MCLA, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, MA.

"Transferring to MCLA was one of the greatest decisions I ever made. Being able to learn from and connect with the faculty and staff equipped me with greater networking capabilities/skills and the opportunity to use them outside of the institution, preparing me for the road ahead. Taking part and engaging in different clubs and organizations on campus helped to shape and guide me for countless opportunities."

Brandon Pender ’07
Research Analyst, Office of State Rep. Daniel E. Bosley ’76

Curriculum

The Biology Major

The Biology major consists of at least 59 credits including:

Four foundational courses: Foundations of Biology (BIOL 150), Botany (BIOL 235), Genetics (BIOL 240), and Zoology (BIOL 245)
Ecology (BIOL 460)
Cell Biology (BIOL 480)
Two seminars
Nine credits of upper level biology courses (not including courses listed above)
Introduction to Chemistry I and II (CHEM 150 and 152)
Organic Chemistry I and II (CHEM 201 and 202)
General Physics I and II (PHYS 131 and 132)

Students planning on majoring in biology should enroll in BIOL 150 and 235, and CHEM 150 and 152 during their freshman year at MCLA. BIOL 240 and 245, along with CHEM 201 and 202 should be taken their sophomore year. The remainder of the Biology courses and PHYS 131 and 132 are taken during the junior and senior years. Calculus (MATH 220) and Statistics (MATH 232) are not required, but are highly recommended.

The Biology Minor

The Biology minor consists of at least 19 credits including:

BIOL 100 Concepts in Biology or BIOL 150 Foundations of Biology (4 credits)
BIOL 235 Botany (4 credits)
BIOL 240 Genetics (4 credits)
BIOL 245 Zoology (4 credits)

Upper Level Requirements

1 BIOL course 300+ (3-4 credits)