FAQ

Questions about the Biology major can be directed to the Biology DUGS team at biology.dugs@nyu.edu.

Answers to frequently asked questions can be found below. If your question is answered below, you may not receive a response if you email the DUGS team.

  Advising and registration

  • Who is my Biology advisor?
    • You can find this information on Albert. If you are a LS transfer student, it may take time for your advisor to update. LS transfer students will receive information about interim advising from the LS program.
  • How can I be cleared for registration?
    • Your Biology Department Advisor will clear you for registration. You MUST fill out the Bio Dept Registration form, including your Biology Department advisor’s name and email address, and schedule a meeting with your advisor well in advance of registration.
  • Are there permission codes for courses?
    • No, we do not use permission codes. Seats in Biology courses are reserved for Biology majors during the first week of registration, so if you are not a declared major you will be able to register after this priority period (contingent on space and prerequisites)
  • I can’t find Protein Biochemistry (BIOL-GA 1045), PoB lab or MCB lab on Albert
    • BIOL-GA 1045 is a graduate course and can be found on Albert under the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. PoB lab is BIOL-UA 123; MCB lab is BIOL-UA 223.
  • A Biology course is full or closed, but I would like to register: what should I do?
    • We cannot over-enroll courses due to room capacity constraints. If you are a Biology or GPH/Biology major or a BA/DDS student whose graduation would be delayed by an inability to register into a specific course, please contact your Biology Department advisor.

Degree requirements and prerequisites

  • What are the requirements for the Biology or GPH/Biology major?
  • Where can I find information about prerequisites for specific courses?
  • Can I enroll in PoB without Gen Chem?
    • Yes: while we recommend that students take Gen Chem 1 along with, or before, PoB1, we allow students to take PoB before Gen Chem. Note that Gen Chem 2 is a prerequisite for MCB1, so not taking Gen Chem with PoB may delay your progress as a Biology major.
  • Can I double-count elective Biology courses from my major towards an additional minor in Biology?
    • No. Any Upper-level Biology elective (beyond PoB-2) counted towards the major cannot also count towards a minor in Biology. We recommend against completing a Biology major and minor, but if you want to do so you will need to complete the specific courses associated with the minor and additional elective courses toward the major.
  • I passed a course in the PoB or MCB sequence with a C-: do I need to repeat this course?
    • You have two options: either repeat the course or complete an additional Biology elective on top of the published degree requirements. You must receive the approval of the bio department by emailing the Biology Department (biology.dugs@nyu.edu) if you plan to take the latter option. Approval from the Bio Department is required.
  • I’m a GPH/Biology major: should I take UGPH-GU 20 or BIOL-UA 42/45?
    • We strongly encourage GPH/Biology dual degree students to take BIOL-UA 42 or 45: this course fulfills the Biostatistics requirement and additionally counts as an elective. Be aware that if you take UGPH-GU 20 as your Biostats course, you will need to complete an additional Biology elective to satisfy the Biology requirements of the GPH/Biology major.
  • Can I register into a bio course if I have not met the prerequisites?
    • With very limited exceptions for students with high GPAs, we do not allow students lacking the prerequisites to register for Biology courses.
  • Can I use AP credits to replace PoB?
    • Yes, but note that medical schools do not accept AP credits. Biology and GPH/Biology majors will take MCB I & II: most medical schools will accept these courses instead of PoB – consult with your pre-health advisor to determine whether waiving PoB is the correct choice for you.
  • Are there courses with a Bio number that do not count as Bio electives?
    • BIOL-UA 1 through 10 are non-majors courses that do not count as electives. Please note that the Bio Honors courses also do not count as electives.
  • Can I get a BS or BSc instead of a BA?
    • No: Biology or GPH/Biology majors receive a BA degree. There is really no difference between a BA and a BS/BSc
  • How do I know if a specific course will be offered in a given semester in the future?
    • While we cannot guarantee that a course will be offered, we try to maintain consistency. If a course has been offered in a given semester for the past two years, it is likely that it will be offered again. Please visit the Department website: Undergraduate Course Search for information on when specific courses are offered.
  • I am a Bio/GPH major and got a waiver for the Advanced Foreign Language requirement. Do I need to take an extra combined major elective?
    • Yes. You will need to take an extra biology or GPH elective to compensate for the missing credits.

Course equivalencies (internal and external)

  • Can I take a course at another institution, or transfer credits towards completion of the major?

For Biology courses follow these steps:

The process of taking a course outside NYU is a three-step process. Do not register into the course until you received approval from CAS Academic Standards in Step #2 below.

      1. Please forward the bio dept a complete syllabus associated with this non-NYU bio course. (The course must be from a 4-year accredited University and of similar credits). IF the bio dept found the course to be equivalent, you can use this document for step #2.
      2. Petition Academic Standards at cas.nyu.edu/academic-standards to approve the transfer credits so that the courses can be brought into NYU.
      3. After passing the non-NYU course, send your transcript to Academic Standards (academic.standards@nyu.edu) by following the instructions in your accepted petition. They will post the credits to your Albert account. Once you see the transfer credits on your transcript, you must contact the Bio Dept. (biology.dugs@nyu.edu) so that the course can be used toward fulfilling the major. (Include the email history at this step so that it can be properly documented).

For non-bio courses (Chemistry, Physics, Calc) , follow the steps outlined above, except in Step #1, send the complete syllabus to the appropriate dept (Chemistry, Physics, or Math) for them to approve the equivalency of that non-bio course. Afterwards follow the same process as above.

  • Is there a list of internal course equivalencies from other NYU campuses (e.g. Tandon, NYUAD,NYUSH)?
    • A partial list of course equivalencies can be found on the Course Equivalencies spreadsheet. For questions about which elective courses at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai fulfill distribution requirements for the major (e.g. reasoning elective) please contact the Biology DUS team.

Undergraduate Research and Honors

  • I would like information about the honors program

  • Is my research project eligible for research credits?

The requirements for research to be eligible for credit are as follows:

  • You must be a declared biology or GPH/Biology major.

  • Have at least 3-months experience in the lab.

  • Have a defined research project that will be continued into the semester the credits will be applied.

  • Your research must be of a “wet-lab based” research, or research that involves statistical analysis.

  • No credit will be approved for retroactive research already performed, data-entry type of internships, or clinical internships.

  • Does Biol-UA 995 Becoming a Scientist count as a Bio elective?

    • No. BIOL-UA 995 does not count as an elective. If taking Honors would result in an extra semester at NYU, please contact the Biology Department (biology.dugs@nyu.edu)

  • How do I apply for research credits? And when will I hear back?

    • Please complete the Dept Application for Research Credits Form. When approved, the dept will automatically register you into the appropriate research course. You will be contacted if your application cannot be approved.

Declaring or undeclaring a Biology major or minor

  • How do I declare a Biology major/minor?
  • How do I undeclare a Biology major/minor?

Admission to NYU, including transfers and BA/DDS

  • What are the requirements for admission or transfer to NYU?
    • The Biology Department plays no role in admissions decisions. Please contact the Admissions Office
  • Can I transfer into the BA/DDS program?
    • Unfortunately not. The BA/DDS program does not accept transfer students. You have to be accepted into the program as an incoming Freshman through the regular Common App.