Bachelor of Science in Microbiology
(120 units)
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms and their interactions with humans, other organisms, and the environment. This degree is appropriate for those contemplating graduate work in microbiology or, with the inclusion of appropriate classes, may be utilized by pre-professional students. Students in this option might also want to pursue the Certificate in Biotechnology described elsewhere in this Catalog. This undergraduate major is recognized by the American Society for Microbiology as meeting their core curriculum for the baccalaureate degree program in microbiology. This major requires 77-78 units in the major, of which 40-41 are lower division and 37 are upper division. All students must achieve at least a 2.0 grade-point average in each of the following: 1. the entire college record, 2. all units attempted at CSULB, and 3. all courses in the major. In addition, students must receive a "C" or better in all upper division major courses.
Admission Under Impaction
Refer to the following website for additional impaction criteria: http://www.csulb.edu/depts/enrollment/admissions/impacted_major.html.
Degree Progress
Pre-Microbiology majors must complete the following requirements within the specified time of declaring the pre-major. Some students may need to take courses during Summer Session to meet these requirements. Students who have not met the requirements by the required semester must either declare another major or meet with an Academic Advisor to determine if the student's performance in the courses merits an additional semester to complete.
Freshmen: A grade "C" or better must be achieved in CHEM 111A, BIOL 211, and MATH 119A (or MATH 122) within one and a half calendar years.
Requirements
Lower Division:
Take all of the following courses:
- BIOL 211 Introduction to Evolution and Diversity (4)
Prerequisite/Corequisite: CHEM 111A with a grade of "C" or better.
- BIOL 212 Introduction to Cell & Molecular Biology (4)
Prerequisites: BIOL 211, CHEM 111A with grades of "C" or better.
Prequisite/Corequisite: CHEM 111B.
NOTE: BIOL 111, BIOL 111L, BIOL 212, BIOL 212L, BIOL 213, BIOL 213L are required if courses were taken prior to catalog year 2010-11.
- BIOL 260 Biostatistics (3)
Prerequisites: BIOL 201 or BIOL 211 or BIOL 207 or MICR 200; MATH 111 or MATH 113 or MATH 119A or MATH 122 all with a grade of "C" or better.
- CHEM 111A General Chemistry (5)
Prerequisite: A passing score on the Chemistry Placement Examination.
Corequisite: MATH 109 or higher.
- CHEM 111B General Chemistry (5)
Prerequisites: CHEM 111A and MATH 113 or MATH 115 or MATH 119A or MATH 122 all with a grade of "C" or better.
- CHEM 220A Organic Chemistry I (3)
Prerequisite: CHEM 111B with a grade of "C" or better. Corequisites: CHEM 224 is required for students repeating course. CHEM 223A must be taken concurrently if required by a degree plan.
- CHEM 220B Organic Chemistry II (3)
Prerequisite: CHEM 220A with a grade of "C" or better. Corequisite: CHEM 223B or CHEM 320L except for students who previously earned a "C" or better in CHEM 223B or CHEM 320L.
- CHEM 223A Organic Chemistry Laboratory I (1)
Corequisite: CHEM 220A, except for students who have previously earned a "C" or better in CHEM 220A.
- CHEM 223B Organic Chemistry Laboratory II (1)
Prerequisites: CHEM 220A and CHEM 223A, both with a grade of "C" or better. Corequisite: CHEM 220B, except for students who have previously earned a "C" or better in CHEM 220B.
Take one of the following courses:
- PHYS 100A General Physics (4)
Prerequisite: MATH 109 or MATH 113 or MATH 119A or MATH 122.
- PHYS 151 Mechanics and Heat (4)
Prerequisite/Corequisite: MATH 122.
Take one of the following courses:
- PHYS 100B General Physics (4)
Prerequisite: PHYS 100A.
- PHYS 152 Electricity and Magnetism (4)
Prerequisite: PHYS 151; Prerequisite/Corequisite: MATH 123.
Take one of the following courses:
- MATH 119A Survey of Calculus I (3)
Prerequisite: Appropriate MDPT placement or a grade of "C" or better in MATH 113.
- MATH 122 Calculus I (4)
Prerequisites: Appropriate MDPT placement or a grade of "C" or better in MATH 111 and MATH 113.
These courses do not meet any specific or elective requirements for this major: BIOL 100, BIOL 101, BIOL 153, BIOL 153L, BIOL 200, BIOL 200L, BIOL 201, BIOL 205, BIOL 205L, BIOL 207, and BIOL 208.
Upper Division:
Take one of the following courses:
- CHEM 448 Fundamentals of Biological Chemistry (3)
Prerequisites: CHEM 220B or CHEM 227 either with a grade of "C" or better.
- CHEM 441A Biological Chemistry (3)
Prerequisite: Either CHEM 220B or CHEM 223B with a grade of "C" or better; a biology or microbiology course is recommended.
Take all of the following courses:
- BIOL 311 General Microbiology (4)
Prerequisites: BIOL 211, BIOL 212; CHEM 111B, all with a grade of "C" or better.
- BIOL 320 Bacterial Pathogenesis (3)
Prerequisite: BIOL 311 or MICR 311 with a grade of "C" or better. Recommended: BIOL 320L.
- BIOL 340 Molecular Cell Biology (3)
Prerequisites: BIOL 211, BIOL 212, all with a grade of "C" or better.
- BIOL 355 Microbial Ecology (3)
Prerequisites: BIOL 311 or 201 or BIOL 211, BIOL 212, BIOL 213; BIOL 260, all with a grade of "C" or better.
- BIOL 371 Microbial Genetics (3)
Prerequisite: BIOL 311 or MICR 211 with a grade of "C" or better.
- BIOL 372 Methods in Microbial Genetics (2)
Prerequisite: BIOL 311 or MICR 211 with a grade of "C" or better. Recommended: BIOL 371.
- BIOL 471 Bacterial Physiology (3)
Prerequisites: BIOL 320, CHEM 448 or CHEM 441A; both with a grade of "C" or better.
- BIOL 480 Seminars (1)
Prerequisites: Consent of Department of Biological Sciences. (Undergraduates and classified post-baccalaureates enroll in BIOL 480; graduates enroll in BIOL 580). Undergraduates must have filed for graduation and be in their last semester. Graduates must have been admitted to the department as a graduate student. Classified post-baccalaureates must have been admitted to a second baccalaureate or a certificate.
Take four courses totaling at least 12 elective units chosen from the following, one of which must be BIOL 320L, BIOL 322, BIOL 355L, BIOL 415, BIOL 434, BIOL 474, or BIOL 477:
- BIOL 320L Bacterial Pathogenesis Laboratory (2)
Prerequisite: BIOL 212 or BIOL 311 or MICR 211, with a grade of "C" or better.
- BIOL 322 Medical Mycology/Parasitology (4)
Prerequisites: BIOL 211, BIOL 212; BIOL 320 or MICR 320, all with a grade of "C" or better.
- BIOL 325 Emerging Infectious Diseases (3)
Prerequisites: BIOL 311 or MICR 211 with a grade of "C" or better and consent of instructor.
- BIOL 355L Microbial Ecology Laboratory (2)
Prerequisite/Corequisite: BIOL 355 or MICR 355.
- BIOL 415 Marine Microbiology (3)
Prerequisites: BIOL 353 or BIOL 355 or MICR 355 with a grade of "C" or better.
- BIOL 416 Virology (3)
Prerequisites: BIOL 320 or MICR 320 or BIOL 340 with a grade of "C" or better.
- BIOL 429 Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases (3)
Prerequisites: BIOL 260; BIOL 320 or MICR 320, BIOL 322 or MICR 322; all of a grade of "C" or better.
- BIOL 430 Immunology (3)
Prerequisite: BIOL 340 with a grade of "C" or better.
- BIOL 434 Hematology (4)
Prerequisite: BIOL 340 with a grade of "C" or better.
- BIOL 473 Molecular Genetics (3)
Prerequisites: BIOL 370 or BIOL 371 or MICR 371; CHEM 220A,B and CHEM 223A,B, or CHEM 227, all with a grade of "C" or better.
- BIOL 474 Bioinformatics (3)
Prerequisites: BIOL 260; BIOL 370 or BIOL 371 or MICR 371, all with a grade of "C" or better.
- BIOL 477 Biotechnology: Applications of Molecular Techniques and Bioinformatics (4)
Prerequisites: BIOL 340 or BIOL 370 or CHEM 441A,B; all with a grade of "C" or better.
- BIOL 490 Selected Topics in Biology (1-3)
Prerequisites: BIOL 211, BIOL 212, BIOL 213 all with a grade of "C" or better, and consent of instructor.
- BIOL 495 Instruction in Laboratory Teaching (1-2)
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor, an "A" in the course in which the student elects to do BIOL 495 (another course with laboratory may be substituted with consent of instructor), and an overall GPA of at least 3.0.
- CHEM 441B Biological Chemistry (3)
Prerequisite: CHEM 441A with a grade of "C" or better.
Students may use BIOL 496 towards the additional units but only with prior permission of the advisor for this degree. Those students seeking a career as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist/Medical Technologist are encouraged to take BIOL 320L, BIOL 416, BIOL 434, and BIOL 430.
These courses do not meet any specific or elective requirements for this major: BIOL 300, BIOL 301, BIOL 304, BIOL 305; and NSCI 492.
To meet prerequisite standards for courses in this program's requirements, a "C" or better is necessary in the following: BIOL 211, BIOL 212, BIOL 311, BIOL 320, BIOL 340, CHEM 111A, CHEM 111B, CHEM 220A, CHEM 220B/CHEM 223B, CHEM 223A, MATH 119A/MATH 122.
