Professors: Elizabeth S. Boylan (Provost), Paul E. Hertz (Ann Whitney Olin Professor), Brian Morton (Chair),
Associate Professors: John Glendinning, Hilary S. Callahan,
Assistant Professors: Jennifer H. Mansfield, Kristen A. Shepard, Matthew Wallenfang, Elizabeth Bauer
Lecturer: Jessica Goldstein
Professors Emeritus: Philip V. Ammirato, Jeanne S. Poindexter
Department Administrator: Lorrin Johnson
Biology is a field that explores the structure, function, interactions, and evolution of living organisms. Some of the most exciting issues of our era-such as those relating to biotechnology, genetic engineering, environmental problems, and health-require a strong background in biology. Biology courses at Barnard cover a broad range of topics, including molecular and cellular biology, genetics, development, physiology, evolution, and ecology.
Many students specialize in biology in preparation for a career in medicine, dentistry, public health, nutrition, or law. Others anticipate graduate work in one of the many subfields of biology leading to a teaching and/or research career. Still others plan futures as scientific writers, illustrators, photographers, industry or government researchers, or in areas such as environmental policy and law.
The biology major is designed to provide a student with a broad education in the field as well as an opportunity to cover a specific aspect of biology in depth if she desires. The major has a strong research component, with all lab sections at both the introductory and advanced levels limited to 16 students, ensuring ample opportunity for interaction with faculty. Students also have the option of conducting individual research projects under the guidance of a faculty member, as described below. The senior requirement for the biology major can be completed either by enrolling in a senior seminar that involves reading and discussing the current literature in a specific area of biology or by completing a guided research project.
Research
Students are strongly encouraged to engage in research at Barnard. Guided Research and Seminar (BIOL BC 3591-3592) and Senior Thesis Research (BIOL BC 3593-3594) may be used to fulfill major requirements as described below while BIOL BC 3597 Guided Research may be used for degree credit.
In addition to conducting research during the academic year, students are encouraged to pursue summer research internships. Barnard faculty engage many students in paid research projects during the summer. The departmental office also has information about summer internships outside Barnard. In addition, the department awards funds on a competitive basis to support summer research not otherwise funded by internships.
Introductory Course
Selection
The Biology Department offers several options at the introductory level; students should select courses on the basis of their preparation and background in biology. Students who took advanced biology in high school should enroll in the 1500-level sequence (BIOL BC 1500, BC 1502, and the lab courses BC 1501 and BC 1503). This sequence can be started either in the fall (BIOL BC 1500 and BC 1501) or the spring (BIOL BC 1502 and BC 1503) and fulfills the laboratory science portion of the General Education Requirement as well as the premedical requirement in biology.
Students with little or no experience in biology should enroll in the 1000-level sequence, which provides an appropriate introduction to important concepts in the field. Both BC 1001 and BC 1002 include a laboratory component and together fulfill the laboratory science portion of the General Education Requirement. Students who wish to move on to the 1500-level courses, which are prerequisites for advanced classes in biology, are eligible to do so upon completion of BC 1001.
AP Course Credit
Students who have passed the Advanced Placement examination in biology with a grade of 4 or 5 are exempt from BIOL BC 1001 and receive 3 points of credit. Students with an AP biology score of 4 or 5 may complete the Barnard lab science requirement with (a) BIOL BC 1002, (b) BIOL BC 1500 and BC 1501, or (c) BIOL BC 1502 and BC 1503. However, students must complete the entire 1500-level sequence (BC 1500, 1501, 1502, and 1503) for the Biology major or minor and for the biology premedical requirements. AP credit is granted regardless of which introductory courses are completed at Barnard.
Classes of BC'08 and BC'09 these are the old requirements. *Nothing changes for students in these two classes, although the following reflects the new course names and numbers. *
The curriculum for biology majors complements the general education mission of a liberal arts college by providing a broad education in the field. It also satisfies the needs of students who anticipate postgraduate study in biology or medically oriented fields. The requirements for a major in biology are listed below:
Introductory Biology. Students must complete both semesters of the 1500-level introductory sequence, including the lecture and laboratory components (BIOL BC 1500, 1501, 1502, 1503). This series is equivalent to the previous 2001-2004 series which was completed by BC08 and BC09 students.
Six Upper Level Lecture Courses. Students must complete at least six lecture courses beyond the introductory sequence.One of the six lecture courses must be selected from each of the following three groups:
Three additional lecture courses may be selected from any Barnard Biology offering (including all of the courses listed above) or, with the department’s chair’s permission, from offerings in the Columbia Department of Biological Sciences and the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology.
Three Upper Level Laboratory Courses: Students must complete at least three laboratories beyond the1500 level (formerly BIOL BC 2001-2004). Laboratories may require a lecture course as co-requisite or prerequisite; such requirements are specified in the Barnard catalog. A student may count a Guided Research project (now BC 3597) with the accompaniment of Research Seminar1 as a laboratory course for the major, but only one term of Guided Research will receive credit toward the major. Biology laboratories at Barnard require a lab fee. Appropriate Biology courses at Columbia University may be used to satisfy the lab requirement, as may those at other institutions, with permission of the department chair.
Senior Seminar or Individual Research with Seminar: Students must enroll in one section of the Senior Seminar (BC 3590) or complete a Guided Research with a member of the Barnard Biology Department (BC 3597), including concurrent participation in the Research Seminar (BC 3595). If a student completes an individual research project in lieu of the senior seminar, she may not also use an individual research project to fulfill part of the laboratory requirement. Starting in Fall 2008 students who sign up for Research Seminar (BC 3595) will attend the Seminar component of BIOL BC 3591 Guided Research and Seminar.
Chemistry Requirement: One year of Chemistry with laboratory, including one term of Organic Chemistry, is required.
The requirements for Introductory Biology, 6 Upper Level Lecture Courses and 3 Upper Level Lab courses have NOT changed, nor has the Chemistry requirement. They are the same as the requirements for the BC'08 and BC'09 classes.
The only changes applicable to the class of BC'10 concern Guided Research and Senior Requirement: Guided Research: Beginning in the 2008-09 Year, the Biology department will offer two new guided research courses: Guided Research and Seminar BC 3591x and BC 3592y. These two courses combine Guided Research and Research Seminar, which we offered separately in the past. An important and exciting new feature of the Guided Research and Seminar course is that you can conduct the research either at Barnard or anywhere else in the city.
For this research to replace a laboratory class, you will be required to take two consecutive semesters of the Guided Research and Seminar. Students who wish to do research for degree credit–not major credit—without the seminar component will still have the option of taking the current Guided Laboratory Research (now BIOL BC 3597) course for 1-4 points.
Senior Requirement: Beginning in the 2008-09 Year, the Biology department will also offer two new Senior Thesis Research courses: Senior Thesis Research (BC 3593x - BC 3594y). As with Guided Research and Seminar above, these two new courses will cover both the research and the seminar components in a single course and the seminar component will overlap with the seminar component of Guided Research and Seminar. Senior Seminar will continue to be offered and students can fulfill the senior requirement with either two semesters of Senior Thesis Research or with one Senior Seminar. A student cannot take both Senior Thesis Research and Guided Research and Seminar at the same time.
The Introductory Biology requirement is the same as above.
Genetics: Students must complete BIOL BC 2100 Molecular and Mendelian Genetics. It is recommended, but not required, that this be completed immediately following the completion of the Spring semester Introductory courses (BIOL BC 1502 and 1503). NOTE: This requirement does NOT exclude students from taking Molecular Biology and/or Cell Biology.
Five Upper Level Lecture Courses: Students must complete at least five additional lecture courses at the 2000 and 3000 levels. One of the five lecture courses must be selected from each of the following two groups:
1. Physiological Level of Organization
BIOL BC 3360 Animal Physiology OR
BIOL BC 3340 Plant Physiology OR
BIOL BC 3320 Microbiology
2. Ecological and Evolutionary Level of Organization
BIOL BC 2278 Evolution OR
BIOL BC 2272 Ecology OR
BIOL BC 3280 Applied Ecology and Evolution OR
BIOL BC 2240 Plant Evolution and Diversity
The three additional lecture courses may be selected from any Barnard Biology offering (including all of the courses listed above) or, with the permission of the department chair, from offerings in the Columbia Department of Biological Sciences and the Columbia Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology.
The Chemistry, Upper Level Lab, Research and Senior components of the major requirement for the BC'11 class will be the same as the requirements described above for the BC'10 class.
A minor in biology must include one year of introductory biology (BIOL BC 1500, BC 1501, BC 1502, BC 1503), three additional lecture courses at the 2100 level or higher, and two additional laboratory courses. One of the lab courses may be replaced by two semesters of Guided Research and Seminar (BIOL BC 3591x followed by BIOL BC 3592y).
Biochemistry, chemistry,
environmental science, physics, and psychology majors need to take only one
advanced laboratory instead of two, but the lab may not be a guided research
course.
Requirements for the major in Environmental Biology are listed alphabetically.