Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Program in Biology is made up of two departments: the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department (EEB) and the Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB) Department. There are eight majors and two minors offered through the Program in Biology (some with other departments' participation). The majors are:  Biology; Biology, Health, & Society (BHS); Cellular & Molecular Biomedical Science (CMBS); Ecology, Evolution & Biodiversity (EEB); Microbiology; Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology (MCDB); Neuroscience; and Plant Biology.

All prospective students are encouraged to visit us to learn more about the majors and minors we offer.  Our Peer Advisors can give information from a student perspective and no appointment is needed!  Staff and faculty advisors are also available (by appointment) to answer your questions. 

Note:  Interested students should start the introductory biology sequence as soon as possible to get a feel for the biology program at Michigan.  

In order to declare one of the Program in Biology majors, students must have completed the introductory biology sequence with a C average or better. (The CMBS major requires that all prerequisite courses be completed with a 3.2 minimum overall and major gpa before applying for the program through the online application.)

Once you have decided which major or minor you wish to declare, please make an appointment with a major advisor. During this meeting, the advisor will talk with you about progress and course planning to help ensure that you are on track to complete the major requirements. You should have a major GPA of at least a 2.0 to declare a major; prerequisite courses for the major are included in the GPA calculation.  

Students who receive a score of 4 or 5 on the Biology AP test, or a 5 or higher on HL Biology, will receive credit for Biology 195 and are eligible to register for any course listing introductory biology as a prerequisite. Students with AP credit for Bio 195 will still need to take Bio 173 (intro biology lab) to complete the introductory biology sequence.

Students who receive a score of 3 on the AP exam will receive credit for Biology 100. Such students will need to take Biology 171, 172, and 173 to satisfy their introductory biology sequence requirements.

You cannot elect two majors offered by the same department. For example, if you declare a Biology major, you would not be able to elect an MCDB or EEB major because the Biology major is administered by both the EEB and MCDB departments.

One notable exception is the election of an EEB major or minor and either an MCDB or Neuroscience major. This is because the EEB major is administered solely by the EEB department, the MCDB major is administered solely by the MCDB department, and the Neuroscience major is administered by the MCDB and Psychology departments.

Aside from the exception noted above, an academic minor in Biology or EEB is not open to students electing a major in the Program in Biology or Biochemistry, nor to students who are electing an academic minor in Environmental Studies or Global Change.

Major requirements and electives lists are described here.  

A few credit restrictions to be aware of:

• Human Physiology and Anatomy courses do not count toward any of the majors.
• UROP credit does not count toward any of the majors.
• Only one course may overlap between a major and a minor.

There is no restriction on the number of courses that may overlap between two approved majors.  (If the majors overlap to a significant degree, the value of the double-major is questionable.)

Major prerequisites or required courses cannot be waived! However, substitutions for prerequisites may be approved if the student demonstrates that he or she has mastered the topic of a prerequisite. Exceptions are requested through the online Exception Request Form and are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

You may not take the intro biology sequence or any courses you use for the major pass/fail.

Prerequisites other than introductory biology may be taken pass/fail; however, it is not recommended, especially for chemistry. Remember that you must earn at least a C- to pass a course you take pass/fail.

A passing grade for a course taken in the Program in Biology is D-.

A major GPA of 2.0 is needed in order to declare a major and is required to graduate.  All prerequisites, major courses, courses from the department(s), and cognate courses are used in the calculation.

To graduate with any major, a student must achieve both an overall gpa and major gpa of at least 2.0. A grade of D- is still a passing grade as long as the overall and major gpas are 2.0 or higher. A passing grade generates honor points, which are used to calculate the gpa.

Credits for a repeated course that was passed the first time will not count toward graduation. Grades for repeated courses will be indicated on the transcript each time the course is repeated; however, the repeat grade will only contribute toward the student’s GPA when the initial grade for the course was D+ or below.

“I” (incomplete) grades must be made up by the fourth week of the next fall or winter semester in which the student is enrolled. Otherwise, the grade will lapse to “E”.

Students dissatisfied with grades received in Biology courses may follow the LSA grade grievance procedures found here.

Transfer biology courses can be evaluated by the Program in Biology through the online evaluation process found here.

Independent research in the Program in Biology is outlined here.

Any student with a major or minor in one of the Programs in Biology plans may request an exception to a program requirement by completing the online form here.  Exceptions will only be granted for courses that meet the spirit and meet or exceed the rigor of the requirement in question.  Requests will be reviewed by the Program in Biology Curriculum Committee and students can expect a response in 7-10 business days.  Questions?  Email:  lsa-biology-advising@umich.edu

Students with a declared Program in Biology major or minor may request a release for graduation by completing the online form here. An appointment is not necessary to request a graduation release unless you have any advising-related questions or need to discuss your remaining requirements.

Yes!  If any Biology, Ecology or Evolutionary Biology (EEB) or Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (MCDB) course becomes full, students are strongly encouraged to use the waitlist. The waitlist is used to determine whether additional sections can be opened (when possible).

Overrides will be issued at the discretion of the instructor for a given course, prioritized by a combination of the student’s major, class schedule, graduation plans, and order on the waitlist. Students on the waitlist must attend the first day of class or discussion and notify the instructor or GSI of their desire to enroll in the course. Students issued overrides will have a set amount of time to register (varies based on the period of registration). The Registrar’s Office will clear the waitlist of students’ names with expired overrides.