Introductory Biology I and II  (lectures and labs)

Two semesters of introductory biology (lecture + laboratory) courses that transfer as equivalent to UVA BIOL 2100 and BIOL 2200.

• Credits for these courses can also be earned through AP (score 5), IB (upper-level exam score 6 or higher), transfer or dual enrollment.

General Chemistry I and II (lectures an labs)

Two semesters of general (inorganic) chemistry lecture courses that transfer as equivalent to UVA CHEM 1410 and CHEM 1420.

• Credits for these courses can also be earned through AP (score 4 or 5), IB (upper-level exam score 5 or higher), transfer or dual enrollment.

Two semesters of general (inorganic) laboratory courses that transfer as equivalent to UVA CHEM 1411 and CHEM 1421.     

• AP credit is never given for labs, so students who receive credit through AP for CHEM 1410 and 1420, must still complete the laboratory courses.            
• Note that lab courses must be in person, not online, to count for lab credit.         
• Both the general chemistry (inorganic) lecture and laboratory requirements may also be satisfied by transfer courses, in which lecture and laboratory components were combined into a single course.

General Chemistry is a pre-requisite for some of the core courses in our major, so completing these requirements before arriving at UVA is required for completing the major in a timely fashion.

Math and Statistics

You will need to complete 2 courses in math and statistics as part of the requirements for the Biology major. We strongly recommend taking at least one before transferring to UVA.

Complete at least one of the following equivalent math or statistics courses:

• MATH 1190 A Survey of Calculus I with Algebra

• MATH 1210 A survey of Calculus I

• MATH 1310 Calculus I

• STAT 1601 Introduction to Data Science with R

• STAT 1602 Introduction to Data Science with Python

• STAT 3220 Introduction to Regression Analysis

You will also be required to take one of the following courses - these are typically taken at UVA

• STAT 2020 Statistics for Biologists

• STAT 2120 Intro to Statistical Analysis

Physics I and II (lectures and workshops/labs)

Eligible physics courses will transfer as equivalent to the following UVA series of courses:

• Physics I: PHYS 2010 Lecture + PHYS 2030 Workshop (algebra-based)

• Physics II: PHYS 2020 Lecture + PHYS 2040 Workshop (algebra-based)

Calculus-based physics series of lectures and workshops are also accepted

• PHYS 1420, 1429, 2410, and 2419 (calculus-based)

• PHYS 1425, 1429, 2415, and 2419 (calculus-based)

General Advice

• Once at UVA, a typical workload is 2 BIOL courses per semester. We recommend keeping your total number of STEM courses between 2 and 3 per semester.
• We strongly recommend taking only one core course (BIOL 3000, 3010, 3020) per semester.
• In your first semester at UVA, we strongly recommend taking either BIOL 3010 or BIOL 3020. Save BIOL 3000 for a later semester.

Biology Courses for your 1st Semester at UVA

1.  One Biology core course: BIOL 3000, 3010, or 3020.

Three core courses are required for all Biology majors: BIOL 3000 (Cell Biology), BIOL 3010 (Genetics & Molecular Biology) and BIOL 3020 (Evolution and Ecology). These three courses do not need to taken in any particular order. However, you should plan to take at least one during your first semester at UVA. This will set you up to complete one core biology course per semester for your first three semesters at UVA.  We strongly recommend starting with either BIOL 3010 or BIOL 3020 in your first semester if possible, as BIOL 3000 tends to be the most challenging of the core courses.

2.  One 3000-level or higher BIOL elective course.

In addition to taking one core course (BIOL 3010 or BIOL 3020 recommended), you are strongly advised to enroll in no more than one additional 3000-level or higher elective BIOL course, based on your interests.  For this elective, we strongly recommend that you enroll in BIOL 3559 Transitioning to UVA Biology, a new 3-credit major elective for transfer students that will immerse you in the research being done in the Biology Department, orient you to the major, and introduce you to other transfer students in the department.

3. Chemistry for your 1st semester at UVA?

The B.A. degree in Biology doesn’t require chemistry beyond the introductory level; however, organic chemistry is required for application to medical and dental school (and many other healthcare-related professional schools). So, if you're pre-health, you may need to consider taking in organic chemistry and/or physics courses during your first semester at UVA. Completing these requirements early is necessary if you’re planning to apply to medical school at the end of your 3rd year of college (that’s your 1st year at UVA) and not take a “gap” year after graduation. If, however, you plan to stretch out your pre-health preparation courses (strongly advised), you can avoid this concurrent schedule of challenging science courses.

The organic chemistry courses (lecture/lab) are CHEM 2410/2311 and CHEM 2420/2321. Since these chemistry courses are taught in a strict fall-spring sequence, they must be started in the fall semester.

Non-Biology course that can be applied to another major

You should enroll in a non-Biology course during your first semester at UVa that could be applied towards another major should you decide to change your area of study. For example, you may want to consider taking EVSC3200 Fundamentals of Ecology as this is a required gateway class for Environmental Science majors, but can also be applied as an elective towards the Biology major. Alternatively, you may want to consider taking a non-science course that can be applied towards an area of study in the social sciences or humanities.
 

Declaring a Biology Major

The requirements for the Biology undergraduate major degree programs are described in detail on the individual program web pages:

• BA Requirements
• BS Requirements

Incoming 3rd year transfer students can only initially declare the B.A. degree. Eligibility to declare the B.S. major in Biology requires completion of all three core courses (BIOL 3000, 3010, 3020) with a 2.700 cumulative GPA (B- average) for these three courses. Once you have met this eligibility, you can change your B.A. declaration to the B.S. degree. 

You should consult the How to Declare a Biology Major web page for the procedure for declaring your Biology major.

Choosing between the B.A. and the B.S.

For pre-health students, the B.A. is the appropriate degree. The B.S. is designed for students interested in pursuing a career in life sciences research in an academic, industry, or government setting. All transfer students must first declare the BA major, and may switch to the BS major once they have completed the three core classes (BIOL 3000, 3010, and 3020 with an average GPA of 2.700).

I have general questions about the Biology major and how to declare

Contact the Biology Undergraduate Coordinator at BIOL-UG@virginia.edu.

I need to figure out how my courses will transfer from another institution

• Visit the Transfer Credit Overview to learn about transferring credit from exams or other schools toward your degree from the College.

• The online transfer credit database shows the UVA equivalents for most courses offered at Virginia Community College System schools and many courses from other colleges and universities in the U.S. You can use this database for reference to determine how your credits will apply toward requirements at UVA.  

• Check out our Transfer Guide for more information about transferring from the Virginia Community College System.

I have questions about what courses to take to fulfill my major

If you have already declared your Biology major, please contact your Biology major advisor. You can find your advisor in your Stellic Success Team. If you have not declared your major yet, please refer to the Biology B.A. or B.S. checklists.

I have questions about pre-health requirements

Check out  the pre-health advisors in the Career Center, and check out the requirements listed on the websites of schools where you think you might want to get your degree. Your major advisor can also help with planning out which courses to take when, but you are responsible for knowing what courses you need to take.

I have questions about my general education requirements

• If you are a prospective student, you visit the General Education page.
• If you are a current student, you can view your gen ed requirements in Stellic. And, if you have further questions, please contact your Academic Advising Dean,  (Elizabeth Ozment or Francis Curran).

I have questions about course enrollment

• For general dates and deadline visit the University Registrar (UREG) Enrollment Information Page and the College of Arts and Sciences Calendar.
• To find biology courses offerings, visit the Biology Courses Offered page.
• Each semester a few weeks before enrollment begins, college advising begins. Students should meet with their academic advisor to go over course planning questions and advice for the following semester. You can locate your academic advisor in Stellic.

I’m interested in getting involved in undergraduate research

• Visit our page on Undergraduate Research in Biology to learn more about this process
• The Office of Citizen Scholar Development site for a variety of resources including advice on how to get started with undergraduate research.
• Additionally, you may talk with your major advisor for advice.

I need accommodations to ensure that I can take full advantage of my time at UVA

Contact the Student Disability Access Center (SDAC)

I need extra help in my courses

You should reach out to your professor and attend Peer Led Learning sessions. You can also seek support from the STEM support group at STEMsupport@virgina.edu and sign up for extra academic coaching here.