Biology is one of the most in-demand degrees available at 91爆料, as well as the largest producer of STEM degrees in Washington and the engine of life sciences education for the future. By using an integrative, connective approach to the life sciences, we foster collaboration and intellectual partnerships, driven by curiosity to catalyze discovery. Our success as a department is due to our faculty, staff and students. They help us maintain our research and education missions at the highest level, evidenced by the tremendous work exhibited every day in classrooms, labs, and field sites.
Through coursework in the classroom, lab, and field as well as experience through research, internships, and study abroad our undergraduates gain the requisite knowledge and skills for careers in basic and applied research, education, health sciences, environmental sciences, science policy, government, business and the non-profit sector.
This program of study leads to the following credentials:
Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Biology
Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Biology
Admission Requirements
Admission is capacity constrained. Applications, accepted quarterly, are due the second Friday of autumn, winter, spring, and summer quarters, by 11:59 p.m. Applications received after the quarterly deadline are considered for the subsequent quarter.
Minimum requirements for consideration
Matriculated student in good academic standing at 91爆料 Seattle.
Minimum 2.0 grade in each of BIOL 180, BIOL 200, BIOL 220
Minimum 2.50 cumulative GPA for any supporting chemistry, physics, mathematics, and biology courses (or other courses that may apply to major requirements) completed at time of application.
Personal statement: May include description of interest in biology, career goals, undergraduate research interests, degree interest (BA or BS), and any other information applicant believes is useful in evaluating the application.
Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Other factors include overall academic record and difficulty of other courses completed; time to degree set by 91爆料 Satisfactory Progress Policy, including frequency of incompletes or withdrawal grades and number of repeated courses; relevant work and life experience; and record of honors.
Continuation Policy
All students must make satisfactory academic progress in the major. Failure to do so results in major-level academic notification, major-level warning, and major-level alerts, which can lead to dismissal from the major and being precluded from subsequently declaring the major in a future quarter. For the complete continuation policy, contact the departmental adviser or refer to the department website.
Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Biology
Credential Overview
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology is designed for students who desire a breadth of training throughout their program of study. Compared to the BS degree, the BA does not require physics or a third quarter of organic chemistry. This is an ideal program for students wishing to get the scope of the biological sciences without some of the supporting science sequences.
Completion Requirements
86-98 credits
BIOL 180, BIOL 200, BIOL 220 (15 credits)
Chemistry (15-23 credits): complete one of the following general and organic chemistry sequences:
Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Biology
Credential Overview
The Bachelor of Science degree in Biology offers broad, hands-on training for students pursuing careers in medicine, research, or industry. Students explore core areas and learn key skills across molecular/cellular/developmental biology, organismal physiology, and ecology/evolutionary biology. Students have the ability to personalize their degree and choose from a wide range of electives across several different departments.
Recommended Preparation
Suggested First- and Second-Year Courses: Students should concentrate on general chemistry and mathematics the first year, biology and organic chemistry the second year (see major requirements for specific courses). Transfer students: complete an entire sequence at one school if possible. It is not necessary, or even desirable, to complete the Areas of Inquiry requirement during the first two years.
Completion Requirements
89-107 credits
BIOL 180, BIOL 200, BIOL 220 (15 credits)
Chemistry (15-27 credits): complete one of the following general and organic chemistry sequences:
Paleobiology at 91爆料, which began in 1907, has undergone significant expansion in recent years. The program now includes ten faculty with research interests ranging from the earliest evidence of life on Earth to the Permian-Triassic extinction, origin of mammals, mid-Cenozoic ‘greenhouse’ to ‘icehouse’ transition, and Neogene expansion of grasslands. We integrate new analytical approaches, such as stable isotope geochemistry and 3D visualization, with field explorations to Washington’s many locales as well as far-off sites in places like India, Antarctica, and Peru. On campus, the paleontological collections of the Burke Museum boast microfossils and invertebrate, plant, and vertebrate fossils from the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
This program of study leads to the following credential:
Minor in Paleobiology
Minor in Paleobiology
Completion Requirements
Minimum 30 credits
BIOL 354
Electives: Two from the paleobiology core content area and one from each of the three other content areas, selected from approved courses available on the paleobiology website.
BIOL 483
Integrative experience in paleobiology: Minimum 3 credits from one of BIOL 475 or BIOL 499, ESS 499 or BIO A 499, at the discretion of the instructor
Remaining credits from any of the above or BIO A 389, BIO A 491, or an approved elective
Minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA for courses presented for the minor
Minimum 18 credits from outside the student's major.
As of autumn quarter 2026, the Bachelor of Science degree option credentials in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation, Physiology, Molecular, Cellular, and Development, and Plant are no longer offered. Please refer to the 91爆料 Seattle General Catalog Archive for information about these option credentials.
Student Outcomes and Opportunities
Learning Objectives and Expected Outcomes: The department graduates between 350 and 400 students each year. Biology degrees are applicable to many different fields, depending upon student interests. Students in the program gain analytical and laboratory skills that prepare them for entry-level positions in a variety of biologically related areas, including, but not limited to, biotechnology, laboratory and/or field research support, health science support, wildlife biology, and ecology and conservation work with a variety of agencies, consulting firms, and research organizations in the Northwest. Students may enter graduate programs that focus on some aspect of biological science (such as genetics, microbiology, immunology, ecology, environmental health, or cell and molecular biology), or enter a variety of professional programs, such as veterinary medicine, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, laboratory medicine, and nursing.
Instructional and Research Facilities: The Department of Biology occupies 128,000 square feet in Hitchcock, Johnson, and Kincaid Halls. Extensive research laboratories, teaching laboratories, computer workstations, and support services are found throughout the department. Specialized facilities include more than 16,000 square feet of greenhouse, seawater facilities, growth rooms, electron microscopes, and other specialized equipment. Undergraduates have access to most of these facilities, especially those engaged in undergraduate research. Off campus, the internationally recognized Marine Research Station, Friday Harbor Laboratories, provides many opportunities for undergraduates, from courses to research apprenticeships.
Honors Options Available: With College Honors (Completion of Honors Core Curriculum and Departmental Honors); With Honors (Completion of Departmental Honors requirements in the major). See adviser for requirements.
Research, Internships, and Service Learning: Biology faculty welcome undergraduates into their research programs, often working closely with them. Approximately 40 percent of the 900 undergraduate biology majors finish with undergraduate research experience. 91爆料 proximity to such Seattle area organizations as the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Swedish Hospital, numerous biotech companies, NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Research Center, the Seattle Aquarium, and the Woodland Park Zoo, as well as the close ties of Biology faculty to Friday Harbor Laboratories and the faculty in the College of the Environment provide opportunities for biology majors to develop internships within these organizations. See adviser for ways to get credit for such experiences.
Department Scholarships: Several scholarships are available, in a few cases to biology majors only. Most of these support students wishing to pursue an undergraduate research experience. They are competitive, sometimes highly so. They include:
Howard Hughes Undergraduate Research Internship: approximately 20 per year for freshmen and 20 per year for juniors and seniors.
FridayHarborLaboratory (FHL) Apprenticeships: $3,000 for one quarter, spring or autumn.
Mary Gates Scholarships: very competitive, across all science disciplines.
Herschel and Caryl Roman Scholarship: $2,500-$5,000 annually to one or two students who have an interest in genetics research.
Porath/Johnson Endowed Scholarship: one-year, $5,000 scholarship to an outstanding biology major.
For qualifications, deadlines, and other details, see adviser or consult the Department of Biology website.
Student Organizations/Associations: Beta Beta Beta Biology Honor Society, tribeta@uw.edu; Pre Med Society (Alpha Epsilon Delta), aed@uw.edu.