BS in Biology

The BS in Biology offers a challenging curriculum — see Recommended 4-Year Sequence and full Admission & Course Requirements below — that successfully prepares students for graduate school, professional (medical, dental, veterinary) school, or research positions in industry. Interdisciplinary course work includes courses in chemistry, physics, and statistics and readies students for the diversity of upper-level biology courses taught by our faculty experts. Biology majors acquire a thorough, competitive background in biological science and are encouraged to obtain valuable research experience working one-on-one with faculty mentors in research labs on campus, to participate in study abroad and off-campus internships, and to gain teaching experience as student instructors.
Declare Major or Minor

The Honors in Biology program offers biology majors the opportunity to participate in a series of advanced courses designed to foster an immersion in supervised individual research in biology. Research experience may include an in-depth literature review, hands-on laboratory work, and/or fieldwork, depending on the interests of the student and the availability of faculty supervisors.

Career Outlook

The job outlook for biology graduates remains strong according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, projecting continued steady(4-6%)national growth for 2018-2028 for typical posts such as wildlife biologists, zoologists, microbiologists, teachers, and technicians, but higher growth/salaries in the Washington area and in fields requiring post-graduate training or degrees.

Top employers for AU Bachelor's of Science in Biology graduates:

  • Broad Institute
  • Center for Sleep & Wake Disorders
  • Dream Valley Farm
  • Epidstat Institute
  • Friendship Hospital for Animals
  • Henry M. Jackson Foundation
  • Henry Hudson School
  • Ideal Academy School
  • Indiana State Government
  • International Institute of Molecular & Cell Biology, Warsaw
  • Medical Faculty Associates
  • Mount Sinai Health System
  • Naval Medical Research Center
  • National Institutes of Health
  • NYU Langone Med Center
  • Peloton Interactive
  • Seneca Dental
  • Scribe America
  • Teach for America
  • Washington Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine
  • Weill Cornell Medicine


See more about Biology career outcomes from the AU post-graduation survey.

Our Alumni

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Achievements ·

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Where Are They Now?

Recent AU biology undergraduates have gone onto the following:

  • Professor, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY (after UC-Berkeley PhD)
  • PhD Genomics & Genetics, Duke; PhD Neuroscience, Tulane; JD, Harvard Law 
  • Chief Fellow, Mount Sinai Health System, NY (after NYU med school)
  • Med school at U Penn, Georgetown, Connecticut, Albert Einstein, Vanderbilt; and PhD program in Bioinformatics & Genomics, Penn State
  • AP Environmental Science & Biology Honors Teacher, Henry Hudson School, NJ
  • Operations Supervisor, Acadian Ambulance, TX
  • Genetic Counselor at NYU Langone Health & Montefiore Medical Center, NY

Fall

  • AuX 1 (1.5ch)
  • Complex Problems (3ch)
  • BIO-110 General Biology I (4ch)
  • College Writing I (3ch) – W1
  • Math (4ch) – Q1
  • Total: 15.5ch

Spring

  • AuX 2 (1.5ch)
  • D elective (3ch)
  • BIO-210 General Biology II (4ch)
  • College Writing II (3ch)
  • Math (4ch) or elective (3ch)
  • Total: 14.5-15.5ch

Sophmore Year

Fall

  • BIO-320 Cell Biology (4ch)
  • CHEM-110 General Chemistry I (4ch) – HoM
  • W2 elective (3ch)
  • HoM (3ch) or elective (3ch)
  • Total: 14ch

Spring

  • BIO-356 Genetics (5ch)
  • CHEM-210 General Chemistry II (4ch)
  • HoM (3ch)
  • Elective (3ch)
  • Total: 15ch

Junior Year

Fall

  • BIO-364 Evolution (3ch)
  • CHEM-320/321 Organic Chemistry I + lab (4ch)
  • Elective (3ch)
  • BIO-32x elective (3-4ch)
  • HoM (3ch)
  • Total: 16-17ch

Spring

  • BIO-32x elective (3-4ch)
  • CHEM-322/323 Organic Chemistry II + lab (4ch)
  • Elective (3ch)
  • HoM (3ch)
  • Elective (3ch) or BIO-399H (3ch)
  • Total: 16-17ch

Senior Year

FALL

  • BIO-499 Senior Seminar (3ch) – capstone
  • BIO-32x elective (3-4ch) or BIO-497H (3ch)
  • PHYS-105 Physics I (4ch)
  • Elective (3ch) or BIO-32x elective (3ch)
  • Elective (3ch)
  • Total: 16-17ch

Spring

  • BIO-32x elective (3-4ch)
  • BIO-32x elective (3-4ch)
  • PHYS-205 Physics II (4ch)
  • Elective (3ch) or BIO-498H (3ch)
  • Elective (3ch)
  • Total: 16-17ch