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Biology Major FAQs

If you don’t find answers to your questions here, please contact the Biology Department at (909) 621-8561 or biology@hmc.edu.

Off-Campus Courses

Seminar Requirements

Laboratory Requirements

Biology Major Electives

Colloquium Requirements

Pass/Fail Courses

Course Changes

Can I substitute a course taken at one of the other Claremont Colleges for a biology core course?
No. Biology core courses (Biology 54, 101, 108, 109 and 113) must be taken at HMC. The department may approve exceptions (by petition) for students who study abroad or participate in a domestic exchange semester if a comparable course is available at the exchange university.

Can I take a biology course at one of the other Claremont Colleges if a course on the same topic is also offered at HMC?
No. If a biology course is offered both at HMC and at one of the other Claremont Colleges, HMC biology majors must take the HMC course. If exceptional schedule conflicts prevent a student from taking the HMC course, the student must obtain departmental approval (by petition) to register for the off-campus course.

Can chemistry courses taken at one of the other Claremont Colleges be used to fulfill the chemistry requirements of the HMC biology major?
Yes. With the advisor’s permission, a year-long organic chemistry course with laboratory taken at Pomona or Joint Science can be substituted for HMC’s Chemistry 56/58 and 105/111.

Can a biology seminar course taken at one of the other Claremont Colleges be used to fulfill the HMC biology major seminar requirement?
No. The biology seminar requirement can only be fulfilled by taking one of the seminar courses offered by the HMC biology department.

Can laboratory courses taken at one of the other Claremont Colleges be used to fulfill the HMC biology elective laboratory requirements?
No. Under the newest course catalog (2005-06) two upper level laboratory courses must be taken at HMC, selected from among Bio 103 (Physiology Laboratory), Bio 110 (Experimental Ecology Laboratory), Bio 111 (Molecular Biology Laboratory), and Bio/Chem 184 (Biochemistry Laboratory). (Note that students in ’07 and ’08 classes may still opt to graduate under the old catalog, which requires three upper level laboratory courses but does not specify that they be taken at HMC.)

How many credit-hours will I receive for an off-campus course with a lab?
You will receive four credit-hours for an off-campus course with a lab.

What HMC biology courses count as seminar courses?
Seminar courses include Topics in Genetics (spring), Topics in Physiology (fall), Topics in Cell & Developmental Biology (spring), Topics in Ecology (fall) and Topics in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (fall). Topics in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology is offered yearly; all other seminars are offered on an every other year rotation.

Can a biology seminar course taken at one of the other Claremont Colleges or a bio-related seminar taken in another HMC department be used to fulfill the HMC biology major seminar requirement?
No. The biology seminar requirement can only be fulfilled by taking one of the seminar courses offered by the HMC biology department.

Can laboratory courses taken at one of the other Claremont Colleges be used to fulfill the HMC biology elective laboratory requirements?
No. Under the newest course catalog (2005-06) two upper level laboratory courses must be taken at HMC, selected from among Bio 103 (Physiology Laboratory), Bio 110 (Experimental Ecology Laboratory), Bio 111 (Molecular Biology Laboratory), and Bio/Chem 184 (Biochemistry Laboratory). (Note that students in ’07 and ’08 classes may still opt to graduate under the old catalog, which requires three upper level laboratory courses but does not specify that they be taken at HMC.)

Can I substitute Chemistry 111 (Organic Lab) for one of my required upper-level biology labs?
No. Regular biology majors may not substitute Chemistry 111 (Organic Lab) for an upper-level biology lab.

Can I substitute a non-biology technical elective for an upper-level biology course?
Yes. With the department’s approval (by petition), students completing the regular biology major may substitute one non-biology technical elective for an upper-level biology elective. Generally, such requests are only granted when the non-biology course contributes to a coherent concentration in a particular area of biology (examples of frequently approved courses are Bioengineering and Mathematical Models in Biology). The non-biology course may not be used to fulfill the biology seminar requirement. Students completing the molecular biology option may substitute one additional chemistry course for an upper-level biology course. This additional chemistry course cannot, however, replace either the seminar course or the upper-level biology lab required of molecular biology majors (note that Methods in Biochemistry is cross-listed as Biology 184 and may be used to fulfill the biology lab requirement).

Can I substitute Chemistry 111 (Organic Lab) for one of my required upper-level biology labs?
No. Regular biology majors may not substitute Chemistry 111 (Organic Lab) for an upper-level biology lab.

Can I count research units earned by taking Biology 161/162 (Research Problems) towards my upper-level biology elective units?
No. Biology 161/162 (Research Problems) cannot be used to fulfill the upper-level units needed for completion of the biology major.

Can I count units earned by taking Biology 197/198 (Directed Reading) towards my upper-level biology elective units?
Yes. A maximum of two units of Biology 197/198 (Directed Reading) can be used to fulfill upper-level biology elective units. If an independent laboratory research project is conducted for Biology 197/198 credit, the results must be presented either in a formal written report, or as an oral or poster presentation at a regional or national meeting.

Can laboratory courses taken at one of the other Claremont Colleges be used to fulfill the HMC biology elective laboratory requirements?
No. Under the newest course catalog (2005-06) two upper level laboratory courses must be taken at HMC, selected from among Bio 103 (Physiology Laboratory), Bio 110 (Experimental Ecology Laboratory), Bio 111 (Molecular Biology Laboratory), and Bio/Chem 184 (Biochemistry Laboratory). (Note that students in ’07 and ’08 classes may still opt to graduate under the old catalog, which requires three upper level laboratory courses but does not specify that they be taken at HMC.)

What should I do if I have a conflict with colloquium in a semester when I am required to take it?
All biology majors must complete four semesters of colloquium (Biology 191/192). Chem/Bio or Math/Bio majors need to take two successive semesters of Bio Colloquium (Bio 191/192) and one full year of the corresponding Math or Chem requirements (Math 198 and 199 or Chem 199).

If colloquium conflicts with another required course or with scheduled practice for a varsity sport or an official college musical group, the student may submit an petition to the department requesting permission to participate in an alternative colloquium option. The alternative typically requires attending a specified number of off-campus biology colloquia and submitting a short written summary of each to the departmental colloquium coordinator. The alternative colloquium requirement may be taken no more than twice. Note that students completing the molecular biology option may take Chemistry 199 in place of Biology 191/192.

Can I take a pass/fail course in the biology major?
No. Courses taken pass/fail cannot be counted towards completion of the biology major.

How do I go about substituting courses or making changes to my major?
A petition form (PDF) is required for requesting course substitutions or other changes to the biology major requirements.