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Minors in Biology

 

Minors are available in the following areas:

See "Questions and Answers about Minors" for more information

Minor in Biological Sciences:

    Students wishing a minor in Biological Sciences must take at least 15 credits of 2000's level courses from EEB, MCB and PNB. It is strongly recommended that at least one course include laboratory or field work. Courses chosen for the minor must include at least one course or course sequence from each of the following three groups:

    1. MCB 2410, MCB 2000, MCB 3010, MCB 2210, MCB 2413 or MCB 2610.
    2. EEB 2244/2244W or 2245/2245W.
    3. PNB 2250, PNB 2264-2265 or PNB 2274-2275. PNB 2264-2265 or 2274-2275 must be taken as a sequence to be counted towards the Biology minor.

    NOTE: Completion of a minor requires that a student earn a C (2.0) or better in each of the required courses for that minor. Substitutions are not possible for required courses in a minor.

Audit Sheet
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Minor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology:

    Field Trip Students wishing a minor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology must take at least 15 credits of 2200's level EEB courses, including both EEB 2244/W (General Ecology) and EEB 2245/W (Evolutionary Biology).

    NOTE: Completion of a minor requires that a student earn at least a C (2.0) in each of the required courses for that minor. Substitutions are not possible for required courses in a minor.

For Audit Sheet contact the

EEB Program Coordinator at jennifer.murphy@uconn.edu

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Minor in Molecular & Cell Biology:

    Students wishing a minor in Molecular and Cell Biology must take at least 15 credits of 2000's level MCB courses, including at least one course from each of the following four groups:

    1. Genetics group: MCB 2410 (Human Genetics), MCB 2211 (Gene Expression), MCB 2413 (Concepts of Genetic Analysis) or MCB 3617 (Molecular Biology and Genetics of Prokaryotes)
    2. Biochemistry group: MCB 3010 (Biochemistry) or MCB 2000 (Introduction to Biochemistry)
    3. Cell biology group: MCB 2210 (Cell Biology) or MCB 2610 (Fundamentals of Microbiology)

    NOTE: Completion of a minor requires that a student earn a C (2.0) or better in each of the required courses for that minor. Substitutions are not possible for required courses in a minor.

Audit Sheet
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Minor in Bioinformatics:

Minor in Physiology and Neurobiology:

    Students desiring a minor in Physiology and Neurobiology must take at least 15 credits of 2000's level PNB courses including fulfilling the Core requirements of either Group A or Group B:

    1. PNB 2274-2275 (must be taken in sequence)
    2. PNB 2250, PNB 3263W, PNB 3251 and PNB 3262

    NOTE: Completion of a minor requires that a student earn a C (2.0) or better in each of the required courses for that minor. Substitutions are not possible for required courses in a minor.

Audit Sheet
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Questions and Answers about Minors in Biology.

    Q. What is the difference between a minor and the related course requirement?

      A. All students must satisfy the related course requirements, whereas the minor is an optional choice. Minors are more rigorously defined than related courses; for example, the MCB minor requires at least 15 credits in MCB, whereas courses counted towards the related group require only 12 credits, and can be from different departments, as approved by the student's advisor.

    Q. What is the advantage of completing a minor?

      A. A minor will be listed on a student's transcript along with the major, whereas related courses are not listed. Minors are structured to ensure that students are exposed to a basic core of knowledge in a discipline, and require more coursework than the related requirement. Completion of a minor in addition to a major provides evidence of a student's ability to succeed in more than a single discipline.

    Q. Can I get a minor in the same department as my major?

      A. No, that is not allowed. An MCB major cannot receive an MCB minor, for example. But you can minor in a department closely related to your major; an EEB major can minor in MCB, and vice versa. A student majoring in Biological Sciences can obtain a minor in EEB or MCB.

    Q. My major includes several courses in another department, and several of those courses are on the list of required courses for the minor. Do those courses still count towards the minor?

      A. Yes. For example, pharmacy students are required to take MCB 2610 (Microbiology) and MCB 2000 (Biochemistry), both of which are required courses for the MCB minor. By taking two more appropriate MCB courses, a pharmacy student can qualify for an MCB minor.

    Q. What do I have to do to obtain a minor?

      A. You must take the appropriate courses. In addition, you must fill out a "Minor plan of study", have this signed by the chair or other designated agents of the department offering the minor, and file this with your plan of study in the final semester before graduation.

    Q. What course grades count towards a minor?

      A. Only courses with grades of "C" or better may count towards the minor.

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This page last updated 19 November 2008.