[Wesleyan University]
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BIOLOGY MAJOR INFORMATION

EXAMPLES OF POSSIBLE PATHWAYS for Biology Majors

 

Below are listed some examples of possible pathways in the biology major based on different areas of interest.  These are only a few possibilities out of many, but are represented as examples of how to organize a series of complementing courses to give you both breadth and depth in biology.

Developmental Biology
Ecology
Evolution
Genetics/Genomics/Bioinformatics
Physiology, Neurobiology and Behavior
 

 

DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY

Year

BIOLOGY

COGNATE

1

BIOL181 Principles of Biology I

BIOL182 Principles of Biology II

Intro Chemistry (CHEM141/143)

2

BIOL214  Evolution  OR BIOL 213 Behavioral Neurobiology
BIOL218  Developmental Biology

Organic Chemistry (CHEM152/153)

3

BIOL212 Cell Biology or BIOL210 Genetics
BIOL325 Stem Cells OR BIOL343 Muscle & Nerve Development

Mathematics OR Computer Science (1 semester)

4

BIOL315 Genes in Development OR BIOL340 Issues in  Development  & Evolution
BIOL3XX  A complementing seminar course such as BIOL318 Nature and Nurture OR other

 


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ECOLOGY

Year

BIOLOGY

COGNATE

1

BIOL181 Principles of Biology I
BIOL182 Principles of Biology II

Intro Chemistry (CHEM141/143)

2

BIOL218  Developmental  Biology OR BIOL212 Cell Biology
BIOL214  Evolution

Organic Chemistry (CHEM152/153)

3

BIOL261 Ecology OR BIOL220 Conservation Biology
BIOL254 Comparative Animal Behavior

Statistics (PSYCH201)

4

BIOL290 Plant Form & Diversity
BIOL316 Plant-Animal Interactions
OR BIOL306 Tropical Ecology
OR BIOL327 Evolutionary & Ecological Bioinformatics

 


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EVOLUTION

Year

BIOLOGY

COGNATE

1

BIOL181 Principles of Biology I
BIOL182 Principles of Biology II

Intro Chemistry (CHEM141/143)

2

BIOL214  Evolution
BIOL218  Developmental Biology OR BIOL210 Genetics  & Genomics

Chemistry OR Physics
Math/Statistics

3

BIOL315/515 Genes in Development
BIOL235 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy OR BIOL337/537 Origins of Bacterial Diversity
BIOL290 Plant Form and Diversity

Chemistry OR Physics OR Math

4

BIOL540 Development and Evolution
BIOL543/343 Muscle and Nerve Development OR BIOL318/518 Nature and Nurture
BIOL327/527 Evolutionary & Ecological Bioinformatics

 


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GENETICS/GENOMICS/BIOINFORMATICS

Year

BIOLOGY

COGNATE

1

BIOL181 Principles of Biology I
BIOL182 Principles of Biology II

Computer Science

2

BIOL210 Genetics & Genomics
BIOL214 Evolution

Intro Chemistry (CHEM141/143)

3

 BIOL212 Cell Biology OR BIOL218 Developmental Biology
BIOL350 Bioinformatics & Functional Genomics

Organic Chemistry (CHEM152/153) [1 semester]
Calculus OR Statistics

4

MBB333 Gene Regulation
BIOL3XX A complementing seminar course such as BIOL316 Plant-Animal Interactions OR other

 


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 NEUROBIOLOGY, NEUROPHYSIOLOGY, and BEHAVIOR

Year

    Biology
  Fall Semester

 COGNATES

1

BIOL181/191 Principles of Biology I/Lab
BIOL181/192 Principles of Biology II/Lab

Intro Chemistry (CHEM141/143)
MATH117

2

BIOL213 Behavioral Neurobiology
BIOL247 Lab in Neurophysiology
BIOL250 Lab in Cell & Molecular Neurobiology

CHEM251 Organic Chemistry plus lab
OR
CHEM152 Organic Chemistry  plus Lab

3

BIOL214 Evolution OR BIOL210 Genetics & Genomics
BIOL212 Cell Biology
OR BIOL224 Hormones, Brain & Behavior
OR BIOL245 Cellular Neurophysiology

PHYS113 Intro  Physics I  plus lab

4

BIOL247 Structure & Function of Cortical Circuits OR BIOL324 Neuropharmacology
BIOL345 Developmental Neurobiology
OR BIOL232 Experimental Embryology
OR BIOL235 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy

 


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Developmental Biology
Ecology
Evolution
Genetics/Genomics/Bioinformatics
Physiology, Neurobiology and Behavior