Advisement is required of Biology undergraduate and graduate students annually. Undergraduate advisement can be obtained at the Biology Student Advisement Center or from any Biology faculty member in the student’s option. The Biology Student Advisement Center is located in Chaparral Hall (CR) 5104 and can be reached at (818) 677-2675 or by email at biologyadvising@csun.edu. For graduate students seeking advisement, contact Graduate Coordinator Tim Karels (email: biograd.coordinator@csun.edu).

Contact Jim Dole, Daniel Odom or Terri Richardson for undergraduate advisement and Graduate Coordinator Tim Karels for questions about graduate study.

Contact the following option advisors: Stan Metzenberg (Biotechnology), Terri Richardson (Medical, Dental, Pharmacy, Optometry, Physician Assistant, Veterinary and Podiatry), Sean Murray (Medical Technology) and Stan Metzenberg (Teacher Preparation).

Many career opportunities are available to the student majoring in biology. The undergraduate program provides an excellent background for further work in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, veterinary medicine, biotechnology, clinical laboratory science, and graduate programs. It also can serve for direct entry into teaching and a variety of positions in industrial, research, and governmental organizations. Graduates of the program have been very successful in gaining admission and completing advanced degrees at high-quality universities.

This program provides an opportunity for outstanding Biology majors to gain research experience with individual faculty guidance and may be of value for research-minded pre-medical students. The designation “Honors” will be added to the academic record of any student who completes the program.

Admission to the program is granted by approval of the Department Honors Committee. Students in the B.A. degree program or in any of the B.S. options are eligible provided they have:

1. Completed 90 units of college work.
2. Maintained a 3.50 GPA overall and in the Biology major.
3. Obtained the approval of a faculty sponsor who will supervise their research.

Interested students should contact the Biology department office.

Graduation with Honors Requires:

1. Completion of the following courses:
   BIOL 330/L Design and Analysis of Experiments and Lab (2/1)
   BIOL 495 Directed Research (3)
   BIOL 498 Senior Thesis (2)
   All 8 units must be in addition to those completed for the major.
2. Maintenance of a GPA of 3.50 overall and in all courses in the Biology major completed at CSUN.
3. Approval of a senior thesis by the Honors Committee, including a presentation of the research.

Pre-Medical and Pre-Professional Information

The B.A. degree is recommended for all pre-professional students; however, any of the B.S. options may be followed by students with special interests. Pre-medical, pre-dental, and other students pursuing health-associated professional careers should consult with the Pre-Professional advisor, Terri Richardson. For more information, please see Pre-Professional Advisement, Health Professions in this Catalog.