Biology Advising Information
This web page provides general information and links to additional web pages of interest to SFSU Biology majors.  An SFSU Biology Major should meet with his/her major-specific Biology Advisor on a regular basis to ensure timely progress to the baccalaureate degree.  ALWAYS BRING YOUR UNOFFICIAL SFSU TRANSCRIPTS, DARS/ASE, AND FORMS WHEN YOU MEET WITH YOUR MAJOR-SPECIFIC ADVISOR.

If you do not have a Biology Advisor, please lease visit the Department of Biology Office (HH534) and request and advisor assignment. 
•STOP at the Department of Biology Office HH534
•PICK UP the BIOLOGY ADVISING CHECKLIST or DOWNLOAD the Biology Advising Checklist (click here to download) BEFORE you visit the Summer Biology Advisor.
•READ the BIOLOGY ADVISING CHECKLIST
•BRING all the required paperwork indicated in the Checklist for your meeting with your Advisor.
Additional Advising Information

NEW!  Recommended Chemistry Sequence for Biology Majors  (pdf)
Download a flow chart of the recommended order to complete the required Chemistry courses for all Biology Majors.
Graduation Checklists for Biology Majors
FALL 2008 Graduating students must fill out an ONLINE SURVEY--see the Graduation Checklist web page!
Biology Major Advisors
Information for TRANSFER STUDENTS
Department of Biology
SFSU Bulletin description of Biology Degree Programs
 Search SFSU 
Department of Biology Equivalency form
(pdf, Adobe Acrobat reader required)
Department of Biology Substitution form
(pdf, Adobe Acrobat reader required)
 Beginning Fall 2004, Biol 313 Principles of Ecology not accepted for Biology degree
Department of Biology Majors Requirements
Interested in Teaching K-12 Biology?
Single Subject Credential in Biological Sciences
Health Professions at SFSU home page 
Class Schedule
Biology Course descriptions
NSF Noyce Scholarship Opportunity for Spring and Fall 2007 for students preparing to become K-12 science or mathematics teachers!!  Click here for more information

Typical reasons to see your Biology Advisor:
 1    Learn more about a specific biology major     
 2    Develop a course plan     NEW 4-year Course Plans AVAILABLE
 3    Obtain approval for transfer courses or substitution courses     Lower Division Articulation chart
 4    Improve your performance in your courses
 5    Change your major      ATTENTION UNDECLARED MAJORS
 6    Obtain approval on an academic advising petition       ATTENTION PROBATION STUDENTS 
 7    Obtain approval for Financial Aid Graduation Plan
 8    Obtain approval on your baccalaureate graduation application
 9    Obtain Advanced Placement credit towards your major
10   Organic Chemistry requirement:  Chem 130 or Chem 333?
11   Obtain approval to take a course at SFSU Consortium campuses (including UCSF and UC Berkeley) for major credit
12   Obtain approval on your High Unit Student Degree Completion Plan

Please click on the following links if you are interested in:
B.A., General Biology
Minor in Biology
Subject Matter Competency/Single Subject Credential in Biological Sciences

As of Fall 2004, Biol 313 Principles of Ecology has restructured course content and cannot be taken for credit towards any Biology undergraduate degree.  Biol 482 Ecology has revised course content and serves as a broad Ecology course intended for Biology majors.  Students who have taken Biol 313 Principles of Ecology prior to Fall 2004, may use the completed course for credit towards their degree (PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR BIOLOGY ADVISOR).

1 To learn more about the specific biology major that interests you

An SFSU Biology student should consult his/her Biology Advisor and take advantage of various College resources to develop his/her career goals, to discuss employment options after obtaining the degree, or to obtain information on pre-health professional or graduate schools. Students interested in a career as a Forensics Criminalist:
It is REQUIRED that your college transcripts contain the following courses:  Genetics, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Statistics, and Analytical Chemistry. >return to top of page

2   To develop a course plan for your major course work

It is essential for each student to develop a course plan for his/her majors course work.  In developing a good course plan:
Suggested 4-year course plans
NOTE:  All Biology majors are required to take Biol230/240 (General Biology I/II).  It is generally recommended that students take Chem115 (General Chemistry I) BEFORE taking Biol230/Biol240 (General Biology I/II).
Four-year course plans are available for the following Biology majors.
These are SUGGESTED course plans--students should meet with their Biology Advisors to develop an optimal course plan for meeting their degree requirements.

B.A. in Biology, General 
B.S. in Biology: Concentration in Botany (pdf)
B.S. in Biology:  Concentration in Cell and Molecular Biology (pdf)
B.S. in Biology: Concentration in Ecology (pdf)
B.S. in Biology: Concentration in Marine Biology and Limnology (pdf)
B.S. in Biology: Concentration in Microbiology  (pdf)
B.S. in Biology: Concentration in Physiology  (pdf)
B.S. in Biology: Concentration in Zoology (pdf)

Click here for a worksheet for planning majors course work.

>return to top of page

3   To transfer courses into your specific major

If an SFSU Biology student plans to use a course taken at another university to satisfy a Biology majors requirement, the student must have this approved by a Biology Advisor and the Chair of the Department of Biology.  This transfer to the major is a TWO STEP process.  First, the University must approve the transfer.  Second, the Department must approve the transfer.

STEP ONE:  UNIVERSITY APPROVAL.  Before the Department can consider accepting the course for major credit, the University must approve the transfer of the course, designated on the Advanced Standing Evaluation (see "How to read your ASE") or the Degree Audit Report (DARS).  Transfer students submit their transcripts prior to entering the University.  Approved courses are transferred for specified units as indicated on the ASE (or DARS, "About Your Degree Audit Report ").  The student cannot receive more units than the University has awarded on the ASE (or DARS) and cannot receive more units than the equivalent SFSU course.
Courses taken at a junior college (two-year college) can ONLY FULFILL LOWER DIVISION REQUIREMENTS.  However, such course work may be given "content only" credit if the course work is deemed equivalent to an SFSU upper division course.  The upper division units must be made up by taking another upper division elective.
To determine equivalency of a transfer course, the the following resources may be of use:
--Articulation web site (www.assist.org)
--Click here to download a Lower Division Articulation chart.  This chart shows which courses at Bay Area colleges transfer for lower division courses required for the SFSU Biology degrees.  The information in the chart was obtained using the Assist.org articulation web site.

STEP TWO:  DEPARTMENT APPROVAL.  The student must meet with the Biology Advisor to confirm that a specific transfer course is equivalent to a majors requirement.  Once a course has been deemed equivalent, the student must fill out the Department of Biology Equivalency Form (download here, or pick up at Department Office), obtain the approval of the Biology Advisor, and submit the form to the Department of Biology for approval by the Chair of the Department.  If the course equivalency is shown on the www. assist.org articulation website, the student must print out this articulation agreement and attach the agreement to the Equivalency Form.  If the course equivalency is based on the analysis of course materials by faculty, the course syllabus or course catalog description must be attached to the Equivalency Form.  It is recommended that the Equivalency Forms be filled out sooner than later--do not wait until graduation to get the equivalency forms approved.

How to fill out the Biology Equivalency Form
The student fills out Name, e-mail address, and SFSU ID #.
For each transfer course, the student fills out the name of the Institution where course was taken, the course number and title (example:  Bio 1A Intro Biology I), and the number of units accepted for transfer.  The student must also indicate whether the course was taken as part of a Semester or Quarter sequence.  The student then indicates the SFSU course number (example, Biol 230 Intro Biology I) and units.

In addition, if the student plans to take a course as an upper division elective for the major, but that course is not listed in the official list of electives for the major, then the student must fill out the Department of Biology Substitution Form (download here, or pick up at the Department Office), obtain the approval of the Biology Advisor, and submit the form to the Department of Biology for approval by the Chair of the Department.  (They do not meet with the Chair).  They return typically the next day to pick up the approved form.   If the substitution is replacing an upper division course required for the Major, the required course being must replaced must be listed and an explanation provided on the Substitution Form.  In general, the student should consult with a Biology Advisor for approval of the substitution PRIOR to taking the course.  It is recommended that the Substitution Forms be filled out sooner than later--do not wait until graduation to get the substitution forms approved.
Note that it is the responsibility of the student to keep all signed Equivalency and Substitution Forms to submit with the graduation application.

>return to top of page

4   To develop strategies to improve performance in your Biology courses

Biology Faculty maintain regular office hours during the semester to meet with students in their classes in order to provide assistance with course work and preparation for exams and assignments.  Students are encouraged to meet with their professors during these office hours.  In addition, the following resources are available: >return to top of page

5   To change your major

In order to change one's major, one must have a minimum 2.0 GPA in the current major.
The student must make an appointment with the appropriate Biology Advisor for the major you are changing to, and bring to this meeting the following paperwork: After the advisor approves the change of major, the student must take the form to the Department of Biology for the signature of the Chair of the Department.

ATTENTION UNDECLARED STUDENTS who wish to change their major to a Biology degree:  NEW INFO
Please be certain that the Biology major is the appropriate major for YOU.  If you are considering applying for the B.S. Nursing degree, you should select your new major based on the course requirements that overlap with the Nursing major.  Please consider the fact that the Nursing major is an impacted major (more students apply than can be accepted).  A better strategy to obtain your degree in a reasonable time may be to select a major that will accept the Nursing-related courses for credit towards the major, so that you will not have to start from scratch with with a new major if you are not accepted into the Nursing degree program.  This is particularly important if you have already taken Biol. 210/211 and Biol 610/611--these courses are NOT accepted for Biology major credit.  The following majors do accept some of these courses for the major: >return to top of page

6   To get academic advising petitions signed

Students who are on academic probation, mandatory advising, or subject to disqualification are required to meet with their advisors for approval of the academic advising petition prior to registration.  Additional information is available at the Advising Center web page on Mandatory Academic Probation.  In addition, the College of Science and Engineering Student Resource Center provides useful Probation Help information.  You can find a cumulative GPA calculator at this link:  Cumulative GPA Calculator.
The student should bring to the meeting with the Biology Advisor: How to fill out the Academic Standing Petition
Student fills out Parts A and B completely.  In Part B, the student should provide an explanation for why academic performance was affected, should clearly state how academic performance will be improved for the next semester, and should provide a specific list of courses that will be taken (course number).  The student signs Part B.

Once the petition contract has been signed by the advisor, the student turns it into the Department Office for the Chair’s signature.  The student does not meet with the Chair.  The student will pick up the signed form (typically the next day) along with information on how to contact the Director of the COSE Student Resource Center (Dr. Judith Ekstrand) who will meet with the student as the COSE Dean’s representative for final approval of the petition.

>return to top of page

7   To get a financial aid graduation plan signed

Students on financial aid are sometimes asked by the Financial Aid office to prepare a Financial Aid Graduation Plan.
The student should make an appointment with his/her advisor and come to the meeting with the following items: Once the advisor approves the plan, the student takes the form to the Department of Biology office for department approval and then to the Financial Aid office.

>return to top of page

8   To get approval for your graduate application

All Biology Major graduation applicants for FALL 2008 MUST complete an ONLINE SURVEY before the Department will approve the graduation application.  Your input will help the Department improve its programs and courses for all Biology students.  Go to the Graduation Checklist web page to find out more about the survey.

Click here to fill out the online Baccalaureate Degree Application for Graduation.  This downloadable graduation application form also has useful graduation FAQs.
Please note that students should apply for graduation only if they believe they will have satisfied all degree requirements by the end of the term in which they have applied.  In addition, students must have completed at minimum of 100 units in order to apply for graduation and walk during the commencement ceremony.

The student must meet with the Biology Advisor and bring the following: Note: >return to top of page

9   To obtain Advanced Placement Exam Credit in the Department of Biology

Students may receive credit towards the lower division requirements for the major with the appropriate scores on Advanced Placement Exams.  It is up to the discretion of the Chair of the Department whether the AP exam credit will be accepted for the major (this applies to all lower division requirements for the major).
For the Department of Biology, a Biology AP exam score of 4 or 5 in general will be accepted towards the Biol 230 requirement.  Advanced Placement Exam Credit appears on the ASE.  Note that the restrictions for double counting also apply towards the AP exam credit:  a maximum of 12 units may be double counted between the GE requirements and the major requirements.  If a student wishes to apply AP exam credit for the degree, the student must consult the Biology Advisor and the Chair of the Department.

>return to top of page
10   Organic Chemistry requirement:  Chem 130 or Chem 333?

All Biology degrees require completion of at least one semester of Organic Chemistry.  Most of them require the lower division Organic Chemistry I lecture, Chem 130.  However, the Microbiology B.S. and the Cell & Molecular Biology B.S. degrees require the upper division Organic Chemistry I lecture, Chem 333 (as well as the second semester Organic Chemistry II lecture, Chem 335).
If a biology course lists Chem 130 as a prerequisite, Chem 333 is acceptable in lieu of Chem 130.
Students may elect to take the upper division Chem 333 instead of Chem 130.  The student must file a Department of Biology Equivalency Form ( pdf ) to indicate this change.

Pre-health profession students should note that the upper division Organic Chemistry I and II with labs (Chem 333/334/335/336) are considered part of the minimal science requirements for applying to the health profession programs (including medical school, veterinary medicine, dental school, pharmacy school).

>return to top of page
11   Obtain approval to take a course at SFSU Consortium campuses (including UCSF and UC Berkeley) for major credit

SFSU students may wish to take advantage of the SFSU cooperative programs with UCSF, UC Berkeley, or other institutions that participate in the San Francisco Consortium.

In general, during the regular sessions (summer and winter sessions and extension classes excluded) a matriculated, full-time SFSU student may take up to one course per semester at an SFSU consortium campus on a space available basis if they are unable to take the equivalent course at SFSU. The instructor of this non-SFSU course must be willing to accept the SFSU student.  The SFSU student must have SFSU Biology Department approval (Faculty Advisor and Department Chair) and SFSU registrar approval.  The specific requirements are outlined in the SFSU Bulletin and the appropriate enrollment forms below.

Detailed information is available in the SFSU Bulletin:
Special Enrollment Programs information (http://www.sfsu.edu/~bulletin/current/spenroll.htm)
Forms for enrollment in special programs (consortium enrollment, cross enrollment at California Community Colleges or CSU campuses or cross registration at UC Berkeley) are available at:
Special Enrollment Programs Forms (http://www.sfsu.edu/~admisrec/forms/formstoc.htm#special)
12   To get a high unit student degree completion plan signed
Students with more than 156 units are blocked from Early Priority Registration unless they submit an approved Degree Completion Plan by a specified date.  The Degree Completion Plan can be downloaded from the Registrar’s Office Forms page.

How to fill out the Degree Completion Plan
The student fills out Parts I, II, and II BEFORE meeting with the Biology Major Advisor.  The Biology Advisor reviews the remaining degree requirements in Part I and signs the form. Once the advisor approves the plan, the student takes the form to the Department of Biology office for department approval.  The student obtains approval for Part II at the Advising Center (ADM 211).  The approved Degree Completion Plan must be submitted by the designated deadline to the One Stop Center.

The student should keep a copy of the Degree Completion Plan.   The student must submit this plan EVERY semester until graduation.

>return to top of page

biologo  
Updated 9/04/08
Questions on web page?