Major
Major Requirements
All biology majors will complete a common core of biology courses and additional supporting courses. The purpose of the core courses is to give students exposure to the breadth of the field of biology and to provide them with essential knowledge and competencies in the areas of genetics, cell biology, ecology, and evolution that, together, will give them the necessary background and tools they need to excel in whatever area of biology they choose to pursue.
Following the core courses, an appropriate course of study at the undergraduate level will vary from student to student depending upon the student's interests and career goals. For example, students majoring in biology may choose to take a broad course of study in the discipline thus maximizing exposure to major disciplinary concepts and providing a strong background for specialization at the graduate level. Alternatively, biology majors may choose to focus on a particular subdiscipline of biology or on the intersection of biology with another discipline.
After core and intermediate level study, biology majors often participate in a research experience at the advanced level, which is empirical in nature (i.e. based on the testing of an hypothesis through observation or experimentation.) Ordinarily, students complete this research during their junior or senior year after significant coursework in biology and supporting disciplines has been completed.
Effective catalog-Students are normally expected to satisfy the major or minor requirements in effect at the time of the declaration of their biology major. The requirements for a major in biology are: 32 credits in biology (consisting of four core courses and four upper level courses) and three supporting courses (12 credits), for 44 total required credits. Students may count only one course from Biology 470-478 or one independent study or internship toward their biology major. Transfer students wanting to graduate from Macalester with a major in biology must take at least four 4-credit biology courses at Macalester, only one of which can be an internship or independent. Biology majors wishing to take a biology or supporting course at an institution other than Macalester must check with the department chair prior to taking the course, at which time the chair will let the student know whether the course will count toward the student's major in biology.
Required courses in biology for the major:
1. Introductory Courses
, , and may be taken in any order, have no prerequisites, are suitable for first year and sophomore students, and each have associated laboratory sections. and are prerequisites for . is recommended for sophomore students. Ideally, all four courses should be completed by the end of the sophomore year and prior to studying abroad, and must be completed no later than the end of the junior year.
2. Upper Level Courses
Four upper level biology courses, at least two with laboratory. Limits on credits for off-campus courses: A student may, with the permission of the department chair, count one course taken on an off-campus program (i.e. Study Away) towards the major as an upper level course without a laboratory. A maximum of two courses in biology taken at other universities or colleges (including foreign universities or off-campus programs) may be counted towards the major at the discretion of the department chair.
3. Capstone Requirement
The biology capstone represents an opportunity for students to communicate a major piece of work to the department and members of the Macalester community in a public presentation. Presenters will share a talk or a poster during the spring semester Biology Seminar series (with exceptions for December grads). Additional information can be found on the .
Honors students complete the capstone requirement through an hour-long seminar-style talk on their research during the spring semester. Additional information can be found on the .
Supporting courses for the biology major:
A strong background in supporting sciences is important to all students studying biology. Many core concepts in biology have their foundation in the physical sciences and mathematics. Furthermore, the work of biologists continues to become more interdisciplinary. For these reasons, all majors must complete an approved set of supporting courses.
Required supporting courses:
or
(see math/statistics guidelines below)
Note: Students with sufficient prior background in chemistry, and with approval from the Chemistry Department, may be exempted from taking and may enroll directly into or .
Math/Statistics Guidelines
All students must enroll in .
The Biology major does not require calculus, but some elective courses for the major and/or required courses for the Biochemistry emphasis require a prerequisite of ; and . Students who plan to take are advised to take . is appropriate for students who have a strong high school calculus background at the level of AP calculus with a BC score of 4 or higher. s appropriate for students who have not had any high school calculus or who have had a high school calculus at the level of AP calculus with an AB score of 3 or lower. s appropriate for students who have had a year of high school calculus at the level of AP calculus with an AB score of 4 or higher.
Elective supporting courses:
One additional elective supporting course is required for the biology major. A 100-level biology course taken during the student's first semester may count as a supporting course. Other elective supporting courses may include: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , or another course approved by the Chair.
Selection of the elective supporting courses should be made in consultation with the student's advisor and must be approved by the Chair. Long-term goals typially will influence the choice of supporting courses. For example, students interested in a career in medicine or research in the biomedical sciences normally should complete a year of organic chemistry and a year of introductory physics. Students interested in pursuing an ecology path should consider taking a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) course, intermediate or advanced math or statistics, and/or a geology course. Students planning a career as a science educator at the primary or secondary level should consider taking supporting courses in several of the science departments, as well as courses from the Educational Studies Department.
Individualizing the Biology Major
In consultation with one or more biology faculty members, each student will develop a major plan by choosing appropriate electives in biology and supporting disciplines. By their choice of electives, students may explore a variety of biological subdisciplines or focus on one or two areas of study. For example, students may design majors that focus on such areas as ecology; evolution; immunology and microbiology; genetics, cell and developmental biology; plant biology; biochemistry; or neurobiology. Biology majors interested in attending medical school after graduation should refer to the "Premedical Program" in the "Special Programs" section of this catalog and should consult a premedical advisor as early as possible in their planning process.
Requirements for the major with added emphasis
Increasingly, biological scientists address questions by working in groups that are interdisciplinary in nature. Thus, interdisciplinary fields of study have emerged that cannot be adequately covered within a single department. Biochemistry can be explored through an added emphasis to a biology major. Students choosing such a major will have this noted on their transcript (e.g. Biology Major with Added Emphasis in Biochemistry). In all cases, students must successfully complete the full set of requirements for the biology major. It is expected that the required senior presentation will be in the area of the student's emphasis. Students should configure their electives in consultation with a biology faculty member using the following guidelines:
Requirements for a Major in Biology with Added Emphasis in Biochemistry
Students with a strong interest in pursuing more in-depth study of biochemistry may want to major in biology with an added emphasis in biochemistry. This emphasis may also be a good option for students aspiring to attend medical school and/or graduate study in any biomedical field. Students choosing this option will have this noted on their transcripts as: Biology Major (Biochemistry). To earn an emphasis in biochemistry, biology students must complete all of the requirements of the biology major, with two of the upper-level electives being and . In addition, students must take , and one additional elective from the list below or as approved by the Biology chair.​ Students interested in pursuring graduate studies in Biochemistry and/or Biophysics should take as their additional elective; note that has and as prerequisites, and students should plan their math and physics course(s) accordingly.
Required Biology Courses
Required Supporting Courses
- ( - may be taken in place of and
Four Required Electives - At least two must have an associated laboratory component
One additional biochemistry elective from the following list or as approved by the chair:
- /
- /
- /
- /
One additional upper level Biology course