The Life Sciences Core Curriculum
is the result of a cooperative effort by faculty, staff and students
from all six life science departments to provide a more uniform and
integrated set of courses during your first years as an undergraduate.
The Curriculum is a series of four courses in the life sciences (Life
Sciences 1, 2, 3, and 4), plus chemistry, mathematics and physics courses,
which will make up approximately the first two years of your work in
any of the life science majors. These four courses provide a broad picture
of exciting current ideas in very different areas. Combined with the
other courses of the Core Curriculum, they form an extremely strong
background that will prepare you for any of the life science majors.
In addition to these four courses required for all life science students,
we teach one general education course (Life Sciences 15) for students
in majors outside the life sciences, to disseminate to the wider student
population the most current ideas and issues in the life sciences today.
One of the innovative features of the Core Curriculum is that the courses
will be taught by faculty and teaching assistants from all the different
life science departments. You will have an opportunity to explore your
interest in the various life science majors, while at the same time
you study an integrated set of biological principles. All life science
students will take the same courses, so that when you finish the Core
Curriculum you are well prepared to enter any of the life science majors.
Although
you need not choose a final major while you are completing the Core
Curriculum, it is best that you find your area of interest and select
a preliminary major soon, so that you may obtain the most detailed and
personal counseling possible as you plan your academic career.