Welcome to UCSD!

The following information about the Division of Biological Sciences is intended for freshmen at UCSD.

Biology Majors

If you indicated that you wished to major in Biology on your SIR at the time of admission to UCSD, you were placed directly into the major of your choice. You should consult the catalog, your College Advisors, and the Biological Sciences Student Affairs advisors to plan a schedule that will allow you to complete your degree in a timely manner.  Print your major requirements here!


Lab Requirement

The Division of Biological Sciences will require students in all biology majors, with the exception of bioinformatics, to take one biology lab before the end of the sophomore year.

Residency Requirement

To receive a bachelor of science degree in biology from UCSD, all biology majors, including transfer students, must complete at least forty-eight or more units of upper-division course work.

To receive a bachelor of science degree in biology from UCSD, all students must complete at least nine upper-division biology courses (each course must be at least four units) in the Division of Biological Sciences while officially enrolled at UCSD. (Students participating in the Education Abroad Program (EAP), and courses at other UC campuses, may petition up to three of these courses to count toward their residency minima.) Biology courses completed through the UC Extension program (concurrent enrollment) will not be counted toward this residency requirement.


Changing Your Major

If you enter UCSD under another major or are undeclared, you may change to the Biology major of your choice. Declaration of major forms are available on-line, at the Registrar's office, or at the Biology Student Affairs Office. Students changing to Biology will be subject to the same requirements in order to remain in the major as detailed in the previous section. All Change of Major forms will be reviewed and approved/denied by the Division of Biological Sciences.  If your change of major form is approved, it will be forwarded to the UCSD Registrar's Office for final processing.  No formal notification will be issued by either office.  Students should check their TritonLink account to verfiy approval.

AP Biology Credit

Students admitted to UCSD fall 2008 and after who received a 4 or 5 on the Biology AP exam:

You will be exempt from BILD 1, BILD 2 and BILD 3. You will receive credit for these courses. If taken again, no credit will be given.

Students admitted to UCSD prior to fall 2008 and who received a 4 or 5 on the Biology AP exam:

You will be exempt from BILD 1 and BILD 2. You will receive credit for these courses. If taken again, no credit will be given.

Any student with a score of 3 on the Biology AP exam will give credit for BILD 10 regardless of when the student began at UCSD.

Satisfactory Progress

Your GPA in Biology coursework cannot fall below 2.0 (a "C" average). If it does, you will be placed on academic probation by the Division of Biological Sciences, and allowed one quarter in which to raise your GPA. If you do not do so, you may be dropped from the major.

For More Information

There are many sources of information and counseling available to you-your College Advisors, the Advisors in the Biology Student Affairs Office, and the UCSD Course Catalog.