BA in Human Biology with concentration in Biology

Below is a sample 4-year plan for students pursuing the BA in Human Biology with a concentration in Biology. To view the list of courses approved to fulfill KU Core Goals, please visit the KU Core website.

This degree plan assumes students will have the equivalent of MATH 101 or MATH 104, or equivalent prior to the freshman year, fall semester.

Freshman
FallHoursSpringHours
BIOL 150 or 152 (Goal 3 Natural Science, General Science Requirement)33BIOL 152 or 150 (General Science Requirement)33
CHEM 130 (General Science Requirement, BA Laboratory/Field Experience (LFE), BA Quantitative Reasoning (QR))25CHEM 135 (General Science Requirement)5
BIOL 105 (General Science Requirement)*1MATH 115 (General Science Requirement)23
ENGL 101 (Goal 2.1 Written Communication/BA Writing I)13ENGL 102 (Goal 2.1 Written Communication/BA Writing II)3
BIOL 1542Any 100+ Elective3
 14 17
Sophomore
FallHoursSpringHours
1st Semester Language (BA Second Language)52nd Semester Language (BA Second Language)5
Human Evolutionary Biology (General Science Requirement)93-4BIOL 350 (Major Requirement)4
CHEM 330 (Major Requirement)53Major Category Course (Major Requirement)63
CHEM 331 (Major Requirement)2Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours3
PSYC 104 (Goal 3 Social Science, Recommended)3 
 16-17 15
Junior
FallHoursSpringHours
3rd Semester Language (BA Second Language)34th Semester Language, or 1st semester of Another Language (BA Second Language)3
Goal 3 Arts and Humanities3PHSX 115 (or PHSX 212 & 236, General Science Requirement)4
COMS 130 (Goal 2.2 Communication)3Major Category Course (Major Requirement)63
PHSX 114 (or PHSX 211 & 216, Goal 1.1 Critical Thinking, General Science Requirement)4Major Category Course (Major Requirement)63
Major Category Course (Major Requirement)63 
 16 13
Senior
FallHoursSpringHours
Goal 4.1 US Diversity (300+ Recommended)3BIOL 599 (Major Requirement, Goal 6 Integration & Creativity)71
Goal 5 Social Responsibility & Ethics3Goal 4.2 Global Awareness (300+ Recommended)3
BIOL 370, MATH 365, or PSYC 21043-4Major Category Course (Major Requirement)63
Major Category Course (Major Requirement)63Major Category Lab Course (Major Requirement)61
Major Category Lab Course (Major Requirement)62Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours103
Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours101Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours103
 15-16 14
Total Hours 120-122
1

The BA requires completion of two courses of collegiate-level writing instruction. Students who test out of Composition will still need to complete ENGL 102 (or equivalent) and one additional Goal 2.1 course.

2

Requires a Math ACT score of 26+, a comparable SAT or KU Math Placement Exam score, or credit for a MATH 101 or MATH 104 equivalent course. MATH 125 can be taken instead of MATH 115 to fulfill the Math requirement.

3

Concurrent or prior enrollment in CHEM 130 is required. BIOL 151 is the honors equivalent of BIOL 150 and offered in the fall semesters. BIOL 153 is the honors equivalent of BIOL 152 and offered in the spring semesters.

4

BIOL 370 is only offered in fall semesters and is recommended for the Biology concentration.

5

Most medical schools require the full CHEM 330, CHEM 331, CHEM 335, and CHEM 336 sequence and PHSX 114/PHSX 211 & PHSX 216 and PHSX 115/PHSX 212 & PHSX 236.

6

Refer to the degree requirements in the catalog, the Degree Progress Report (DPR), or your advisor for a list of applicable courses. Completion of 2 of 4 major categories is required, and at least 3 hours of lab credit, 400-level of above, must be completed. These lab credit hours may come from within the two major categories being completed or from other categories.

7

BIOL 599 is approved to fulfill Goal 6. This goal can also be fulfilled by completion of an approved educational experience, or an approved integration of courses and/or experiences. See your advisor for more information 

8

Visit this website for a list of courses that fulfill the BA Quantitative Reasoning requirement.

9

ANTH 304, ANTH 309, ANTH 340, or BIOL 412 (offered in spring only) can fulfill this requirement. Only one course is required.

10

Hour requirements (incl. 45 jr/sr hrs) are typically met through KU core, degree, major, second area of study and/or elective hours.  Students completing the BGS with a major must choose a secondary area of study.  Individual degree mapping is done in partnership with your advisor.

*

BIOL 105: Biology Orientation Seminar (1 hour online course) is required for the major. It can be taken the summer prior to your freshman year. 

Please note:

Students may earn degrees in more than one major within biological sciences, or in a biological science and an area outside biology by meeting the requirements of both degree programs and taking at least 15 hours of courses unique to each major.

All students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are required to complete 120 total hours of which 45 hours must be at the Jr/Sr (300+) level.

The same course cannot be used to fulfill more than one KU Core Goal. However, overlap of a KU Core course with a major or degree-specific requirement is allowed. Overlapping is recommended to allow more opportunities to explore other majors and/or minors.