Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences
MAJOR AND MINOR DESCRIPTIONS BY DEPARTMENT
Biological Sciences
The biological sciences major is intended for the biology student who wishes to develop an individualized combination of courses at the advanced level. The student is free to plan a curriculum of great breadth or to choose an area of specialization not offered as a major by the department. Most of the undergraduates in our department choose the biological sciences major. This major is suitable for those planning a career in which general familiarity with biological topics is desirable, such as jobs in scientific journalism, biological and pharmaceutical supply industries, biological or medical research, scientific libraries and museums, or in any industry where the products or by-products have potential biological impact. Completing the biological sciences major fulfills the basic science requirements for admission to medical, dental, and other health professional schools and to graduate biology programs.
Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics is the theory, application and development of computing tools to solve problems and create hypotheses in all areas of biological sciences. Biology in the post-genome world has been and continues to be transformed from a largely laboratory-based science to one that integrates experimental and information science. Bioinformatics has contributed to advances in biology by providing tools that handle datasets too large and/or complex for manual analysis. Examples of some of these tools include assembly of DNA sequences of entire genomes, gene finding algorithms, microarray expression analysis, molecular system modeling, and biomarker discovery from mass spectra. Computational tools are central to the organization, analysis, and harvesting of biological data at the level of macromolecules, cells, and systems. Consequently, there is a growing need for trained professionals who understand the languages of biology and computer science. Biologists trained in more traditional programs may not have a working knowledge of statistics and algorithms, whereas computer scientists trained in more traditional programs may not have a working knowledge of the chemistry and biology required in the field.
Ecology and Evolution
The field of ecology explores the interactive web of organisms and the environment. Studies in evolution consider the processes by which modern organisms have developed from ancestral ones. The ecology and evolution major is a good choice for students interested in the fundamental questions of the evolutionary origins of organisms and how they survive, or don’t survive, in their changing habitats. Within this major, students have the opportunity for in-depth study of the morphological and physiological adaptations of a variety of animals, plants, and microorganisms to a changing world; the ecological relationship of organisms from the individual to the global scale; and the mechanisms that drive evolutionary change.
Employment opportunities in the ecological sciences have increased greatly in recent years. There continues to be a demand for well-trained professionals at all levels (BS, MS, and PhD). Government environmental agencies, commercial consulting and testing firms, waste management industries, research laboratories, and natural history and science museums are just a few of the career opportunities. Graduate departments of ecology, evolution, environmental sciences, genetics, botany, public policy, and public health are actively seeking well-qualified students. The required chemistry, physics, and mathematics courses incorporate the requirements for admission to medical, dental, and other health professional schools. An ecology and evolution major could also serve as a springboard to a career in law.
Microbiology
Microbiology is the study of the biology of microscopic organisms: bacteria, viruses, algae, fungi, and protozoa. The methods used to study and manipulate these minute and mostly unicellular organisms differ from those used in most other biological investigations. Recombinant DNA technology uses microorganisms, particularly bacteria and viruses, to amplify DNA sequences and generate the encoded products. Moving genes from one microorganism to another permits application of microbial skills to solve medical and environmental problems. Many microorganisms are unique among living things in their ability to use gaseous nitrogen from the air or to degrade complex and resistant macromolecules in such materials as wood. By rearranging the genes that control these and other processes, scientists seek to engineer microorganisms that will process wastes, fertilize agricultural land, produce desirable biomolecules, and solve other problems inexpensively and safely.
Microbiologists pursue careers in many fields, including agricultural, environmental, food, and industrial microbiology; public health; resource management; basic research; education; and pharmaceuticals. Jobs in all these fields are available at the BS level as well as the MS and PhD levels. The microbiology major also incorporates the requirements expected for admission to medical, dental, and other health professional schools and to graduate schools in microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and related disciplines.
Molecular Biology
Molecular biology emphasizes the study of molecules that make up an organism and the forces operating among these molecules. Increasingly, molecular biologists can also explore the genetic control of these molecules and thus define the developmental, cellular, and subcellular changes that occur during the dynamic processes of life. Virtually every question, whether in biochemistry, cell biology, developmental biology, or some other biological discipline, applies molecular biology, often as the prime approach, in its solution. Biochemical and molecular developments have revolutionized biological research, fueling the explosive growth in the biotechnology industry and rapid increase of molecular medicine.
The molecular biology major, with its two tracks (biochemistry or cell and developmental biology) provides a strong background for many science careers. Both tracks incorporate the requirements expected for admission to medical, dental, and other health professional schools and to graduate schools in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, and related disciplines. Positions for molecular biologists at the BS, MS, and PhD levels are available in the biotechnology industries as well as in universities, medical schools, hospitals, government laboratories, research institutes, and public health institutions.
For more information on the Department of Biological Sciences and the majors it offers, see www.pitt.edu/~biology.
General Requirements
Students in all five majors within the Department of Biological Sciences must follow general rules and fulfill certain general requirements in addition to those in their specific major:
- A total of 32 credits in biology must be taken (see specific course requirements for each major below). All biology courses taken for the major must be completed with a C or better. If a C- or lower is earned in a biology elective course that is not repeated, the course will be used in calculating the overall GPA in the major but will not be counted as part of the 32 credits required for the major.
- Corequisite courses must be taken in chemistry, physics, and mathematics and/or statistics, including
- CHEM 0110 and CHEM 0120 General Chemistry 1 and 2, which includes the labs,
- CHEM 0310, CHEM 0330, CHEM 0320, and CHEM 0340 Organic Chemistry 1 and 2 lecture and labs,
- MATH 0220 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1,
- Either MATH 0230 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 2 or STAT 1000 Applied Statistical Methods, and
- Either the algebra-based physics, PHYS 0110 and 0111 Introduction to Physics 1 and 2, or the calculus-based physics, PHYS 0174 and 0175 Basic Physics for Science and Engineering 1 and 2.
- A minimum GPA of 2.00 must be maintained in all biology courses and in the combined corequisite courses. The S/NC option may be used for only one biology course and for any of the corequisite courses.
- The Dietrich School-required related area is fulfilled by the corequisite courses in chemistry. Departmental writing (W) courses may be selected once the major is declared and count towards the 32 biology credits for the major
- Opportunities for faculty-sponsored directed research and internship experiences are available and strongly encouraged. Academic credit awarded from the departmental W, directed research, and internship courses count as credit toward graduation, but not in determining the 32 biology credits required for the major. Students interested in departmental honors should contact department advisors for information.
- University Honors College equivalents for any of the above courses are accepted. Credit by examination is available only through appropriate AP scores for equivalents to BIOSC 0150, 0050, 0160, and 0060 Foundations of Biology 1 and 2 and labs.
Updated information about the department, major requirements, and course offerings is available on the department’s Web site, www.pitt.edu/~biology.
Bioinformatics Major
The undergraduate bioinformatics degree program at the University of Pittsburgh is operated jointly by the departments of biological sciences (www.pitt.edu/~biology) and computer science (www.cs.pitt.edu). This program offers training that builds a solid foundation in chemistry, biology, computer science, mathematics, and statistics. The training will enable students to communicate fluently with experts across these disciplines and to have the skills necessary to apply computing tools to address contemporary problems in biology and medicine. It will enhance the professional opportunities for undergraduates to pursue careers in pure or applied research in academia, government, pharmaceutical, medical, or biotechnology sectors.
Advising for Bioinformatics majors is housed in both the Department of Biology and the Department of Computer Science. For information, contact one of the advisors.
Core courses (42 credits)
- BIOSC 0150 Foundations of Biology 1
- BIOSC 0160 Foundations of Biology 2
- BIOSC 0350 Genetics
- BIOSC 1810 Macromolecular Structure & Function
- CHEM 0310 Organic Chemistry 1 *
- CHEM 0320 Organic Chemistry 2
- MATH 0220 Analytical Geometry & Calculus 1
- STAT 1000 Applied Statistical Methods
- STAT 1221 Applied Regression
- CS 0401 Intermediate Programming using JAVA **
- CS 0445 Data Structures
- CS 0441 Discrete Structures for CS
- CS 1501 Algorithm Implementation
* General Chemistry 0110 and 0120 are pre-requisites to taking CHEM 0310.
** Students without a background in programming will be encouraged to take Introduction to Programming CS 0007 prior to taking CS 0401.
Upper Level Courses (22 credits)
- BIOSC 1540 Computational Biology
- BIOSC/CS 1640 Bioinformatics Software Design
- BIOSC 1901/CS1950 Undergraduate Research (total of four credits)*
- Electives (12 credits) to be chosen from an approved list of courses in Statistics, Chemistry, Biological Sciences and/or Computer Science. With the approval of the Bioinformatics Program Committee, the student may take electives in other departments.
* Undergraduate Research is taken over multiple terms for variable credit. Four credits of undergraduate research are required for the major. Research can begin as early as the sophomore year and must be approved by Kirk Pruhs in the Department of Computer Science, or Paula Grabowski in the Department of Biological Sciences.
Capstone experience
BIOSC 1640 and CS 1640 satisfy the bioinformatics major capstone experience requirement. Capstone request must be made to Kirk Pruhs in the Department of Computer Science.
Additional requirements and restrictions
- Bioinformatics majors who have completed CS 0401 may not enroll in CS 0004, CS 0007 or CS 0110
- BIOSC 1000 cannot be substituted for BIOSC 1810.
- CHEM 1810 can only be substituted for BIOSC 1810 if it is not possible for the student to schedule BIOSC 1810
- Students must complete at least one W-course in the major
- A grade of C or better is required in each of the core and upper level courses that are to count toward the major. This requirement also satisfies the Dietrich School requirement of a minimum GPA of 2.0 in major courses
- Elective courses for the major must be completed with a grade of C or better. If a C-or lower is earned in an elective course for the major and is not repeated, the course will be used to calculate the overall GPA but will not be counted toward the 32 credits required for the major.
- Students must earn a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the required chemistry and mathematics courses.
- No Bioinformatics major courses may be taken on an S/NC basis
- Due to its interdisciplinary nature, the Bioinformatics major does not require a related area
Honors major requirements
Honors in Bioinformatics is granted if, in addition to fulfilling all requirements for the major, the student:
- completes three semesters (3 x 2 credits) or the equivalent (summer counts as a semester equivalent) of undergraduate research together with a written honors thesis presented in the last semester of the senior year;
- maintains a GPA of 3.5 or above in all Bioinformatics major courses; and
- maintains an overall GPA of 3.25 or above.
Approved elective course list
- Biological Sciences
- BIOSC 1500 Cell Biology
- BIOSC 1545 Mathematics of Biology
- BIOSC 1820 Metabolic Pathways and Regulation
- BIOSC 1830 Biochemistry Laboratory
- BIOSC 1940 Molecular Biology
- BIOSC 1950 Molecular Genetics Laboratory
- Computer Science
- CS 1510 Design and Analysis of Algorithms
- CS 1515 Scientific Computation
- CS 1520 Programming Languages for Web Applications
- CS 1555 Database Management Systems
- CS 1566 Computer Graphics
- CS 1571 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
- CS 1645 Introduction to High Performance Computing Systems
- Chemistry
- CHEM 0250 Introduction to Analytical Chemistry
- CHEM 1410 Physical Chemistry 1
- CHEM 1420 Physical Chemistry 2
- Statistics
- STAT 1301 Statistical Packages
- STAT 1311 Applied Multivariate Analysis
- STAT 1321 Applied Time Series
Biological Sciences Major
Biologicaly Course Requirements
Completion of the biological sciences major requires a total of 32 credits in biology, including
- 17 credits of required courses:
- BIOSC 0150 and BIOSC 0160 Foundations of Biology 1 and 2
- BIOSC 0050 and BIOSC 0060 Foundations of Biology Lab 1 and 2
- BIOSC 0350 Genetics or BIOSC 0355 Honors Genetics
- BIOSC 0370 Ecology or 1130 Evolution
- BIOSC 1000 Biochemistry*
- A minimum of 15 credits of upper-division courses, which must include two labs or one lab and one field course or one lab and BIOSC 1545 Mathematics of Biology. Students may begin to take elective courses when they have completed the appropriate prerequisite courses; for example, some upper-division courses have only 0150 and 0160 as prerequisites whereas others have additional requirements. As part of these electives, students who declare a major in Biological Sciences on or after September 14, 2009 must complete one higher-level 3-credit BIOSC lecture class, defined as a course with prerequisites beyond BIOSC 0150 and BIOSC 0160.
Ecology and Evolution Major
Biologicaly Course Requirements
Completion of the ecology and evolution major requires a total of 32 credits in biology, including
- 26 credits of required courses:
- BIOSC 0150 and BIOSC 0160 Foundations of Biology 1 and 2
- BIOSC 0050 and BIOSC 0060 Foundations of Biology Lab 1 and 2
- BIOSC 0350 Genetics or BIOSC 0355 Honors Genetics
- BIOSC 0370 Ecology
- BIOSC 0390 Ecology Lab
- BIOSC 1000 Biochemistry
- BIOSC 1130 Evolution
- BIOSC 1320 Population Biology
- BIOSC 1550 Ecology and Evolution Seminar
- BIOSC 0391 Ecology Lab Writing Practicum or BIOSC 1551 Ecology and Evolution Seminar Writing Practicum
- A 3-credit upper-division field course offered during the summer at the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology (PLE) or an equivalent site pre-approved by the department.
- An additional 3 credits of upper-division elective courses.
Microbiology Major
Biologicaly Course Requirements
Completion of the microbiology major requires a total of 32 credits in biology, including
- 26 credits of required courses:
- BIOSC 0150 and BIOSC 0160 Foundations of Biology 1 and 2
- BIOSC 0050 and BIOSC0060 Foundations of Biology Lab 1 and 2
- BIOSC 0350 Genetics or BIOSC 0355 Honors Genetics
- BIOSC 0370 Ecology or BIOSC 1130 Evolution
- BIOSC 1000 Biochemistry or BIOSC 1810 Macromolecular Structure Function and BIOSC 1820 Metabolic Pathways
- BIOSC 1570 Microbiology Seminar
- BIOSC 1850 Microbiology
- BIOSC 1860 Microbiology Lab
- BIOSC 1865 Microbial Physiology
- One of the following:
- BIOSC 1291 Genetic Engineering Lab Writing Option
- BIOSC 1571 Microbiology Seminar Writing Option
- BIOSC 1741 Virology Lab Writing Option
- BIOSC 1861 Microbiology Lab Writing Option
- In addition, seven BIOSC credits must be taken. If one of these courses is a field course, then only six credits are required. These are chosen from a selected list of microbiology electives, including at least one lab or field course. Students may begin to take elective courses when they have completed the appropriate prerequisite courses.
Molecular Biology Major
Biologicaly Course Requirements
Completion of the molecular biology major requires a total of 32 credits in biology, including
- 20 credits of required courses:
- BIOSC 0150 and BIOSC 0160 Foundations of Biology 1 and 2
- BIOSC 0050 and BIOSC0060 Foundations of Biology Lab 1 and 2
- BIOSC 0350 Genetics or BIOSC 0355 Honors Genetics
- BIOSC 1810 Macromolecular Structure Function
- BIOSC 1820 Metabolic Pathways
- BIOSC 1940 Molecular Biology
- In addition, students select one upper-division elective (either BIOSC 0370 Ecology or any BIOSC course numbered above 1010) and complete the course work in one of the following two tracks:
Biochemistry Track
- BIOSC 1470 Biophysical Chemistry or CHEM 1410 Physical Chemistry 1 and 1420 Physical Chemistry 2
- BIOSC 1580 Biochemistry Seminar
- BIOSC 1830 Biochemistry Lab
- BIOSC 1950 Molecular Genetics Lab
- BIOSC 1581 Biochemistry Seminar Writing Option, BIOSC 1831 Biochemistry Lab Writing Option, or BIOSC 1951 Molecular Genetics Lab Writing Option (Biochemistry)
Cell and Developmental Biology Track
- BIOSC 1500 Cell Biology
- BIOSC 1520 Developmental Biology
- BIOSC 1560 Cell and Developmental Biology Seminar
- BIOSC 1511 Cell Biology Lab Writing Option, BiIOSC 1531 Developmental Biology Lab Writing Option,BIOSC 1561 Cell and Development Biology Seminar Writing Option, BIOSC 1831 Biochemistry Lab Writing Option, or BIOSC 1951 Molecular Genetics Lab Writing Option (Cell and Developmental Biology)
- Two laboratories selected from among
- BIOSC 1510 Cell Biology Lab
- BIOSC 1530 Developmental Biology Lab
- BIOSC 1830 Biochemistry Lab
- BIOSC 1950 Molecular Genetics Lab