In the previous curriculum, almost all courses were strictly required. The only flexibility in the curriculum came in the Senior year when students chose among a list of BIOL 4XX electives. The new curriculum was designed to allow much more choice.

The only required BIOL courses are the new core: BIOL 141 (Foundations of Biology: Cells, Energy and Organisms), BIOL 142 (Foundations of Biology:Ecology and Evolution), BIOL 302 (Molecular and General Genetics), BIOL 303 (Cell Biology) and BIOL 300L (Experimental Biology Laboratory). All students in both the BIOL B.A. and B.S. majors will take this five-course core series. The BIOL minor requires all of the courses except for BIOL 303, which can be used as one of two BIOL electives required for the minor.

The BIOL B.A. includes 9 to 10 credits of electives divided into three electives: Elective 1 (Junior-level electives), Elective 2 (Senior-level electives) and a Lab Elective. Note that unlike the old BIOL B.A. major, the new BIOL B.A. degree no longer requires a non-BIOL minor!

The BIOL B.S. includes a larger and more varied list of electives: 1 or 2 Junior-level electives, 2 or 3 Senior-level electives and two Lab Electives.