Fall 2025 Advising Update

• Check if you have holds preventing you from enrolling in Enroll & Pay.   
• Visit the Jayhawk Academic Advising website to view the most common holds and the steps to remove them to enroll for the Spring semester.  

• BIOL 105 Biology Orientation Seminar (1 credit hour)* 
• BIOL 150 Principles of Molecular and Cellular Biology (3 credit hours) 
  • If you haven’t completed the co-requisite of CHEM 130, but are eligible for CHEM 130, contact Lindsey Deaver (ldeaver@ku.edu) or Lauren Spain-Eddington (lse@ku.edu) for permission to register.   
• BIOL 154 Intro Biology Lab for STEM majors (2 credit hours) 
• BIOL 240 Fundamentals of Human Anatomy (3 credit hours)* 
• BIOL 241 Human Anatomy Observation Lab (2 credit hours) 
• BIOL 350 Genetics (4 credit hours) 
• BIOL 370 Biostatistics (4 credit hours)*  
• BIOL 400 Fundamentals of Microbiology (3 credit hours)*  
• BIOL 402 Fundamentals of Microbiology Lab (2 credit hours) 
• BIOL 416 Cell Structure and Function (3 credit hours)*  
  • Check with instructor if you are an honors student about an honors contract for this course 
• BIOL 418 Laboratory in Field Botany (2 credit hours)  
• BIOL 418 Laboratory in Herpetology (3 credit hours) 
• BIOL 426 Laboratory in Cell Biology (3 credit hours) 
• BIOL 600 Biochemistry (3 credit hours)* 
  • For more information about these courses and the dates/times that these courses are offered, search the Schedule of Classes at classes.ku.edu.  

*Courses that will be offered online 

Spring 2025:  

• Apply for Spring 2025 graduation now by going to Enroll & Pay>Degree Progress and Graduation.  
• Every student must apply through Enroll & Pay to graduate. The final deadline to apply is March 3, 2025. 
• The Biology Graduation Ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 17, 2:30-4 PM in Allen Fieldhouse. More information, including a link to RSVP, will be shared on our graduation website in late March. There will be no limit on the number of guests. Please also see additional information about the University commencement ceremony. 

Summer 2025 

• Apply for Summer 2025 graduation now by going to Enroll & Pay>Degree Progress and Graduation.  
• Every student must apply through Enroll & Pay to graduate.  
• The final deadline to apply is July 15, 2025, but we strongly encourage you to apply by April 18, 2025 to have your Spring and Summer enrollment and graduation requirements reviewed before the summer semester begins in case any changes need to be made.   
• The Biology Graduation Ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 17, 2:30-4 PM in Allen Fieldhouse and is open to Summer 2025 graduates. More information, including a link to RSVP, will be shared on our graduation website in late March. There will be no limit on the number of guests. Please also see additional information about the University commencement ceremony. 

 Fall 2025:  

• Apply for Fall 2025 graduation by going to Enroll & Pay>Degree Progress and Graduation.  
• Every student must apply through Enroll & Pay to graduate.  
• The final deadline to apply is November 3, 2025 but we strongly encourage you to apply by July 4, 2025 to have your Spring, Summer, and Fall enrollment and graduation requirements reviewed before the fall semester begins in case any changes need to be made.    
• The Biology Graduation Ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 17, 2:30-4 PM in Allen Fieldhouse and is open to Fall 2025 graduates. More information, including a link to RSVP, will be shared on our graduation website in late March. There will be no limit on the number of guests. Please also see additional information about the University commencement ceremony. 
• Fall 2025 graduates also have the option to attend the Spring 2026 biology graduation ceremony, and/or the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Fall 2025 graduation ceremony. Check back at this link (under Fall 2025 Graduation Information) in the coming months for updates about College of Liberal Arts and Science’s Fall graduation ceremony.  

Infrequently Taught Courses:  

Summer 2025:  

• BIOL 418: Field Botany (2 credits; all credits count towards 400+ lab electives) 
• BIOL 418: Herpetology (3 credits; all credits count towards 400+ lab electives) 

Fall 2025:  

• BIOL 415: Field and Lab Methods in Ecology (2 credits) 
• BIOL 420: Biology of Marine Mammals (3 credits) 
• BIOL 420: Natural Resource Management (3 credits) 
• BIOL 420: Programming in R (3 credits) 
  • Email Dr. Jamie Walters for permission 
• BIOL 446: Biology of Sleep (3 credits; also counts as KU Core Goal 6) 
• BIOL 480: Medical Parasitology (3 credits) 
• BIOL 481: Medical Parasitology Lab (2 credits; all credits count towards 400+ lab electives) 
• BIOL 509: Biology of Spiders (3 credits) 
• BIOL 567: Mammalogy (4 credits) 
  • 2 credits count towards BIOL 400+ lab electives 
• BIOL 582: Principles of Biogeography (3 credits) 
  • Can be taken with BIOL 420: Biology of Dispersal (1 credit) 
• BIOL 606: Ecological Plant Physiology (3 credits) 
  • 2 credits count towards BIOL 400+ lab electives 
• BIOL 370 Biostatistics. We encourage students to take this course early in their college career, preferably by sophomore year when possible. 
• BIOL 402 Microbiology lab. BIOL 402 should be taken in the fall semester when possible. There are very limited seats in this course in the spring semester and enrollment unfortunately cannot be guaranteed. 
• BIOL 599 permission. You may request permission for BIOL 599 through our permission request form. Fall 2025 graduates will be prioritized first. 
• BIOL 420 or BIOL 499. If you are interested in research, consider taking BIOL 420: Practical Approaches to Research (1 credit hour) or BIOL 499 Intro to Honors Research (2 credit hours) in Fall 2025 as one of your BIOL 400+ electives. If you are considering departmental honors, BIOL 499 is a requirement for biology departmental honors https://biology.ku.edu/departmental-honors. 

• Human Biology Major Course Offerings.   
  • Some course options under certain categories are no longer being offered in other departments, such as Applied Behavioral Science, Psychology, and Anthropology.   
  • If you have any difficulty finding courses to satisfy a certain category, please schedule an appointment with your biology advisor to discuss possible substitutions.  
• BIOL 402 Microbiology lab. BIOL 402 should be taken in the fall semester when possible. There are very limited seats in this course in the spring semester and enrollment unfortunately cannot be guaranteed. 
• BIOL 370 Biostatistics. We encourage students to take this course early in their college career, preferably by sophomore year when possible. 
• MATH 116. MATH 116 is no longer required for BA Human Biology majors. If you have questions about this change, please check with your advisor. 
• BIOL 599 permission. You may request permission for BIOL 599 through our permission request form. Fall 2025 graduates will be prioritized first. 
• BIOL 480 and 481. BIOL 480, Medical Parasitology, and BIOL 481, Medical Parasitology Lab, can count towards the Human Disease category and the lab requirement (for BIOL 481). 
• BIOL 420 or BIOL 499. If you are interested in research, consider taking BIOL 420: Practical Approaches to Research (1 credit hour) or BIOL 499 Intro to Honors Research (2 credit hours) in Fall 2025 as one of your BIOL 400+ electives. If you are considering departmental honors, BIOL 499 is a requirement for biology departmental honors https://biology.ku.edu/departmental-honors. 
• Fall 2025 BA Human Biology Updated Curriculum. You should have received an email from your biology advisor with the subject line “Changes to the BA Human Biology Curriculum.” Please read this email carefully to determine if the changes affect you. 

• BIOL 370 Biostatistics. We encourage students to take this course early in their college career, preferably by sophomore year when possible. 
• BIOL 405 Goal 6. BIOL 405 has been approved for KU Core Goal 6 as of Fall 2024. If you are taking BIOL 405 in the Fall or completed the course in Fall 2024, then your BIOL 599 requirement is waived. This waiver will be completed in December after you complete the course.   
• BIOL 405 Genetics Lab Permission. If all sections or the section you need fills up, please fill out this permission form with your preferred section. Preference will first be given to seniors graduating in Fall 2025. 
• BIOL 599 permission. If you need BIOL 599 for your major, you may request permission through our permission request form. 
• BIOL 435, Fall only. BIOL 435 is only offered in fall semesters. If you are graduating in Fall 2025, Spring 2026, or Summer 2026 enroll in this course in Fall 2025 if you haven’t already completed it.  
• BIOL 420 or BIOL 499. If you are interested in research, consider taking BIOL 420: Practical Approaches to Research (1 credit hour) or BIOL 499 Intro to Honors Research (2 credit hours) in Fall 2025 as one of your BIOL 400+ electives. If you are considering departmental honors, BIOL 499 is a requirement for biology departmental honors https://biology.ku.edu/departmental-honors. 

• BIOL 402 Microbiology lab. BIOL 402 should be taken in the fall semester when possible. There are very limited seats in this course in the spring semester and enrollment unfortunately cannot be guaranteed. 
• BIOL 636 and BIOL 504 Conflict. Please be aware that if you plan on taking BIOL 504 Immunology Lab AND BIOL 636 Biochemistry I in the Fall semester, the courses conflict. If you need these requirements for graduation, please speak with your biology advisor. Microbiology majors can also complete BIOL 600 instead of the BIOL 636 and 638 biochemistry sequence.   
• BIOL 504 permission. Microbiology students graduating in Fall 2025, Spring 2026, or Summer 2026 should fill out this permission request form. For students graduating in Fall 2026 or later, fill out the permission form and we’ll add you to a waiting list until we know if we have additional seats. Graduating seniors will be prioritized first and we may not have additional seats for juniors due to lab capacity. 
• BIOL 599 permission. If you need BIOL 599 for your major, you may request permission through our permission request form.  
• BIOL 420 or BIOL 499. If you are interested in research, consider taking BIOL 420: Practical Approaches to Research (1 credit hour) or BIOL 499 Intro to Honors Research (2 credit hours) in Fall 2025 as one of your BIOL 400+ electives. If you are considering departmental honors, BIOL 499 is a requirement for biology departmental honors https://biology.ku.edu/departmental-honors. 

• BIOL 637. If all sections or the section you need fills up, please fill out this permission form with your preferred section. Preference will first be given to seniors graduating in Fall 2025, Spring 2026, or Summer 2026. 
• BIOL 638 Pre-Reqs. BIOL 638 Biochemistry II (offered Spring only) requires a grade of C or higher in both BIOL 636 and CHEM 335.  
• If you do not earn a C or higher in CHEM 335 or BIOL 636, check with the BIOL 638 instructor about being able to take this course 
• The chemistry department also uses grade-based prerequisites for some of their courses. 
• MATH 125+MATH 116. Students that have completed MATH 125 can either complete MATH 126 and 127 or MATH 116 to satisfy their calculus requirement. If you choose to complete MATH 116, it may appear you do not receive 4 credit hours for MATH 125, but these credit hours will be retroactively applied at the end of the semester. The DPR will also be updated at this time to show that you have satisfied your calculus requirement. Check with your advisor if you have any questions. 
• BIOL 420 or BIOL 499. If you are interested in research, consider taking BIOL 420: Practical Approaches to Research (1 credit hour) or BIOL 499 Intro to Honors Research (2 credit hours) in Fall 2025 as one of your BIOL 400+ electives. If you are considering departmental honors, BIOL 499 is a requirement for biology departmental honors https://biology.ku.edu/departmental-honors. 

• Lab options. The below courses include infrequently taught courses that would count towards the BIOL 400+ Lab Electives for the BA Biology major. The lab hours for each course are in parentheses. 
  • Summer 2025: 
    • BIOL 418: Laboratory in Field Botany (2 credit hours)  
    • BIOL 418: Laboratory in Herpetology (3 credit hours)  
  • Fall 2025: 
    • BIOL 415: Field and Lab Methods in Ecology (2 credit hours towards lab) 
    • BIOL 481: Medical Parasitology Lab (2 credit hours towards lab) 
    • BIOL 606: Ecological Plant Physiology (3 credit hours; 2 credit hours towards lab) 
    • BIOL 567: Mammalogy (4 credits; 2 credit hours towards lab) 
• MATH 116. MATH 116 is no longer required for BA Biology majors. If you have questions about this change, please check with your advisor.  
• BIOL 402 Microbiology lab. BIOL 402 should be taken in the fall semester when possible. There are very limited seats in this course in the spring semester and enrollment unfortunately cannot be guaranteed. 
• BIOL 370 Biostatistics. We encourage students to take this course early in their college career, preferably by sophomore year when possible. 
• BIOL 413 The Tree of Life. When BIOL 413 is used in the BIOL 400+ electives, 2 credit hours can count towards the lab requirement. If BIOL 413 is used towards the BIOL 413/414/428 requirement, then it cannot double count towards the lab requirement. 
• BIOL 599 permission. You may request permission for BIOL 599 through our permission request form. Fall 2025 graduates will be prioritized first. 
• BIOL 420 or BIOL 499. If you are interested in research, consider taking BIOL 420: Practical Approaches to Research (1 credit hour) or BIOL 499 Intro to Honors Research (2 credit hours) in Fall 2025 as one of your BIOL 400+ electives. If you are considering departmental honors, BIOL 499 is a requirement for biology departmental honors https://biology.ku.edu/departmental-honors. 

Sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are interested in research and intend to complete the departmental honors requirements should enroll in BIOL 499 in the Fall 2025 semester. Honors requirements include an independent research project, an honors thesis, an oral presentation, and a 3.5 major GPA. 

 Seniors intending to graduate Spring or Summer 2026 with departmental honors should enroll in BIOL 699 in the Spring 2026 semester. 

 Benefits of Pursuing Departmental Honors:   

• Build a relationship with a faculty member in Biology—great for asking for letters of recommendation when applying to graduate programs  
• Use your departmental honors thesis when applying to graduate schools (master’s programs or PhD programs)   
• Add departmental honors on your resume when applying for full-time positions after graduation or when applying to graduate school!  
• Gain valuable lab experience which is applicable to applying for employment!  

The Biology Majors Advisory Committee (BMAC) is a group of undergraduate biology students that represent and provide feedback about their academic experience and environment to the Undergraduate Biology Program and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Molecular Biosciences departments.  

 If you have feedback you would like to share about the KU biology program, you can email the BMAC at biomac@ku.edu