Declaring a Biology major

Pre-Major declaration advising

Before declaring the Biology major, students are advised by the Science Advising Center/CCAPP. The center ensures students understand general education and science prerequisites for the major.

  • To declare the Biology major, students must complete with C or above:
    • BIO 10100 and BIO 10200
    • CHEM 10300
    • MATH 19500 (Precalculus) or 201 or 205

  • Important Advising Note: Students who are enrolling in BIO 10100 or BIO 10200 for the first time, as well as students who need to repeat any Biology major core course, must seek assistance from the CCAPP/Science Advising Office. The Biology Department does not approve enrollment or repeats for these courses outside of CCAPP/Science Advising.

Declaring a Biology Major

  1. Meet prerequisite course requirements: You must have completed (or be equivalent to) BIO 10100 and BIO 10200, CHEM 10301, and an acceptable math course (MATH 19500, 20100, or 20500) with grades of C or higher before you can declare. If you've completed 60+ credits but haven't met these, contact Advising/CCAPP to declare an alternate major for aid purposes and get advising support.

  2. Submit your major declaration: Use the City Central iDeclare portal to apply for the Biology major.

  3. Department review and approval: The Biology department reviews your iDeclare application. If approved, your major change is forwarded to the Registrar for processing.

  4. Be mindful of deadlines: Submit your declaration by the Financial declaration deadline, which is usually the first two weeks of the first month of the Fall or Spring semesters. Check the Registrar Calendar for the exact dates. Late submissions may delay advisor assignment and require advising through CCAPP until the next cycle.

Major Onboarding and Assignment of Biology Advisor

  • After completing the necessary requirements to declare the major (see above) AND MATH 201 or 205 AND CHEM 10400 with a grade of C or better, students are onboarded into the Biology major.

  • The Head Undergraduate Advisor (currently Dr. Yevgeniy Grigoryev and Deputy Chair Prof. Jay Edelman) review the students' advising form for proper requirements towards completion of their degree and major, approve their course plan, remove the advising hold for the upcoming semester and then assign each student a faculty Biology advisor for ongoing advisement till graduation.

Last Updated: 02/20/2026 14:59