UNIVERSITY CATALOG: 2024-2025

Program: Biology, B.S.

Marine Biology Option

Program Description

The Marine Biology option prepares graduates for employment in the marine sciences and for advanced graduate study. Advisement is mandatory and a course program must be approved by an advisor by the beginning of the student’s junior year.

Students in the Biology, B.S.—Marine Biology Option may not declare a double major/option within the Department of Biology.

Program Requirements

Each student pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree must complete the designated core program plus all required courses and the selective program of one of the options.

A. Core Requirements for All B.S. Options

1. Lower Division Courses (27 units)

BIOL 106 Biological Principles I (3)
BIOL 106L Biological Principles I Lab (1)
BIOL 107 Biological Principles II (3)
BIOL 107L Biological Principles II Lab (1)
CHEM 101 General Chemistry I (3)
CHEM 101D Problem Solving in General Chemistry I (1)
CHEM 101L General Chemistry I Lab (1)
CHEM 102 General Chemistry II (3)
CHEM 102D Problem Solving in General Chemistry II (1)
CHEM 102L General Chemistry II Lab (1)
MATH 255A Calculus for the Life Sciences I (3)
PHYS 100A General Physics I (3)
PHYS 100B General Physics II (3)

2. Upper Division Courses (9 units)

BIOL 322 Evolutionary Biology (3)
BIOL 360 Genetics (3)
BIOL 380 Cell Biology (3)

B. Marine Biology Option Requirements

1. Required Courses (13-19 units)

2. Selective Program (27 units)

Select three additional courses from Section 1 (Marine Biology) below and 15 units from Section 2 (Electives), for a total of 27 units.

a. Marine Biology (12 units)

BIOL 313/L/BIOL 392B Invertebrate Zoology and Lab/Field Studies (2/1/1)
BIOL 404/L/BIOL 492Y Phycology and Lab/Field Studies (2/1/1)
BIOL 427A/AL/BIOL 492L Biology of Pelagic Organisms and Lab/Field Studies (2/1/1)
BIOL 429/L/BIOL 492I Marine Ecology and Lab/Field Studies (2/1/1)
BIOL 430/L/BIOL 492BB Ichthyology and Lab/Field Studies (2/1/1)
BIOL 434/L/BIOL 492Q Ecology of Marine Fishes and Lab/Field Studies (2/1/1)

b. Electives (15 units)

BIOL 312/L/BIOL 392F Vertebrate Biology and Lab/Field Studies (2/1/1)
BIOL 316CS/LCS Plant Biology and Lab (2/2)
BIOL 403/L Plant Morphology and Lab (2/2)
BIOL 406/L/BIOL 492K Flowering Plant Systematics and Lab/Field Studies (2/1/1)
BIOL 407/L/BIOL 492N Plant Ecology and Lab/Field Studies (2/1/1)
BIOL 409/L/BIOL 492J Non-Flowering Plants and Lab/Field Studies (2/1/1)
BIOL 414/L/BIOL 492A Avian Ecology and Lab/Field Studies (2/1/1)
BIOL 415/L/BIOL 492M Mammalogy and Lab/Field Studies (2/1/1)
BIOL 422/L Physiological Ecology and Lab (2/2)
BIOL 423/BIOL 492F Field Ecology/Field Studies (2/2)
BIOL 424/L/BIOL 492G Ecological Modeling and Lab/Field Studies (2/1/1)
BIOL 425 Animal Behavior (3)
BIOL 427/L/BIOL 492H Principles of Ecology and Lab/Field Studies (2/1/1)
BIOL 428/L/BIOL 492W Wildlife Ecology and Management and Lab/Field Studies (2/1/1)
BIOL 433/L Biology of Marine Tetrapods and Lab (2/1)
BIOL 452/L Molecular Markers in Evolutionary Studies and Lab (2/2)
BIOL 453/L/BIOL 492Z Behavioral Ecology and Lab/Field Studies (2/1/1)
BIOL 456/BIOL 492O Conservation Biology/Field Studies (3/1)
BIOL 481/L Plant Physiology and Lab (2/2)
BIOL 490BIOL 495BIOL 499, BIOL 526 (no more than 3 units combined)
BIOL 492D Animal Behavior Field Studies (1)
BIOL 502/BIOL 502L Biometry and Lab (3/1) (if not used to meet required courses)
BIOL 532/L Advanced Ichthyology and Lab (2/2)
BIOL 560 Advanced Topics in Evolution (3)
GEOL 322/L Introductory Oceanography and Lab (3/1)

C. General Education (48 units)

Undergraduate students must complete 48 units of General Education as described in this Catalog, including 3 units of coursework meeting the Ethnic Studies (ES) graduation requirement.

12 units are satisfied by the following courses in the major: CHEM 101 satisfies B1 Physical Science; BIOL 106 satisfies B2 Life Science; BIOL 106L satisfies B3 Science Laboratory Activity; MATH 255A fulfills Basic Skills B4 Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning; and BIOL 360 satisfies B5 Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning.

Total Units in the Major/Option: 76-82

General Education Units: 36

Additional Units: 2-8

Total Units Required for the B.S. Degree: 120

Contact

Department of Biology
Chair: Cheryl Courtney-Hogue
Chaparral Hall (CR) 5101
(818) 677-3356

Program Learning Outcomes

Students receiving a Bachelor of Science in Biology will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of the structure and metabolism of cells, the transmission and expression of genetic information, and the immediate and long-term (evolutionary) consequences of interactions between organisms and their environment.
  2. Demonstrate specialized knowledge in one or more disciplines of biology.
  3. Be aware of and/or capable of using new and existing methods and technologies in these disciplines.
  4. Demonstrate facility in applying the methods of scientific inquiry, including observation, hypothesis testing, data collection and analysis.
  5. Engage the biology literature and to communicate scientific information verbally and/or in writing.