BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES MAJOR

Fall 2025 Class Schedule

 First Year Seminars 

distribution courses

core courses

300 level courses

fall 2024 course descriptions

First Year Seminars & 100 level courses

BIOL_SCI - 101-07-01

First Year Seminar - Biology and Society

The word biology describes both the characteristics and processes of life and living organisms, as well as the discipline that studies these. Like all the natural sciences, the study of biology is a data-driven endeavor, concerned with describing, predicting and understanding natural phenomena based on evidence from observation and experimentation. But like all human activities, it does not exist in objective isolation, but rather within a societal context. And biological phenomena, such as infection and disease, interact with non-biological elements of human society. This course aims to contextualize the study of biology towards a better understanding of how social and cultural histories and dynamics have had a profound effect on both biological research as well as biological phenomena, and how social, political and economic parameters influence the impact of scientific breakthroughs and the outcomes of biological events such as epidemics. The topics we will cover, among others: the cultural, political and societal barriers to reaping the benefits of biological research; the damaging legacies of racism, sexism and colonialism on the biological research enterprise; the role of communications in the field of biology; and select biological topics in evolution, genetics and disease. Students will learn from press articles, academic literature and a non-fiction book (The Fever, by Sonia Shah).

BIOL_SCI - 101-07-02

First Year Seminar - Animal Thinking

Do animals think? Are they self-aware? How can we humans ever hope to find out? Topics for exploration and discussion include: The evolution of cognition; the history and current state of research on animal thinking; how studies of animal thinking may help us better understand human cognition. 

BIOL_SCI - 115-06-01

First Year Seminar - Biological Thought and Action

Science is a process by which people make sense of the world. Scientists examine evidence from the past, work to understand the present, and make predictions about the future. Integral to this process are the methods they use to collect and analyze data, as well as the ways in which scientists work together as a community to interpret evidence and draw conclusions. In this class, we will take a multidisciplinary approach to examining biological thought and action and their social ramifications. We will seek to understand science as a social pursuit: the work of human beings with individual, disciplinary, and cultural differences, and requiring tremendous investments in training and equipment. Does it matter that participation in science is more accessible to some than to others? How do biases, assumptions, uncertainty, and error manifest in scientific work? What is the history of scientific values such as objectivity and reproducibility? The course will conclude by investigating current topics of public debate.

Biological sciences distribution courses

BIOL_SCI - 103-0

Diversity of Life

This course constitutes a comparative survey of organisms, emphasizing adaptation and phylogenetic relationships. The gradual evolution of lineages of living things is treated chronologically, and the mechanism of natural selection is elucidated. The evolution of Animals is covered in special depth. 

Biological sciences 200 core courses

BIOL_SCI 202-0

Cell Biology 

This course is part of the four-course introductory biology sequence. The cell biology course covers mechanisms the cell uses to compartmentalize and transport proteins, to move, to regulate growth and death, and to communicate with their environments. 

Prerequisite: Students must have completed, with a C- or better, BIOL_SCI 201-0 to register for this course. Must be taken concurrently with BIOL_SCI 232-0.

BIOL_SCI 232-0

Molecular and Cellular Processes Laboratory

 This is the first course in a three-quarter sequence of introductory biology laboratory, which meets once a week for four hours and includes an online lecture component. The course is designed to provide students with an authentic laboratory experience that investigates relevant scientific research and teaches scientific inquiry skills such as experimental design, writing research proposals, data collection, data analysis/interpretation, and the presentation of results. The experimental model revolves around atherosclerosis and macrophage phagocytosis of apoptotic cells. Students will learn and become proficient at various cell and molecular biology techniques. 

Must be taken concurrently with BIOL_SCI 202-0.

BIOL_SCI 240 -0

Fundamentals of Cellular Processes

All living organisms are composed of cells. Within a cell, an orchestra of processes must occur to support its growth, division, and eventual death. What are the components of a cell, and how are its components organized to effectively perform its critical functions? How have researchers discovered the parts of a cell, their roles, and how they coordinate to perform complex biological functions? In this class, we will examine the parts of a cell, how those parts work together to achieve cellular growth and propagation, and how scientists discovered these phenomena. 

This course is designed to be an introduction to cell biology with a specific emphasis on scientific discovery and research-based approaches. Students will gain an understanding of key topics in cell biology, including organelle structure and function, cytoskeletal dynamics, cell cycle, cell division, and cell death. Students will gain experience reading primary literature and will learn about techniques used by researchers to make discoveries about cellular mechanisms. Finally, students will be able to use their understanding of cell biology techniques and experimental design to critically examine current research in the field and design their own experiments to test concepts in cell biology. 

Pre-requisites: Students must have previously taken BIOL_SCI 239 or have taken BIOL_SCI 201-0 and have instructor recommendation from that course. Must be taken concurrently with BIOL_SCI 232-0. 

Biological sciences 300 level courses

BIOL_SCI 302-0

Fundamentals of Neurobiology

Fundamentals of Neurobiology will explore the structure and function of the central nervous system, from the molecular to the systems/behavioral level. This course will provide an introduction to a number of concepts in cellular and systems neurology, with an emphasis on: ion channel structure and function; the structure and function of neurons and glia; the ionic basis of the membrane potential, graded potential and action potential; synaptic physiology, neuromodulation, neuronal networks; neural plasticity, including learning and memory. 

Pre-requisites: Students must have completed BIOL_SCI 201-0, BIOL_SCI 202-0, BIOL_SCI 301-0, and BIOL_SCI 310-0 to register for this course. May not receive credit for both BIOL_SCI 302-0 and NEUROSCI 202-0. 

BIOL_SCI 310-0

Human Physiology

Biol_Sci 310 explores the functions of the human body with an emphasis on homeostatic mechanisms, interdependence of organs and organ systems and the influence of modulatory systems. Topics include: nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, and digestive systems as well as endocrine application in these systems. Readings and activities focusing on the contributions of scientists of color to the advancement of physiology, and examples of social injustice that have occurred during the pursuit of physiology research will be included.

Prerequisites: Students must have completed BIOL_SCI 201-0, BIOL_SCI 202-0, and CHEM 132-0, CHEM 152-0, or CHEM 172-0 to register for this course.

BIOL_SCI 327-0

Biology of Aging

In this course, we will discuss the current molecular and cellular processes that contribute to organismal aging. Topics will include but are not limited to: epigenetic changes, mitochondrial dysfunction, loss of proteostasis and nutrient sensing pathways. Through critical analysis of current primary literature, students will gain an understanding of how experimental evidence informs the current biological theories of aging.  Furthermore, we will explore the biological and ethical considerations of extending lifespan and current studies on the potential to reverse aging. 

Prerequisites: Students must have completed BIOL_SCI 202-0, BIOL_SCI 203-0, and BIOL_SCI 301-0 to register for this course. 

BIOL_SCI 337-0

Biostatistics

This is a statistics class geared toward students interested in biology, ecology, and environmental science, but others are welcome. The course is applied statistics, with the goal of students taking the perspective, skills, and software learned in class to problems outside of class. We will be learning and using the R package implemented in Rstudio throughout the quarter. R is a very flexible and powerful program that you can use for any statistical problem you encounter. R and Rstudio are free, well-supported, well-documented, and constantly improving.

Prerequisite: Students must have completed BIOL_SCI 202-0, BIOL_SCI 203-0, and a course in statistics to register for this course. 

BIOL_SCI 338-0

Modeling Biological Dynamics

Life is an inherently dynamic process, and the dynamics at every scale of organization -- from the atomic self-assembly of macromolecular complexes to the interactions of species in an ecology -- can give rise to surprising outcomes. Predicting and modulating those dynamics requires the development of accurate mathematical and computational models. In this class, you will learn about mathematical and computational techniques for analyzing and predicting biological dynamics. Techniques will include statistical models, discrete- and continuous- time dynamical models, and stochastic models. Applications will cover a range of scales, from biomolecules to population dynamics, with an emphasis on common mathematical concepts and computational techniques, the interpretation of existing data, and making predictions for new experiments.

Prerequisites: at least one of MATH 218-1, MATH 220-1, MATH 240-0, STAT 202-0, BIOL_SCI 337-0, OR equivalent.

BIOL_SCI 339-0

Critical Topics in Ecology and Conservation

This course will provide students with the conceptual and theoretical framework within the field of plant ecology (especially plant biology) and conservation. This seminar-style class is based on reading and discussion of historical and contemporary primary literature. It will provide you with the opportunity to think critically and discuss your thoughts within a structured yet informal setting and will provide them with a basic background in reading and writing scientific papers. This course is designed to help you: 1. Read and discuss primary literature critically. 2. Learn important skills for writing scientific papers. 3. Become comfortable presenting and discussing papers with your peers. 4. Become more familiar with topics in Plant Science and Conservation. 5. Write a critical review of a manuscript written by a colleague. 6. Write a review paper on the topic of your choosing. 

Prerequisite: Students must have completed BIOL_SCI 203-0, or BIOL_SCI 341, or BIOL_SCI 342-0, or ENVR_SCI 202-0 to register for this course.

BIOL_SCI 341-0

Population Genetics

Change in the genetic composition of populations over time is the basis of evolution. The field of population genetics describes evolutionary dynamics through the lens of allelic change in a broad set of contexts. This course will be more focused on the mathematical expectations behind evolutionary theory and analyzing real data to evaluate support for a variety of predictions these models generate.   

Topics include: natural selection, genetic drift, inbreeding, mutation, and geographic structure of populations, based on single-locus models, molecular sequences, and quantitative traits. These will be explored in greater detail than 200-level discussion of such topics, and with more mathematical rigor.

Prerequisite: Students must have completed BIOL_SCI 201-0, BIOL_SCI 202-0, and BIOL_SCI 301-0 to register for this course.

BIOL_SCI 361-0

Protein Structure and Function

BIOL_SCI 363-0

Biophysics

The course is designed to be an introduction to biophysics and will provide both theoretical and practical perspectives for students that have concentration in biochemistry and biophysics. Students will gain an understating of common used techniques in biophysics.

Prerequisites: Students must have completed BIOL_SCI 202-0, BIOL_SCI 203-0, and BIOL_SCI 301-0 to register for this course.

BIOL_SCI 379

Proteomics and Disease

This course is designed to investigate the homeostasis of the proteome, what mechanisms maintain this homeostasis, and how breakdown of these mechanisms leads to disease.  The topics will cover gene expression, the biochemistry of protein folding, and the various pathways that ensure proper protein folding as well as the destruction of misfolded proteins and aggregates.  The topics covered will be a progression of the material learned in NU’s introductory biology courses. 

Prerequisites: 

BIOL_SCI 380-0

Biology of Cancer

This course is focused on the molecular/cellular mechanisms underlying cancer initiation and progression. Students are expected to have a thorough understanding of molecular and cell biology before taking this class. Various mechanisms controlling cell proliferation, signal transduction, DNA damage repair, cell fate decisions and cell-cell communications will be discussed. Topics will also include nature/hallmarks of cancer and current strategies for cancer treatment. The goal of this course is to have a rich intellectual exchange of ideas while taking an in-depth look at the molecular causes of cancer. 

Prerequisite: Students must have completed BIOL_SCI 202-0, BIOL_SCI 203-0, and BIOL_SCI 301-0 to register for this course. 

BIOL_SCI 390-0

Molecular Biology of Genome Editing & Engineering

 This is a course designed for upper level undergraduate students. Basic molecular genetic mechanisms in eukaryotic organisms are the emphasis of the course. Topics include basic concepts and techniques of molecular biology, organization of genetic information, flow of genetic information, regulation of the flow of genetic information and application of molecular biology in biomedical research. 

Prerequisite: Students must have completed BIOL_SCI 301-0 to register for this course.

BIOL_SCI 395-0

Molecular Genetics 

Genetic and molecular biology technologies have exploded in recent years rendering medical breakthroughs and novel treatments for disease. In this course, we will delve into the basics of gene structure and function, mechanisms of gene expression control and current molecular techniques that have revolutionized biological research. Through analysis of classic and current primary publications, we will explore topics such as how genes are manipulated, how gene expression is regulated, how molecular/genetic analysis of model organisms are used, how human disease genes are discovered, and how every gene in a genome can be analyzed simultaneously. At the end of the course, students will have a deeper appreciation for cellular mechanisms of gene expression and cell regulation. 

Prerequisite: Students must have completed BIOL_SCI 202-0, BIOL_SCI 203-0, and BIOL_SCI 301-0 to register for this course.

Back to top