How many credits for a bachelor degree in biology

Minimum required: 120 semester credit hours

General Requirements

  1. The general education core curriculum courses are listed in the degree plan below along with the statewide component code number. See the General Education Core Curriculum section of this catalog for the Texas State requirements and options in the core curriculum, including Honors courses.
  2. Students must complete a minimum of 36 advanced hours (3000 or 4000 level courses).
  3. Students must select a minor from the approved list of Undergraduate Minors. The recommended minor is Chemistry or Biochemistry. Minor and electives should be chosen in consultation with the academic advisor.
  4. The minimum number of hours required for this degree program is 120. The number of free elective hours a student will complete depends on the number of hours a student may need to achieve the required 120 total or 36 advanced hours.
  5. Students entering Texas State with fewer than 16 credit hours completed after high school graduation will be required to take US 1100. All others will be exempt from taking this course. Students may be required to earn an additional elective to reach the 120 minimum total credit hour requirement for the awarding of a degree.
  6. Nine semester credit hours must be writing intensive (WI).
  7. If two years of the same foreign language were taken in high school, then no additional language hours will be required. In the absence of such high school language, two semesters of the same modern language must be taken at the college level.
  8. For transfer students, 24 semester credit hours in biology, chemistry and physics (or their equivalents) may be transferred from a Texas public institution of higher education for the Biology Field of Study and be applied to the Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Biology at Texas State University. More information about the Field of Study is available in the Academic Policies section of this catalog. The transferable Texas Common Course Number (TCCN) is listed below the Texas State University course number in the following course list.

    Course List
    CodeTitleHours
    BIO 1330 Functional Biology 3
    TCCN: BIOL 1306
    BIO 1130 Functional Biology Laboratory 1
    TCCN: BIOL 1106
    BIO 1331 Organismal Biology 3
    TCCN: BIOL 1307
    BIO 1131 Organismal Biology Laboratory 1
    TCCN: BIOL 1107
    CHEM 1341 General Chemistry I 3
    TCCN: CHEM 1311
    CHEM 1141 General Chemistry Laboratory I 1
    TCCN: CHEM 1111
    CHEM 1342 General Chemistry II 3
    TCCN: CHEM 1312
    CHEM 1142 General Chemistry Laboratory II 1
    TCCN: CHEM 1112
    CHEM 2341 Organic Chemistry I 3
    TCCN: CHEM 2323
    CHEM 2141 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I 1
    TCCN: CHEM 2123
    PHYS 1315 General Physics I 3
    TCCN: PHYS 1301
    PHYS 1115 General Physics I Laboratory 1
    TCCN: PHYS 1101
    Total Hours 24

Course Requirements 

Freshman
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
BIO 1330 (Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 030 [TCCN BIOL 1306]) 3 BIO 1331 (Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 030 [TCCN BIOL 1307]) 3
BIO 1130 (TCCN BIOL 1106) 1 BIO 1131 (TCCN BIOL 1107) 1
CHEM 1341
& CHEM 1141 (TCCN CHEM 1311 & CHEM 1111)
4 CHEM 1342
& CHEM 1142 (TCCN CHEM 1312 & CHEM 1112)
4
US 1100 1 Communication Component Code 010 3
POSI 2310 (Government/Political Science Component Code 070 [TCCN GOVT 2306]) 3 American History Component Code 060 3
ENG 1310 (Communication Component Code 010 [TCCN ENGL 1301]) 3  
  15   14
Sophomore
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
BIO 2450 (TCCN BIOL 2416) 4 BIO 2400, 2410, or 2411 (TCCN BIOL 2421) 4
CHEM 2341
& CHEM 2141 (TCCN CHEM 2323 & CHEM 2123)
4 CHEM 2342
& CHEM 2142 (TCCN CHEM 2325 & CHEM 2125)
4
MATH 2321 or 2471 (Mathematics Component Code 020 [TCCN MATH 2313 or MATH 2413]) 3-4 MATH 2328, 2331, or 2472 3-4
American History Component Code 060 3 POSI 2320 (Government/Political Science Component Code 070 [TCCN GOVT 2305]) 3
  Creative Arts Component Code 050 [HUMA 1315] 3
  14-15   17-18
Junior
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
BIO 4416 4 Advanced Physiology:3 4
Component Area Option Codes 090 3

BIO 3421, 3426, 4447, 4455, or 4441

 
Choose 4 hours from the following: 4 Component Area Option Codes 090 3

PHYS 1315
& PHYS 1115 (TCCN PHYS 1301 & PHYS 1101)

  Choose 4 hours from the following: 4

PHYS 1335
& PHYS 1115 (TCCN PHYS 1301 & PHYS 1101)

 

PHYS 1325
& PHYS 1125 (TCCN PHYS 1302 & PHYS 1102)

 

PHYS 1430 (TCCN PHYS 2425)

 

PHYS 1345
& PHYS 1125 (TCCN PHYS 1302 & PHYS 1102)

 
PHIL 1305 or 1320 (Language, Philosophy, and Culture Component Code 040 [TCCN PHIL 1301 or PHIL 2306)1 3

PHYS 2425 (TCCN PHYS 2426)

 
  Social and Behavioral Sciences Component Code 080 3
  14   14
Senior
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
BIO Advanced Electives2,3 8-9 BIO 4301 3
Minor/Advanced Electives 8-7 BIO Advanced Electives2,3 6-7
  Minor/Advanced Electives 3-2
  Free Electives 4
  16   16
Total Hours: 120-122
1

While PHIL 1305 or PHIL 1320 are strongly preferred, the department will allow other Language, Philosophy, and Culture Component Code 040 courses to satisfy this requirement.

2

Biology advanced electives are 3000-4000 level Biology courses.

  • Biology advanced electives cannot be chosen from: BIO 4305, BIO 4402, BIO 4403, or BIO 4408.
  • BIO 4299 requires faculty and departmental approval, and in order to apply as an advanced biology elective, students must take BIO 4299 two times in succession.
3

Students may apply only one course from [BIO 3421 or BIO 3426] towards the biology major requirements.

How many credits is biology in college?

A Bachelor of Science in Biology requires a minimum of 122 credit hours. All courses must be taken for a letter grade, except for Free Electives which can include pass/fail courses.

Is biology a hard major?

Biology is a challenging field, and the rigors of a biology degree might prove too much for individuals who only feel lukewarm about the subject. However, for those who begin their studies with a plan for how they want to use their education, it can be one of the most rewarding degrees available.

How long is a Bachelor's in biology?

A bachelor's in biology is a four-year degree that prepares graduates for entry-level jobs in careers such as zoologist, wildlife biologist, biological technician, and microbiologist.

What is a 4 year degree in biology called?

Bachelor of Biology Degree A bachelor's degree in biology typically takes four years to complete. Some colleges and universities offer both bachelor of arts (BA) and bachelor of science (BS) degrees in biology.