School of Biological Sciences Biology Courses (updated April 22, 2025) University of Utah

This information is subject to change. See the on-line class schedule for the most accurate information.

Courses do not count towards the Biology Major Core courses for the Biology Major
Elective lab courses with laboratory credit

PRE-REQUISITES and COMMENTS

BIOL TITLE CR NOTES LAB SEM
(C- or better needed for Biology Major Credit)
1010 Biology in the 21st Century 3 DV, LS Not counted toward BIOL Degree. F
1030 Human Biology 3 LS Not counted toward BIOL Degree.
1040 Plants,GMOs,and Future of Food & Med 3 LS Not counted toward BIOL Degree. S
1050 Pandemics 3 LS Not counted toward BIOL Degree. F
1120 Intro to Earth System Science 3 LS Not counted toward BIOL Degree. F
1610 Fundamental Principles of Biology I 4 LS (Recommend MATH 1010 or higher) ALL
1615 Fundamental Principles of Biology Lab I 1 [L1] Co-req BIOL 1610 (or Pre-req BIOL 1210 -or- AP4+ or IB5) ALL
1620 Fundamental Principles of Biology II 4 LS (Recommend MATH 1010 or higher) F/S
1625 Fundamental Principles of Biology Lab II 1 [L1] Co-req BIOL 1620 (or Pre-req BIOL 2010) F/S
BIOL 1210 -or- 1610 -or- AP4+ or IB5 -or- BME 1020 -and- CHEM 1210 -or-
2020 Principles of Cell Biology 3 F/S
1211 -or- AP4+
BIOL 1210 -or- 1610 -or- AP4+ or IB5 -or- BME 1020 -and- CHEM 1210 -or-
2021 Principles of Cell Science 4 Honors F
1211 -or- AP4+ -and- Honors College -or- Instructor Consent
2030 Principles of Genetics 3 BIOL 1210 -or- 1610 -or- AP4+ or IB5 F/S
2325 Human Anatomy 4 [L1] ALL
2355 Field Botany 2 Half Sem [L1] Su
BIOL 1210 -or- 1610 -or- AP4+ -or IB5 -and- CHEM 1110 -or- 1130 -or- 1210 -
2420 Human Physiology 4 LS ALL
or- 1211 -or- AP4+
2425 Human Physiology Lab 1 [L1] *Co-Req: BIOL 2420 ALL
2870 Faculty Research Seminar 1 F
3125 Mol Tools for Evol & Pop Biology 3 Half Sem [L2] BIOL 1620 -or- 2010 -and- 2030
3150 Genomics and Bioinformatics 3 [L1] BIOL 1610-or-1210 Co-req: BIOL 2030 S
3205 General Microbiology Lab 1 [L1] *Co-Req: BIOL 3210 -or- 3370 -or- PATH 3100 F/S
3210 General & Pathogenic Microbiology 3 BIOL 2020 -or- 2021 -and- CHEM 1110 -or-1130 -or-1210 -or- 1211 -or- AP4+ F/S
3240 Intro to Cellular Neurobiology 3 BIOL 2020 -or- 2021 F
3310 Comp Vertebrate Morphology 3 BIOL 1620 -or- 2010
3315 Comp Vertebrate Morphology Lab 1 [L1] BIOL 1620 -or- 2010
3320 Comparative Physiology 3 BIOL 1620 -or- 2010 F
3325 Comparative Physiology Lab 3 [L2] BIOL 1210 -or- 1610 -or- AP4+ -or IB5 S
3330 Behavioral Neurobiology 3 BIOL 1620 -or- 2010 -or- 2420 S
3340 Intro to Plant Biology 3 BIOL 1210 -or- 1610 -or- 1620 -or- 2010 -or- AP4+ -or- IB5 S
3350 Physiology of Plants 3 BIOL 1620 -or- 2010 -and- BIOL 2020 -or- 2021 F
3360 Vertebrate Embryology 3 BIOL 2325
3370 Microbial Biology 3 BIOL 2020 -or- 2021 S
3380 Evol & Physiol Basis of Health 3 BIOL 2020 -or- 2021 -or- 2420 F
3390 Functional Musculoskeletal Anatomy 3 BIOL 2325 F
BIOL 1620 -or- 2010 -and- MATH 1170 -or- 1310 -or- 1210 - or- 1250 -
3410 Ecology & Evolution 3 F/S
or- AP Calc AB4+ -or- BC3+ -or- IB5+
3430 Animal Behavior 3 BIOL 1620 -or- 2010 S
3460 Global Environmental Issues 3 IR F
3461 Diversity/Justice Global Env Challenges 1 Co-req BIOL 3460 F
3470 Conservation Biology 3 S
3485 Conservation Biology Field Lab 1 [L1] BIOL 1620 -or- 2010 -and- *Co-Req: BIOL 3470 (Recommend: BIOL 3410) S
3510 Biological Chemistry I 3 CHEM 2310 -or- 2311 ALL (Su in Chem)
3515 Biological Chemistry Lab 3 [L1] *Co-Req: BIOL 3510 -or- CHEM 3510 S (+Su in CHEM)
3520 Biological Chemistry II 3 BIOL 3510 -or- CHEM 3510 S
3525 Molecular Biology of DNA Lab 3 [L2] Recommend BIOL 3510 F
3665 Form, Function & Adaptation In Animals 3 Online [L2] S
(BIOL 1610 -and- 1620) AND (MATH 1170 -or- 1210 -or- 1210 -or- 1215 -or-1250 -
3715 Analysis & Visualization Biological Data 3 [L1] or-1310 -or-1311) S
3960 Special Topics in Biology 1-5 Instructor Permission. Topics vary check schedule

3960 Gene Expression Lab 3 [L2] BIOL 1615 -or- 1625 -and- BIOL 2020
4312 Human Dissection 1 BIOL 4313 -or- 5313 -or- 5315 F/S
4313 Teaching Anatomy 1 Instructor Consent, AOCE Contract Course - see Jon Groot F/S
4314 Anatomy Colloquium 1 Instructor Consent. F/S
4950 Directed Reading 1-3 Instructor Consent ALL
4955 Individual Research 1-3 [L1-L2] Instructor Consent ALL
4965 Independent Professional Internship 1-3 Instructor Consent ALL
4995 Biology Honors Research 1-4 Honors [L1-L2] Instructor Consent -and- Member of Honors College ALL
4999 Honors Thesis/Project 3 Honors Instructor Consent -and- Member of Honors College ALL
School of Biological Sciences Master List of Biology Courses University of Utah

BIOL TITLE CR NOTES LAB PRE-REQUISITES/COMMENTS SEM

5011 Mathematical Biology I (MATH 5110) 3 MATH 2250 -or- 2280 F
Mathematical Biology II (MATH 5120) 3 BIOL 5011 -or- MATH 5110 S
5120 Gene Expression 3 BIOL 2020 -or- 2021 S
5210 Cell Structure & Function 3 BIOL 2020 -or- 2021 S
5255 Prokaryotic Genetics 4 [L2] Recommend BIOL 2020 -or- 2021 -and- BIOL 2030 S
5275 Microbial Diversity, Genomics & Evolution 4 [L2] BIOL 1620 -or- 2010 -and- 2030 F
5315 Advanced Human Anatomy 3 [L1] BIOL 2325 S
5350 Ornithology 3 BIOL 1620 -or- 2010 F
5355 Ornithology Field Lab 1 [L1] *Co-req BIOL 5350 F
5370 Mammalogy 3 BIOL 1620 -or- 2010
5425 Mycology 4 [L1] BIOL 1620 -or- 2010 F(even)
5440 Urban Ecology 3 F
5455 Desert Ecology Field Course 3 [L1] Instructor Consent. F (odd)
5460 Plant Ecology in a Changing World 3 BIOL 1620 -or- 2010 -or- Instructor Consent F
(ANTH 1020 -or- 1050 -or- BIOL 1620 -or- 3125 -or- 3410 -or- 3430)
5471 Quantitative Models in Evolutionary Ecology 3 QI F
AND (MATH 1050 -or- 1080 -or- 1090 -or- 1170 -or- 1180 -or- 1210 -
5480 Entomology 3 BIOL 1620 -or- 2010 F
5485 Entomology Lab 1 [L1] *Co-req BIOL 5480 F
5490 Ecosystem Ecology 3 CHEM 1220 -or- 1221 S
5510 Genes, Development, and Evolution 3 BIOL 1210 -or- 1610 -or- AP4+ -or-IB5 F
BIOL 1210 -or- 1610 -or AP4+ -or- IB5 -and- BIOL 1620 -or- 2010
5570 Ecol & Evolution Parasites & Pathogens 3 (Recommend BIOL 3410) F
5575 Ecol & Evolution Parasites & Pathogens Lab 1 [L1] *Co-req BIOL 5570 F
5665 Computational Paleobiology 3 Half Sem [L1] Instructor Consent. Misc dates, fieldtrips Su26
5800 Adv Topics in Biochem & Cell Biology 2 Half Sem BIOL 2020 -or- 2021 -and- BIOL 3510 or CHEM 3510 Su
5920 Adv Eukaryotic Genetics 3 Half Sem BIOL 2030 S
5960 Advanced Special Topics in Biology 1-3 Instructor Permission Topics Vary
5960 Eukaryotic Genetics & Molecular Biology Lab 3 [L2] Department Permission Pre-req BIOL 2020 or 2021 F25
5960 Cell Biology & Microscopy 3 [L2] Department Permission Pre-req BIOL 2020 or 2021 S26?

CHEM
5750 Advanced Chemical Biology Lab 2 Half Sem [L1] CHEM 2320 -or-2321 -and- BIOL 3510 -or- CHEM 3510 S

Notes on Biology Major requirements:

42 credits from courses in the list above (except BIOL 1010, 1030, 1040, 1050, 1120 and 4313) or approved transfer courses are required for the Biology Major.
A minimum of 16 upper division (3000-5999 level) biology credits are required for the major.
At least 21 of the credits of the biology course required for the Biology Major must be earned at the University of Utah.
A total of 4 laboratory courses (including BIOL 1615 and 1625), totaling 5 lab credits, are required for the Biology Major.
A maximum of 2 laboratory courses may be transferred from other institutions; a minimum of 2 BIOL lab courses representing 3 lab units must be completed at U of U
Two 5000-level course, each of 2 credits or more, are required for the Biology Major.
The following peviously offered courses do not count towards the 5000-level course requirement: BIOL 5312, 5313, 5314, 5316, 5900
Different emphasis options for the Biology Major have other specific requirements. Please consult your advisor!
All major courses must be completed with a C- or better

Special designations:
LS: Life Science Course
DV: Diversity Course
QI: Quantitative Intensive Course
IR: International Course