BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY TRACK
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION TRACK
GENOMICS AND COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY TRACK
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY TRACK
NEUROSCIENCE TRACK
COURSES FROM OTHER UNIVERSITIES
WRITING-INTENSIVE COURSES

Advanced Laboratory Requirement
One of the following:
Biol 4193: Experimental Ecology Laboratory
Biol 437: Lab on DNA manipulation
Biol 4342: Research explorations in Genomics

Advanced Evolution and Ecology Electives
Students whose main interest is ecology should take at least two ecology electives and one evolution elective; students whose main interest is evolution should take at least two evolution electives and one ecology elective.

Biology Major Areas A & B Electives
Students should select one course each from biology major areas A and B according to personal interests.

GENOMICS AND COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY TRACK

Biology Major Areas A, B & C Electives
Students should select one course each from biology major areas A, B and C according to personal interests (see recommended advanced biology electives above).

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY TRACK

Advanced Biology Requirement
One of the following:
Biol 334: Cell Biology
Biol 3371 or 337W: Eukaryotic Genomes
Biol 349: Microbiology

Advanced Laboratory Requirement
One of the following:
Biol 4024: Plant Cells and Proteins Laboratory
Biol 3492: Laboratory Experiments with Eukaryotic Microbes
Biol 4342: Research Explorations in Genomics
Biol 437: Laboratory of DNA Manipulation

Recommended Advanced Biology Electives
Biol 3041: Plant Bio & Genetic Engineering
Biol 3191: Molecular Mechanisms in Development
Biol 4023: How Plants Work (major area B)
Biol 5312: Macromolecular Interactions
Biol 3491: Microbiology Laboratory
Biol 4183: Molecular Evolution (major area C)

Biology Major Areas B & C Electives

Students should select one course each from biology major areas B and C according to personal interests (see recommended advanced biology electives above).

*Students planning to enter Ph.D. programs in biochemistry should note that many such programs require physical chemistry (Chem 401 & 402; prerequisite Math 233)

NEUROSCIENCE TRACK

*Biol 3050 discontinued after 2007

Advanced Laboratory Requirement
Select at least one of the following:
Biol 404: Laboratory of Neurophysiology
Biol 360: Biophysics Laboratory (students are encouraged to, but not required to, complete both the electrophysiology and the human bioelectricity experiments).

Advanced Biology Requirements
Choose one in each area:

Advanced Biology Elective
Select at least one of the following:
Biol 3110:Vertebrate Structure Laboratory
Biol 3151: Endocrinology
Biol 3191: Molecular Mechanisms in Development 
Biol 3371: Eukaryotic Genomes
Biol 4031: Biological Clocks
Biol 437: Laboratory on DNA Manipulation
Biol 4580: Human Anatomy and Development

Outside Elective Courses
Select at least one Psychology or Physics course from the following list:

ADMISSION TO THE NEUROSCIENCE TRACK

Students with an interest in Neuroscience are encouraged to apply for admission to the Neuroscience Track. Contact Jessica Ochoa <jochoa@biology2.wustl.edu> to complete the application. Admission will be limited to 28 students in each graduating class.

Those applicants with a current Washington University GPA of 3.50 or better after a minimum of 3 semesters are considered for admission to the Neuroscience Track. For each graduating class, decisions about applicants begin in February of the sophomore year; decisions are based upon the student's academic record and upon an interview with a major advisor.

After the 28-student limit is reached for each graduating class, a waiting list is maintained for qualified students with a GPA of 3.80 or better. If an opening occurs for a graduating class, priority is given to students on the waiting list with the strongest academic record.

At the present time, the 28-student limit for the Neuroscience Track has been reached for the Graduating Class of 2009 and the Graduating Class of 2010. A waiting list for the Neuroscience Track is available for students with GPAs of 3.80 or better in these Graduating Classes.

Applications from the Graduating Class of 2011 are now being accepted. Interviews and decisions about admission to the Neuroscience Track for students in this Graduating Class will begin in February 2009.

A student who successfully completes Biology 360, the Biophysics Laboratory, with a C- or better can use Bio 360 to satisfy the Advanced Laboratory Requirement of the Neuroscience Track of the Biology Major. The student is encouraged to (but not required to) complete both the electrophysiology and the human bioelectricity experiments. For those students wishing to use this option: applications for the Neuroscience Track will be accepted from students only after the successful completion of Biology 360 with C- or better. Enrollment in Bio 360 is via WebStac and is limited to 10 students in Fall 2008.

COURSES FROM OTHER UNIVERSITIES

Some courses from other universities may substitute for Washington University courses.  Such substitutions must be approved by the Biology Department prior to enrollment.  Contact Allan Larson (larson@wustl.edu) for approval of biology courses.  Chemistry, mathematics and physics courses must be approved by the home department as being equivalent to the courses we require.

WRITING-INTENSIVE COURSES

The College of Arts and Sciences requires each student to take an upper-level writing-intensive (WI) course (at least 3 credits).  The WI course must be taken after achieving junior status (level 5 or above).  Any course formally approved as WI may be used to satisfy this requirement, and a grade of C+ or better must be earned.  The following courses in biology may be used to satisfy the WI requirement: Biol 3191 (Molecular Mechanisms in Development), Biol 337W (Eukaryotic Genomes [Writing Intensive]), Biol 347 (Darwin and Evolutionary Controversies Past and Present), Biol 390W (Biomedical Politics), Biol 4031 (Biological Clocks), Biol 404 (Laboratory of Neurophysiology), Biol 427 (Problem-Based Learning in the Biomedical Sciences), Biol 434W (Research Explorations in Genomics [Writing Intensive]), Biol 441W (Evolution of Animal Development [Writing Intensive]).  Other writing-intensive courses of particular interest to Biology majors include EComp 311 (Exposition) and EComp 312 (Argumentation).