1. For freshmen and sophomores contemplating biology programs, Dean Thompson is available for advising and planning. For appointments and office hours, phone 863-3133; email is invited at Marjorie_Thompson@brown.edu.
A Biology Student Handbook and many other instructive manuals are available at the Biology Undergraduate Affairs Office, Room 124, Arnold. Please visit our website, at
2. Sophomores: To develop concentration plans, schedule an appointment (863-3133) to map out possible paths, clarify requirements, and, in your fourth semester, be assigned a faculty concentration advisor.
3. Contact your assigned concentration advisor for a meeting to formalize your concentration plans. Along with Dean Thompson, your advisor will be working with you throughout your senior year.
Coursework for the biology concentration is offered jointly by departments including: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Molecular and Cell Biology and Biochemistry; Microbiology and Molecular Immunology; Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology and Biotechnology; Neuroscience; and Pathology. Opportunities to focus within any of these areas are available from within the curriculum as well as individual research projects.
Mathematics: MATH 0090 plus 0100 (or 0170); or equivalent placement.
Ten courses, which may be chosen from BIOL and/or NEUR offerings for concentrators, must include:
-Area 1 (Cell/Molecular Biology) BIOL 0280; 0470; 0500; 0510; 0530; 1050; 1060; 1100; 1310; NEUR 1020.
-Area 2 (Structure/Function) NEUR 0010; BIOL 0190D; 0310; 0320; 0400; 0440; 0800; 1100; 1800; 1880.
-Area 3 (Organismal Biology) BIOL 0390; 0400; 0410; 0420; 0430; 0450; 0460; 048; 0490; 1410; 1800; 1880.
(No substitutions per above Area lists. If a course is listed in more than one area, it may be used to fulfill one of those; the other must be fulfilled by a different course.)
Options within the Core may include up to two Related Sciences which are approved courses for science concentrators as follows:
Note: Related science must be above prerequisite level, and suitable for science concentrators.
BIOL 1950/1960, (Directed Research) may be included, but is not required.
Honors : Honors in biology requires a thesis and oral presentation based on a research project (conducted via BIOL 1950/1960). Guidelines, a manual, and information on faculty research are available in the Biology Undergraduate Affairs Office (Arnold, Room 124) or at the research page of our website.
Parts A, B, and C are required:
Mathematics: MATH 0090; 0100; or 0170.
Chemistry: CHEM 0330; 0350; 0360.
Physics: PHYS 0030; 0040 (or PHYS 0050/0060, or PHYS 0070; 0160); or (ENGN 0030; 0040).
Same as Part B core for the A.B. program with the exception that program must include research proficiency (via BIOL 1950/1960) among the core courses. Note: To fulfill program stipulations, BIOL 1950/1960 carries credit for just one lab course, and one advanced course. ( If substantial research is carried out away from Brown, it must be approved by an appropriate Brown BioMed faculty member and does not carry course credit toward the core program, but serves only as fulfillment of this requirement.)
Honors: Same requirements as described under AB Biology.
1. For double concentrations, no more than two courses may overlap (i.e. be used to meet requirements of both) programs, prerequisites excepted.
2. No more than two semesters of directed research may be used towards this program.
3. Transfer or study abroad courses may be used within the program, subject to approval of advisor, and Dean Thompson.
Page last updated in February, 2008.