The Biology Major

The Biology major is designed to provide students with a broad base for understanding principles governing life processes at all levels, from molecular and cell biology to environmental biology and behavior.

The Biology major is satisfied by nine courses as follows:

• BIOL 101 (F) The Cell
• BIOL 102 (S) The Organism
• BIOL 202 (F) Genetics
• two 300-level courses; at least one of which must have an associated laboratory
• one 400-level course
• three additional Biology courses at the 200-level or higher (CHEM 156 and 251 can be counted as one of these courses)
• One of these additional courses must cover biological processes at levels of organization above the cell. The courses offered in 2007-8 that meet this distributional requirement are:
• BIOL 203 (F) Ecology
• BIOL 204 (F) Animal Behavior
• BIOL 205 (S) Physiology
• BIOL 220 (S) Field Botany
• BIOL 225 (F) Natural History of the Berkshires
• BIOL 231 (F,S) Marine ecology
• BIOL 305 (S) Evolution
• BIOL 308 (F) Integrative Plant Biology: Fundamentals and New Frontier

The Biology Major with Honors requires BIOL 493, 031, and 494 and only two additional Biology courses at the 200-level or higher.

Some general points about the major:

• Most courses that count toward the major have a lab program associated with them. What biologists know about living systems is gained through observation and experimentation. The course-associated labs will introduce you to the tools and process of biological research. The Williams Biology faculty consider this a very important part of a Biology major's education. BIOL 106, 132, 133, and 134 DO NOT count towards the major.
• As a student moves through the Biology major, s/he will find that the content and skills acquired build on each other. The foundations established in BIOL101 and 102 are added to in 200-level courses. By the time a student elects to take a 300-level course s/he is well-prepared to tackle the more complex lecture and lab materials in those courses. The 400-level courses all involve extensive reading of the current scientific literature; discussions in these courses are led by the students and have the flavor of a graduate-level course.
• Independent research is not required for completion of the major-however, students thinking of attending graduate school are strongly advised to pursue at least one semester of independent research. Research courses count as electives. They do not satisfy the 300- or 400-level requirements for the major. Only one semester of honors research can count toward the 9 courses required to complete the major.
• Majors are strongly advised to take two semesters of chemistry, a statistics course, calculus, and physics.

Information for first-year students:

• Beginning students should enroll in Biology 101/102. Students with unusually strong backgrounds in Biology such as those with outstanding performance on the College Board Advanced Placement Test, may be permitted to elect a sophomore-level course in lieu of Biology 101 and/or Biology 102 upon successful completion of the departmental qualifying exam given during First Days. If you wish to explore this option, consult Professor Raymond (wraymond@williams.edu).
• Students who are thinking of majoring in Biology are encouraged to take Biology 101, 102 during their first year at Williams. Students who begin the major in their sophomore year or who spend the junior year in a study away program should understand that they may need to take two or more Biology courses during several semesters.

Information for students studying away:

• Although the Biology department may, upon petition, decide to grant credit towards the major for courses taken at other institutions, these courses are given credit only at the 200 level.
• Professor Banta is the departmental advisor for study-abroad programs. Students are encouraged to discuss their plans and seek advice from her at any time as they consider study-abroad options.
• Biology majors will find courses that can count toward the major offered at the Williams-Mystic and Williams-at-Oxford programs. Past students have also received credit for biology courses taken under the sponsorship of School for Field Studies or at universities in Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, for example. Before going away, students must get any biology courses they plan to take while away pre-approved by the Department Chair to have them count toward the major.