Foundational Science courses

Although introductory biology (BIOL 2100, BIOL 2200)  and chemistry (CHEM 1410) courses are not required for the Biology Minor, one or more of these preparatory courses are required prerequisites for all 3000-level and above biology courses.  Keep this in mind when planning to take upper level biology courses.

Biology Core Courses (2 courses, 6 credit hours)

Students must complete at least two of the Biology core courses (BIOL 3000, 3010, or 3020). Students who complete all three core courses may apply the third towards the Biology Upper-Level Course requirement.

Biology Upper-Level Courses (9 credit hours)

The remaining 9 elective credit hours may consist of any combination of Biology lecture and laboratory courses, taught either at UVA or at Mountain Lake Biological Station. Two semesters of Independent Research (BIOL 4910/4920, 4911-4918) conducted in one laboratory may be included in the credit hours for the minor.  Only EVSC or NESC courses that are cross-listed with Biology (e.g. BIOL/EVSC 4100) may be counted toward minor credit.  CHEM 4410 and 4420 may not be used to fulfill Biology Minor credits. In addition, BIOL 3420 may not be applied towards Biology Minor credits.

Grade Point Average

The overall GPA for courses presented for the minor must be at least 2.000. These courses include two core courses and enough additional 3000 level or higher elective BIOL courses to complete a total of 15 credit hours.

Restrictions

1. Effective 13 Aug., 2019, College students may have two minors. One minor must be in the College (both can be in the College, but both cannot be minors from other schools.
2. Courses taken credit/no credit may not be applied towards the Biology minor. 
3. Courses applied towards a minor may not also count toward completion of a major or a second minor.
4. BIOL 3420, CHEM 4400, CHEM 4410 and 4420 may not be used to fulfill Biology Minor credits.

Minor Advising

Students who declare a minor in Biology are not officially assigned Biology advisors. Biology minor students may consult any Biology faculty member or the Undergraduate Program Coordinator in the Biology Department Office to discuss their choice of courses.

Step 1: Declare your major first

You are eligible to declare the Biology Minor once you have declared a major and it is posted in SIS. All forms received for students who do not have a major in the system will be denied. Once you have a major declared in SIS you can follow the steps to declare your minor. The deadline to declare the minor is anytime before the start of your last semester.

Step 2: Complete your course plan

Follow the steps below to complete your course plan

1. Download your unofficial transcript: Download your transcript from SIS and save as a PDF.  You will use this information to help you identify requirements you have already completed and courses you will need to add to your course plan.
    
2. Complete your course plan: Complete the checklist course plan linked below. Use your unofficial transcript and the courses offered page to fill out your course plan. List the courses that you have already finished or that you plan to take to complete the minor. The courses listed on your plan are your best guess for how you will fulfill your requirements and are subject to suitable changes based on course availability and preference. Once you declare the minor, you are responsible for checking your SIS Academic Requirements report to ensure you are fulfilling the courses required.
   • Biology Minor Course Plan

Step 3: Submit your minor form using DocuSign

Read the following instructions below first before completing the DocuSign Major form (linked below).

The PowerForm (example shown in image below) is where you will enter the form routing information.  The form is initiated by the student, routed to the Biology department, and ultimately approved by the College of Arts and Sciences Registrar. On the “Student” section of the routing PowerForm enter your name and email. Move to the next section, “Declaration of Major Contact (DMC)”, enter the Biology Undergraduate Coordinator’s information. Then click "Begin Signing" at the bottom of the PowerForm. This will lead you to the actual Minor Declaration form. The image below shows you how to complete the PowerForm:

• DMC Name: Lisa Ishler
• DMC Email: dli3a@virginia.edu

After you click on “Begin signing” you will be taken to the online Minor Declaration Form. Fill out the form as shown in the preview image. 

Now that you have read the instructions, you are ready to submit your minor declaration form. Click on the link below and you will be linked to the College's webpage to access the Docusign PowerForm: 

Submit Major Form

Step 4: Check SIS to ensure your form was processed

Completed Declaration forms received during the scheduled application deadlines normally appear in SIS within 3 weeks.  Please check your SIS account to verify your form was processed. Processing times may vary depending on the time of year. Incomplete forms or forms without the correct attachments will not be processed. You will receive an email from the Undergraduate Coordinator with further instructions if something is wrong with your form. Once your declaration is approved you will receive a confirmation email from the Undergraduate Coordinator.

Contact the Undergraduate Coordinator if you have any concerns at BIOL-UG@virginia.edu.