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Department of Biological Sciences

Course Descriptions

The courses we are currently offering in the Department of Biological Sciences are listed below. Students majoring and minoring in Biology should talk with a major advisor regarding the appropriate courses to take for their program. Additional resources regarding which courses to take for the major or minor can be found here.

Navigate to the catalog details for the Department of Biological Sciences

Undergraduate-Level Courses for Academic Year 2026-27

• BIOL 100 - Biology in the Real World Units: 4 ; Breadth Area: GE-5B, GE-5C

• BIOL 101 - Introduction to Biology Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-5B

• BIOL 102 - Introduction to Biology Lab Units: 1 ; Breadth Area: GE-5C

• BIOL 106 - Biodiversity of California Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-5B

• BIOL 130 - Connecting to Biology Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-4

• BIOL 140A - Principles of Cell and Molecular Biology Units: 5 ; Breadth Area: GE-5B, GE-5C

• BIOL 140B - Principles of Organismal Biology Units: 5

• BIOL 200 - Biological Reasoning Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-1B; Second Composition

• BIOL 230 - Introduction to Clinical Microbiology Units: 4 ; Breadth Area: GE-5B, GE-5C

• BIOL 270 - Human Anatomy & Physiology I Units: 4 ; Breadth Area: GE-5B, GE-5C

• BIOL 271 - Human Anatomy & Physiology II Units: 4

• BIOL 300W - Writing in the Biological Sciences Units: 3; UWR

• BIOL 310 - Genetic Analysis I Units: 4

• BIOL 315 - Marine Biology Units: 4

• BIOL 320 - Evolutionary Biology Units: 3

• BIOL 321 - Readings in Biological Sciences Units: 1

• BIOL 330 - General Microbiology Units: 5

• BIOL 333 - Humans and Sex Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-5; Diversity

• BIOL 334 - Humans and the Living Planet Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-5; Sustainability

• BIOL 335 - Humans: Health and Disease Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-5; Social Justice

• BIOL 336 - Historical and Biological Perspectives on Vaccines Units: 3; Breadth Area: GE-UD-5; Social Justice

• BIOL 350 - Ecology Units: 4

• BIOL 352 - Biogeography Units: 4

• BIOL 368 - Fungi of California Units: 3

• BIOL 370 - Animal Physiology Units: 4

• BIOL 372 - Microscopic Methods: Quantitative Analysis of Structure & Function Units: 3

• BIOL 402 - Preparation for Undergraduate Instruction in Biology Units: 3

• BIOL 408 - Biomedical Sciences Seminar Units: 2

• BIOL 410 - Genetic Analysis II Units: 3

• BIOL 415 - PCR, Sequencing and Fragment Analysis Units: 3

• BIOL 424 - Bioinformatics Units: 3

• BIOL 425 - Techniques in Mammalian Cell Culture Units: 3

• BIOL 426 - Advanced Molecular and Cell Biology Units: 3

• BIOL 427 - Molecular and Cell Biology Lab Units: 3

• BIOL 428 - Genomics Units: 3

• BIOL 430 - Microbial Physiology and Metabolism Units: 3

• BIOL 431 - Medical Microbiology Units: 5

• BIOL 432 - Microbe-Host Interactions Units: 3

• BIOL 433 - Microbial Ecology Units: 3

• BIOL 434 - Molecular Microbiology Units: 3

• BIOL 440 - Molecular Virology Units: 3

• BIOL 441 - Parasitology Units: 3

• BIOL 442 - Epidemiology Units: 3

• BIOL 443 - Hematology Units: 4

• BIOL 445 - Immunology Units: 3

• BIOL 446 - Pathogenic Microbiology Units: 3

• BIOL 447 - Zoonoses & Emerging Infectious Diseases Units: 3

• BIOL 452 - Plant Biology Units: 4

• BIOL 454 - Biology of Fungi Units: 4

• BIOL 456 - Ornithology Units: 4

• BIOL 458 - Animal Behavior Units: 4

• BIOL 466 - Population Biology Units: 4

• BIOL 468 - Molecular Ecology Units: 4

• BIOL 469 - Conservation Biology Units: 4

• BIOL 470 - Animal Senses Units: 4

• BIOL 471 - Neurobiology Units: 3

• BIOL 472 - Neurobiology Laboratory Units: 4

• BIOL 473 - Comparative Physiology Units: 3

• BIOL 474 - Biomedical Physiology Units: 3

• BIOL 475 - Global Change Biology Units: 4

• BIOL 476 - General Endocrinology Units: 3

• BIOL 488 - Environmental Physiology Units: 3

• BIOL 490 - Independent Study Units: 1-4

• BIOL 493 - Directed Research in Biology Units: 1-4

• BIOL 497 - Issues in Biological Science Units: 2

• BIOL 498 - Internship Units: 1-4

• SCI 308 - Hands-On Science Teaching Units: 1

• SCI 330 - Supporting STEM Researchers Units: 1

Undergraduate-Level Courses at Moss Landing Marine Sciences Laboratories, Academic Year 2026-27

• MS 103 - Marine Ecology Units: 4

• MS 105 - Marine Science Diving Units: 3

• MS 112 - Marine Birds and Mammals Units: 4

• MS 113 - Marine Ichthyology Units: 4

• MS 124 - Marine Invertebrate Zoology I Units: 4

• MS 125 - Marine Invertebrate Zoology II Units: 3

• MS 131 - Marine Botany Units: 4

• MS 135 - Physiology of Marine Algae Units: 4

• MS 141 - Geological Oceanography Units: 4

• MS 142 - Physical Oceanography Units: 4

• MS 143 - Chemical Oceanography Units: 4

• MS 144 - Biological Oceanography Units: 4

• MS 175 - Topics in Marine Sciences Units: 1

• MS 180- Independent Study Units: 1-4

Graduate-Level Courses for Academic Year 2026-27

• BIOL 601A - Foundations of Scientific Research Units: 1

• BIOL 601B - Foundations of Scientific Communication Units: 1

• BIOL 602 - Preparation for Undergraduate Instruction in Biology Units: 3

• BIOL 610 - Seminar in Cell & Molecular Biology Units: 2

• BIOL 616 - Cell and Molecular Biology I Units: 3

• BIOL 618 - Cell and Molecular Biology II Units: 3

• BIOL 620 - Functional Genomics Units: 3

• BIOL 622 - Advanced Molecular Techniques Units: 3

• BIOL 630 - Seminar in Microbiology Units: 2

• BIOL 650 - Seminar in Ecology and Evolution Units: 2

• BIOL 653 - Community and Ecosystem Biology Units: 4

• BIOL 655 - Phylogenetic Methods Units: 4

• BIOL 657 - Environmental Experimental Analysis Units: 4

• BIOL 670 - Seminar in Physiology Units: 2

• BIOL 671 - Advanced Topics in Physiology Units: 3

• BIOL 672 - Microscopic Methods: Quantitative Analysis of Structure & Function Units: 3

• BIOL 681 - Research Units: 1-2

• BIOL 690 - Independent Study Units: 1-4

• BIOL 691 - University Thesis Units: 1-5

• BIOL 693 - Capstone Project in Biology Units: 1-2

• BIOL 697 - Issues in Biological Science Units: 1-3

• BIOL 698 - Internship Units: 1-4