introductory Biology) no later than the first term of your sophomore year.
Once you have taken a majority of the prerequisite courses, including Introductory Biology (BIO 162), you will be in a position to make an informed decision on what concentration to choose based on your interests.
How do I declare my concentration or minor?
Once you have decided on what major or minor concentration you wish to declare, you must make an appointment with a concentration advisor. During this meeting the advisor will help you fill out the appropriate paperwork to officially submit your declaration in a concentration or minor program.
Is there a minimum GPA requirement to declare a concentration?
You should have a concentration GPA of at least a 2.0 to declare a concentration, and prerequisite courses for the concentration are included in the GPA calculation.
Do I need to complete all my prerequisites before declaring my concentration?
No. You may declare before you finish all of the prerequisites.
What is the difference between Biology and General Biology?
The Biology and General Biology concentrations are very similar. They both have the same prerequisite requirements and the same core course requirements (see specific concentrations for details). The key differences are:
- The Biology concentration requires completing a minimum of 30 credits, whereas the General Biology concentration requires a minimum of 24 credits.
- There is a cognate course requirement (approved course from a different department) for General Biology, but there is no cognate requirement for Biology.
- The Biology concentration requires three laboratory courses, whereas General Biology requires two.
- For the Biology concentration at least one advanced elective course in a BIO, MCDB or EEB course at the 300-level or above is required; this is not a requirement for General Biology.
General Biology is not recommended for students who are contemplating going to graduate school in biological sciences (e.g., masters or Ph.D. level).
May I double-concentrate in two different concentrations offered through the Program in Biology?
You cannot elect two concentrations offered in the same department. For example, if you declare a Biology concentration, you would not be able to elect a CMB or EEB concentration because the Biology concentration is administered by both the EEB and MCBD departments.
One notable exception is the election of an EEB concentration and either a CMB or Neuroscience concentration. This is because the EEB concentration is administered solely by the EEB department, the CMB concentration is administered solely by the MCDB department, and the Neuroscience concentration is administered by the MCDB and Psychology departments.
May I earn a concentration and minor from the same department?
No. An academic minor in Biology, EEB, or Plant Biology is not open to students electing a concentration in Biology, General Biology, EEB, CMB, Microbiology, Neuroscience, Plant Biology, or Biochemistry, nor to students who are electing an academic minor in Environmental Studies or Global Change.
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Advising
When should I see a concentration advisor?
Students who are interested in pursuing a concentration in the biological sciences are encouraged to meet with a concentration advisor early in their academic career. It is never too early to make sure you are on the right track.
Concentration advisors are here to answer an array of questions regarding course requirements, course scheduling, the honors program, career and graduate school options, and to help you decide which of the seven biology concentrations or three minors would best meet your interests and goals. In addition, concentration advisors fill out important paperwork including your concentration and/or minor declaration form, and your concentration release form before you graduate.
How do I make an advising appointment?
To schedule an advising appointment, please visit the Biology online scheduling site. U-M login is required. Because of the volume of students we accommodate, we cannot make an appointment for a student over the telephone or by fax or e-mail.
I have so many advisors I don't know who I am supposed to see for what, or when.
- Meet with your general LS&A advisor or honors advisor (if you are in the Honors Program) to discuss general LS&A requirements such as distribution course requirements.
- Meet with a concentration advisor for anything related to the concentration or minor offered in that department. This includes investigating concentrations, course planning, discussing career paths, declaring a concentration, and filling out concentration release forms.
- Meet with a pre-health advisor for information relating to the prerequisites required for health professional degrees (e.g., Medical School, Nursing, Dentistry, Pharmacy, etc.)
Course and GPA Requirements
May I use the honors versions of prerequisites to fulfill the prerequisite requirement for one of the biology concentrations?
Yes.
May I take a prerequisite pass/fail?
Prerequisites other than introductory biology may be taken pass/fail; however, it is not recommended especially for chemistry. Remember that you must earn at least a C- to pass a course you take pass/fail.
May I take a cognate course that I am using to fulfill a concentration requirement pass/fail?
No.
What is a passing grade for a course taken in the Program in Biology?
D-
What is the minimum concentration GPA in order to graduate?
A concentration GPA of 2.0 is required in order to declare a concentration and to graduate. Prerequisite and cognate classes used toward the concentration are included in calculating the concentration GPA.
How is the concentration GPA calculated?
Divide the total number of honor points ("MHP" on your transcript) by the total number of credit hours. All prerequisites, concentration courses, courses from the department(s), and cognate courses are used in the calculation.
Note: If a course has been repeated, both grades will be used to calculate the concentration GPA. That is, if you earned a D+ in a class, repeated the course and earned a B, the credits and honor points for both the D+ and B will be included in the concentration GPA calculation.
Do human physiology (Physiology 201, 502) or human anatomy (Medadm or Biomed 401) courses count toward my concentration?
None of these courses count toward any concentration offered through the Program in Biology.
Does Microbiology 301/350 count toward my concentration?
These two classes do not count toward any concentration offered through the Program in Biology.
Does UROP credit count toward my concentration?
No.
I am a double concentrator. How many classes may I overlap to fulfill both concentration requirements?
There is not a hard rule on this. Technically you may overlap as many courses as you wish for both concentrations, provided that the courses you take meet a requirement for both concentrations.
How many classes may I overlap to fulfill my concentration and my minor?
Students may count one class to meet both a concentration and minor requirement.
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Transfer Credit
May I take prerequisite courses (Math, Physics, etc.) from a community college and transfer the courses back to U-M?
Students may take a course at a community college and transfer the credit back to U-M if they have completed less than 60 credits at U-M. If they have completed 60 credits or more, they must take a course at a four-year institution.
I took a course at another school and transferred the credits back to U-M. However, on my transcript it says "Departmental" credit rather than indicating a specific course title. For example, I took an Introductory Biology course I think is equivalent to BIO 171, but on my transcript it reads "BIO 101X Departmental." Why?
Transferring a biology course to U-M is a two-step process. The first step is transferring the credits to U-M. The second step is determining whether or not the course is a direct course equivalent to a course offered at U-M. To do this you must supply a syllabus to the Program in Biology for review. Review the Program in Biology transfer credit information page for details on how to do this!
How do I know if a non-biology course at another school is a direct course equivalent at U-M?
Visit the transfer credit webpage through LS&A. This website provides a list of schools with a list of their classes that are equivalent to classes at U-M.
If the school or class you are looking for is not listed on the LS&A website, you must contact the department that offers the class to determine equivalency (follow their procedures). Biology transfer procedures are described here.
Plan ahead: If you are considering taking a class from another institution (going abroad or taking a summer course elsewhere) and it is not listed on the LS&A transfer website, go through the approval process (see above information) before you take the course!
May I take a concentration course at another school?
The Program in Biology prefers that you take all concentration courses on the Ann Arbor campus. However, you may take a concentration course elsewhere. To determine course equivalencies, read through the answers to questions 14 and 15 above.
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Registering for Courses and Course Overrides
How do I use my override?
You will receive an e-mail message that indicates the course and the section for which the override was issued, and some instructions about the override. Read the message, then go ahead and register for the course through Wolverine Access as you would for any course.
I got an override, but I'm still not registered. Why not?
Receiving an e-mail notification that you've been granted an override does not mean you have been enrolled in the course. Please follow the directions in the e-mail, and register for the course through Wolverine Access as you would for any course.
If my override is for the same section as the one I am waitlisted for, do I have to drop before I can register?
No.
If the override is for a different section than I'm waitlisted for, do I have to drop that section before I can register for the one I have the override for?
Yes.
I can't register for a certain course because, although I have taken the prerequisites, they do not appear on my transcript/in the system (departmental credit, honors BIO, etc.). How do I get into the course?
You must come in person to the Program in Biology office (1111 Natural Science Building) with documentation that you have the prerequisite, and an override will be issued to you. You must provide the staff with the particular course and three-digit section number you wish to enroll in. Please note that an override cannot be granted to you until your registration appointment begins, and only if the class is not already full.
I can't get on an electronic waitlist for a certain course because, although I have taken the prerequisites, they do not appear on my transcript/in the system (departmental credit, honors BIO, etc.). How do I get on a waitlist?
You must come in person to the Program in Biology office (1111 Natural Science Building) with documentation that you have the prerequisite. You will be added to a paper waitlist for the course and section you wish to enroll in. The paper waitlist works just like the electronic waitlist; i.e., you will be eligible for an available seat in the class according to your registration appointment date and time.
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Independent Research
How do I go about doing undergraduate research?
Please visit the Undergraduate Research guidelines for the specific requirements for independant research. If you have questions after reading through the guidelines, please stop in for walk-in advising or to make an appointment with a concentration advisor.
If I'm doing research in another department/school of the University, can I get undergraduate research credit toward my biology concentration?
Please visit the Undergraduate Research guidelines for the specific requirements for independant research. If you have questions after reading through the guidelines, please stop in for walk-in advising or to make an appointment with a concentration advisor.
Does independent study credit count toward my concentration?
A maximum of 3 credits may be used toward the concentration, with the exception of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Concentration (see specific requirements).
How do I find an EEB/MCDB faculty sponsor/co-sponsor for independent research credit?
There is no set policy on how to find a faculty sponsor for undergraduate research. We suggest looking over the faculty profiles on the EEB and MCDB web pages to find a faculty member whose interests meet your own and contact them.
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Honors Program
What is an honors concentration?
The Program in Biology administers an Honors Program to train students to conduct independent research in Biology; Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB); Microbiology; Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (MCDB); Neuroscience; and Plant Biology. In addition to completing all the requirements for the concentration, an honors degree requires a concentration GPA of at least 3.3 (3.4 for Neuroscience), and the completion of a significant piece of independent research that is reported in an honors thesis and presented in a public forum.
What concentrations in the Program of Biology offer an honors concentration?
Biology
Cellular and Molecular Biology
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Microbiology
Neuroscience
Plant Biology
I was in the honors program as a freshman and/or sophomore. Does that mean I have to do an honors concentration?
No. You are under no obligation to complete an honor thesis if you participated in the honors program as a freshman or sophomore.
Do I have to declare an honors concentration even though I participated in the honors program as a freshman and/or sophomore?
Yes. If you wish to complete an honors concentration, you must make an appointment with a concentration advisor to declare an honors concentration.
It is recommended that you discuss the honors concentration with a concentration advisor early in your undergraduate career, and declare your participation in honors as soon as possible.
May I do an honors concentration if I did not participate in the Honors Program as a freshman or sophomore?
Yes, provided that you meet the requirements to declare an honors concentration. That is, you must have a concentration GPA of at least a 3.4 in order to declare an honors concentration.
What are the guidelines/rules to complete an honors concentration?
Please visit the Honors Guidelines for the specific requirements for the Honors Program. If you have more questions, please make an appointment with a concentration advisor or come to walk-in advising.
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Course Scheduling
I looked at the LSA course guide under Biology and I only found a few courses listed. Where are all the Biology courses?
Only some courses are listed under the subject "Biology;" these are courses that may be taught by EEB or MCDB faculty or a combination of both. The majority of courses are listed under "EEB" and "MCDB," with EEB courses being taught by EEB Department faculty, and MCDB courses being taught by MCDB Department faculty.
What are the prerequisite course requirements?
This table specifies the prerequisite requirements and some of the most common required courses for the seven concentrations offered through the Program in Biology. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list. A student should consult the LS&A bulletin or the Program in Biology webpage (http://www.lsa.umich.edu/biology/) to learn about the specific requirements for each concentration.
| Course No. | Biology | General Biology | Neuro | Micro | CMB | Plant Bio | EEB | |
| Prerequisites: | ||||||||
| Intro Biology | BIO 171/172 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| BIO 173 | YES | YES | NO | YES | YES | YES | YES | |
| Chemistry | CHEM 210/211 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| CHEM 215/216 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | |
| Physics | PHYSICS 125/128, or 140/141, or 135/141 | YES | YES | ELEC | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| PHYSICS 126/128, or 240/241, or 235/241 | YES | YES | ELEC | YES | YES | YES | YES | |
| Math | MATH 115 |
YES | YES | ELEC | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| MATH 116 |
YES | YES | ELEC | YES | YES | YES | YES | |
| Common Required Courses: | ||||||||
| Genetics | BIO 305 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Biochemistry | BIO 310, or 311, or BIOLCHEM 415 | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | OPT* |
| Evolution | BIO 390 | YES | YES | NO | NO | ELEC | YES | YES |
| Other Required courses* | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
YES:Indicates a course that is required.
NO: Indicates a course that cannot count toward
a concentration.
ELEC: Indicates a course that is not required for the
concentration, but may count as an elective.
OPT: Indicates an optional required course (e.g., for
EEB, a student can elect Biochemistry or Statistics 350
to fulfill a requirement).
There are so many BIO/EEB/MCDB classes. I don't know which ones to choose or when I should take them. What should I do?
Make an appointment with a concentration advisor to discuss your options and plan a course schedule.
Is it normal to take two or three science classes a term?
Yes. There are many prerequisite and concentration requirements for the concentrations offered through the Program in Biology. If you plan your schedule early in your career, it is likely that you will take an average of two sciences classes per term.
We recommend students meet with a concentration advisor early in their academic career (e.g., sophomore year) to draw up a proposed course plan.
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