Biology Major -- Notes¶
[In-universe document: Logan's personal reference notes on the Biology B.S. requirements at Howard, compiled before enrollment and updated as he progresses.]
Department Info¶
- Department of Biology
- E.E. Just Hall (Biology Building), 415 College St. NW
- Departmental office: Room 130, E.E. Just Hall -- advisor assignments, program changes, declarations
- Phone: 202-806-6933
- Major declaration: formally by spring of sophomore year (or after 30 credit hours)
- Faculty advisor: assigned by the department. Check Room 130 for assignment. Can change advisors through the office.
Center for Preprofessional Education¶
- Room 518, University Center, 2225 Georgia Ave NW
- Pre-med advising, MCAT info, professional school applications, GRE/DAT
- Go here early and often
Core Courses (must complete before bio electives)¶
All must be passed with minimum grade of C. Must be taken at Howard unless approved as transfer credit at matriculation.
| Course | Credits | My Status |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 101 - General Biology I Lec/Lab | 4 | CLEARED (AP Bio 5) |
| BIOL 102 - General Biology II Lec/Lab | 4 | CLEARED (AP Bio 5) |
| BIOL 200 - Genetics Lec/Lab | 4 | TAKING FALL 2025 |
| BIOL 493 or 494 - Senior Seminar | 1 | Senior year |
TOTAL CORE: 13 credit hours (8 cleared, 5 remaining)
Biology Electives (22 credit hours minimum)¶
- Must complete core courses (101, 102, 200) with C or better BEFORE enrolling in electives
- At least 1 elective from each of 3 concentration areas
- Remaining elective hours: student choice in consultation with advisor
- Only 2 Topics courses may count toward major
- Max 2 non-University/non-Consortium courses toward the major (need prior approval)
Concentration Area 1: Cellular & Molecular (need at least 1)¶
| Course | Credits | Prereqs |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 220 - General Microbiology | 4 | BIOL 200 |
| BIOL 310 - Cell Biology | 4 | BIOL 200 |
| BIOL 320 - Molecular Biology | 4 | BIOL 200 |
| BIOL 413 - Developmental Biology | 4 | BIOL 310 or 320 |
| BIOL 420 - Cancer Biology | 3 | BIOL 310 or 320 + CHEM 142 |
| BIOL 422 - Immunology | 4 | BIOL 310 or 320 + CHEM 142 |
| BIOL 425 - Pathogenic Bacteriology | 4 | BIOL 200 |
| BIOL 450 - Molecular Genetics | 4 | BIOL 200 |
| BIOL 462 - Biotechnology | 4 | BIOL 200 |
Interested in: Cell Biology (310), Molecular Biology (320), Immunology (422), Molecular Genetics (450)
Concentration Area 2: Anatomy & Physiology (need at least 1)¶
| Course | Credits | Prereqs |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 251 - Comparative Anatomy | 4 | BIOL 200 |
| BIOL 341 - Animal Physiology | 4 | BIOL 200 |
| BIOL 344 - Plant Physiology | 4 | BIOL 200 |
| BIOL 406 - Experimental Parasitology | 4 | Consent of instructor |
| BIOL 441 - Endocrinology I | 4 | BIOL 341 |
| BIOL 444 - Neuroscience Lec/Lab | 4 | BIOL 341 |
Interested in: Animal Physiology (341) then Neuroscience (444). The prereq chain: 200 -> 341 -> 444. Three semesters minimum to reach Neuroscience.
Concentration Area 3: Ecology & Evolution (need at least 1)¶
| Course | Credits | Prereqs |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 202 - Plant Diversity | 4 | -- |
| BIOL 205 - Invertebrate Biology | 4 | -- |
| BIOL 230 - Ecology | 4 | BIOL 200 |
| BIOL 240 - Evolution | 4 | BIOL 200 |
| BIOL 328 - Global Climate Change Biology | 4 | BIOL 200 |
| BIOL 404 - Animal Parasitology | 4 | BIOL 200 |
| BIOL 409 - Animal Behavior | 4 | BIOL 230 or 240 |
| BIOL 412 - Biological Anthropology | 4 | BIOL 240 |
| BIOL 417 - Evolutionary Medicine | 4 | BIOL 200 |
| BIOL 449 - Population Genetics | 4 | BIOL 240 |
| BIOL 475 - Human Evolutionary Biology | 4 | BIOL 200 |
Interested in: Evolutionary Medicine (417), Human Evolutionary Biology (475)
Interdisciplinary Electives (also count toward bio major)¶
| Course | Credits | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 430 - Biostatistics | 4 | BIOL 200 prereq |
| BIOL 419 - Bioinformatics | 4 | BIOL 200 prereq |
| PSYC 023 - Neuropsychology | 4 | Check prereqs |
| CHEM 151 - Biochemistry I | 3 | Check prereqs |
| CHEM 152 - Biochemistry II | 3 | Check prereqs |
Supporting Science Courses¶
| Course | Credits | My Status |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 003 - General Chemistry I | } | CLEARED (AP Chem 5) |
| CHEM 005 - Gen Chem Lab I | } 5 | CLEARED (AP Chem 5) |
| CHEM 004 - General Chemistry II | } | CLEARED (AP Chem 5) |
| CHEM 006 - Gen Chem Lab II | } 5 | CLEARED (AP Chem 5) |
| CHEM 141 - Organic Chemistry I | 3 | TAKING FALL 2025 |
| CHEM 142 - Organic Chemistry II | 3 | Spring 2026 |
| CHEM 145 - Organic Chemistry Lab | 3 | Taken with CHEM 142 (spring) |
| PHYS 001 - General Physics I | } | CLEARED (AP Physics C 5) |
| PHYS 002 - General Physics II | } 10 | CLEARED (AP Physics C 5) |
TOTAL SUPPORTING: 29 credit hours (20 cleared, 9 remaining)
COAS General Education Requirements¶
| Requirement | Credits | My Status |
|---|---|---|
| English (3 courses) | 9 | 1 cleared (AP Eng Lang = ENGL 002). Need 2 more. |
| Mathematics (2 courses) | 8 | CLEARED (AP Calc BC = MATH 156/157, AP Stats = MATH 009) |
| Division A - Humanities (3 courses) | 9 | Check what AP covers. May need 1-3 courses. |
| Division B (1 course) | 3 | Check what AP covers. |
| Division C (2 courses) | 6 | Need both. AFST 101 recommended (doubles as African American Cluster). |
| Languages (4 courses) | 12 | CLEARED (AP Spanish Lang + Lit = SPAN 003/004/040/050) |
| Philosophy | 3 | CLEARED (CCBC) |
| Speech | 3 | CLEARED (CCBC) |
| Physical Education (2 courses) | 2 | Need both. HHPL courses. |
| Freshman Orientation | 1 | TAKING FALL 2025 |
African American Cluster: required. Can double-count with Divisional courses. - AFST 101 = Div C + African American Cluster (recommended) - ENGL 054/055 = Div A + African American Cluster - HIST 005/006 = Div B + African American Cluster - AFRO 005/006 = Div B + African American Cluster
English Third Writing: satisfied by enrolling in a Writing Intensive (-700 level) section of a departmental course. Look for WAC sections in the schedule. BIOL 701, CHEM 306, CHEM 752, etc. Can knock this out when I take an upper-level bio or chem course with a -700 section.
TOTAL COAS REQUIREMENTS: 56 credit hours
Degree Total¶
| Category | Credits | Cleared | Remaining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology core + electives | 35 | 8 (AP Bio) | 27 |
| Supporting sciences | 29 | 20 (AP Chem, Physics) | 9 |
| COAS gen ed | 56 | ~35 (AP + CCBC) | ~21 |
| TOTAL | 120 | ~63 | ~57 |
Comprehensive Examination / Capstone¶
Two options to satisfy the senior graduation requirement. Taking the Capstone.
Option 1: Senior Comprehensive Exam (NOT doing this)¶
- Minimum passing score: 60%
- Can take as early as junior year
- Structure: 60% multiple choice (20 from BIOL 101, 20 from 102, 20 from 200) + 40% essay (from 200/300-level electives)
- 3 hours, starts 9 AM, E.E. Just Hall Auditorium
Option 2: Capstone (DOING THIS)¶
- Available only for students who have conducted a substantial original biology research project
- Must be completed BEFORE the start of the semester of submission (no late submissions)
- Minimum passing score: 60%
- Students who fail the Capstone may still take the exam (results given 3+ weeks before exam date)
Capstone Requirements: - Research project must be biological, drawing on core concepts in at least one area: anatomy, physiology, cell biology, molecular biology, ecology, evolution, and/or computational biology - Must have substantial biological content -- survey/demographic-only projects don't qualify - Minimum 30 hours of mentored research experience - Student must participate in study design, data collection, and data analysis - Training in at least one technical skill: statistical analysis, coding, image analysis, microscopy, aseptic technique, PCR, DNA sequencing, western blot, or similar - Training in at least one presentation skill: technical writing, scientific communication, oral presentation, poster presentation - Final report format: scientific research paper OR oral/poster presentation suitable for an undergraduate research conference - Must include: background/introduction, methods, results, discussion, references with full citations
Eligible Project Sources: 1. Biology research in the department (BIOL 390 or Honors Thesis) 2. Semester-long course research project (NOT from BIOL 101, 102, or 200) 3. Summer/semester internship research at Howard or another institution 4. Other -- contact Dr. Farina (stacy.farina@howard.edu)
Submission Deadlines (2025-2026): - Fall: September 5, 2025 - Spring: January 23, 2026 - Submit via Canvas: report + mentor email + hours worked
Policies: - Plagiarism = automatic fail, exam only afterward - Fabrication/falsification = automatic fail - Generative AI use must be disclosed with a statement about how it was used - Student is solely responsible for all content regardless of tools used
Contact for eligibility questions: Dr. Farina (stacy.farina@howard.edu)
Plan: The Hopkins CRISPR lab work, the Honors Thesis research, any summer research -- all potential Capstone material. Start documenting hours and methodology now. By senior year this should be a formality.
Honors Program (Biology-specific)¶
- Admission: end of freshman year (summer). Different from COAS Honors which admits before freshman fall.
- After admission, immediately contact Biology Honors Advisor: Courtney Robinson (courtney.robinson@howard.edu) -- no later than end of first week of sophomore fall semester
- Biology honors students reviewed by department faculty selection committee
- Only Biology department faculty may serve as Directed Readings mentors
- Directed Readings is preparation for Honors Research -- expected to continue with same mentor
- Senior Thesis must be in Biology
- All 7 credits from honors courses count as advanced electives toward the 14/15 advanced elective credits needed
Biology Honors Course Sequence¶
| Year | Semester | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sophomore | Fall | BIOL 217 - Honors Orientation | 1 |
| Sophomore | Spring | BIOL 218 - Directed Readings | 1 |
| Junior | Fall | BIOL 317 - Directed Readings | 1 |
| Junior | Spring | BIOL 318 - Proposal Development | 1 |
| Senior | Fall | BIOL 491 - Honors Research | 2 |
| Senior | Spring | BIOL 492 - Honors Thesis | 1 |
| Total | 7 |
Schedule and Structure¶
- All honors courses (217, 218, 317, 318) meet Wednesdays 12-1 PM (protected time)
- Honors Research (491) and Thesis (492) are self-scheduled with mentor
- Weekly one-hour meetings with mentor throughout the sequence
- Same instructor of record follows a sophomore cohort through senior year (rotating faculty assignment)
Mentorship¶
- Internal Mentor: any Biology department tenure/tenure-track faculty member
- External Mentor: tenure-track faculty outside Biology can serve, but must be approved by Biology faculty AND must have an internal Biology faculty liaison
- External mentor must submit an External Mentors Agreement Form: approach/plan, measurable outcomes, qualifications, significance of the research
- "An honors student should never be just 'a pair of hands'" -- policy language protecting against exploitation
- Co-authorship of published work is explicitly encouraged: "The importance to a prospective graduate's career of co-authorship of an abstract or full report in a reputable scientific journal cannot be overstated"
- Teamwork and collaboration are expected -- individual projects as part of larger research enterprises is standard
Directed Readings Grading (BIOL 218, 317)¶
| Component | Points | Details |
|---|---|---|
| References | 25 | Formatted bibliography of all articles read |
| Participation | 40 | Minimum 8 meetings, 5 pts per meeting |
| Report | 35 | 0.5-2 page summary with learning objectives, relevance to proposal, significance |
| Total | 100 | A = 89-100, B = 79-88, C = 68-78 |
Proposal Development (BIOL 318)¶
- Title + 200-word abstract required for successful completion
- Graded same rubric as Directed Readings but report replaced with proposal
Honors Research (BIOL 491)¶
- Active research generating data following submitted proposal
- Data feeds directly into Honors Thesis
- Register for BIOL 491 (NOT BIOL 390 Independent Investigations)
- Suggested letter grade provided by mentor to instructor of record
Honors Thesis (BIOL 492)¶
- Due by mid-semester of final semester in residence
- Must be approved by internal mentor (and external mentor if applicable) before submission to Honors Program
- Length and content at mentor's discretion
Forms Required¶
- Honors Orientation Registration Form (before BIOL 217)
- Directed Reading Mentor Agreement Form (binding contract between chair, department, mentor, and student -- must be completed before registering for Directed Readings)
- External Mentors Agreement Form (if using an external mentor -- requires faculty approval)
- Honors Research Form (seniors only)
External Mentor Note¶
External mentors (e.g., Hopkins faculty) can be approved. Need internal Biology faculty liaison. Julia's Hopkins colleagues could potentially serve. This would bridge Howard coursework with Hopkins research access. Worth exploring sophomore year when Directed Readings begins.
Prereq Chain for Neuroscience Track¶
This is the path I want:
BIOL 101/102 (CLEARED via AP)
|
BIOL 200 - Genetics (FALL 2025)
|
BIOL 341 - Animal Physiology (earliest: SPRING 2026)
|
BIOL 444 - Neuroscience Lec/Lab (earliest: FALL 2026)
Three semesters from Genetics to Neuroscience. If I pass Genetics fall 2025, I can take Animal Physiology spring 2026, and Neuroscience fall 2026 (sophomore year). That's the fastest possible path.
Notes to Self¶
- All bio courses need minimum C to count toward the 35-credit major
- All prereqs must be PASSED (not just enrolled in) before taking the next course -- no concurrent enrollment for bio electives
- Core courses (101, 102, 200, 493/494) must be at Howard unless transfer credit was approved at matriculation
- Max 2 non-Howard courses toward the major
- Get advisor assignment from Room 130 first week
- Go to the Center for Preprofessional Education (Room 518, University Center) early -- MCAT planning starts now