Biology Minor
Biology is the study of life from both basic and applied perspectives across a broad range of analytical levels, from the molecule and cell to the organism and ecosystem.
In addition to the program requirements listed below, students must:
- take at least nine hours of their minor "core" requirements at UNC–Chapel Hill
- earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 in the minor core requirements. Some programs may require higher standards for minor or specific courses.
For more information, please consult the degree requirements section of the catalog.
A student may minor in biology by taking four biology courses beyond BIOL 101/BIOL 101L.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| BIOL 103 |  How Cells Function F | 3 |
| or BIOL 104 | Biodiversity | |
| One of the following five core course options: | 3-4 | |
| Molecular Genetics H | ||
| Cell Biology H | ||
| Evolutionary Biology | ||
| Introduction to Ecology | ||
An organismal structure and diversity course with lab (see list below) | ||
| One course with a laboratory 1 | 4 | |
| One course numbered above 400 | 3-4 | |
| Total Hours | 13-15 | |
| H | Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
| F | FY-Launch class sections may be available. A FY-Launch section fulfills the same requirements as a standard section of that course, but also fulfills the FY-SEMINAR/FY-LAUNCH First-Year Foundations requirement. Students can search for FY-Launch sections in ConnectCarolina using the FY-LAUNCH attribute. |
- 1
BIOL 395 counts as a laboratory course for students entering in Fall 2022 or later. Other laboratory courses include all of the Organismal Structure and Diversity courses listed below, any course with an "L" designation (except BIOL 253/L, which does not count as an elective in the major), and the following courses: BIOL 255H, BIOL 256, BIOL 459, BIOL 461, BIOL 463, BIOL 526H, BIOL 535, BIOL 562, and BIOL 563. If the laboratory elective is also over 400, then the student needs to take another BIOL elective so that two biology electives are taken beyond the fundamental and core course requirements.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Organismal Structure and Diversity Course List | ||
| BIOL 271 & 271L | Plant Biology and Plant Biology Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 272 & 272L | Local Flora and Local Flora Lab | 4 |
| BIOL 273 | Horticulture | 4 |
| BIOL 274 & 274L | Plant Diversity and Plant Diversity Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 277 & 277L | Vertebrate Field Zoology and Vertebrate Field Zoology Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 278 & 278L | Animal Behavior and Animal Behavior Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 279 & 279L | Seminar in Organismal Biology and Topics in Organismal Biology Laboratory | 3-4 |
| BIOL 422 & BIOL 421L | Microbiology and Microbiology Laboratory with Research | 4-5 |
| or BIOL 422 & 422L | Microbiology and Microbiology Laboratory | |
| BIOL 441 & 441L | Vertebrate Embryology and Vertebrate Embryology Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 451 & 451L | Comparative Physiology and Comparative Physiology Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 471 & 471L | Evolutionary Mechanisms and Evolutionary Mechanisms Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 472 | Introduction to Plant Taxonomy | 4 |
| BIOL 473 & 473L | Mammalian Morphology and Development and Mammalian Morphology Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 474 & 474L | Evolution of Vertebrate Life and Vertebrate Structure and Evolution Laboratory H | 4 |
| BIOL 475 & 475L | Biology of Marine Animals and Biology of Marine Animals Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 476 & 476L | Avian Biology and Avian Biology Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 479 & 479L | Topics in Organismal Biology at an Advanced Level and Laboratory in Organismal Biology: Advanced Topics | 4 |
| BIOL 579 | Organismal Structure and Diversity in the Southern Appalachian Mountains | 4 |
| H | Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
Biology (BIOL) course descriptions.
See program page here for special opportunities.
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