Biology Major Requirements – Advanced Biology Coursework

Advanced Biology Courses

In addition completing a common core, Biology majors select 21 credits of advanced (3000+ level) life science coursework related to their interests.  This makes Biology a highly customizable life science program.  The Biology Program has compiled a list of life science courses at Iowa State pre-approved for use as advanced biology credits.  A printer-friendly, downloadable list courses is available here: Advanced Biology Courses 2024-2025 (PDF)

You may also skip to approved advanced biology courses by department using the following links:


Advanced Biology Courses Offered by the Biology Program

Biology majors must take 9 of their 21 advanced biology credits from BIOL, EEOB, or GDCB course offerings.  Courses listed as BIOL are intended for undergraduates, while EEOB and GDCB are intended for graduate students and open for well-prepared undergraduates.  

Undergraduate Biology Program Courses

Course #Course NameCreditsLab?
BIOL 3110XGenome Editing and Engineering1Y
BIOL 3180Introduction to Ecosystems3 
BIOL 3190Analysis of Environmental Systems3 
BIOL 3220Introduction to Bioinformatics and Computational Biology3 
BIOL 3280Molecular and Cellular Biology of Human Diseases3 
BIOL 3350Human and Other Animal Physiology3 
BIOL 3350LHuman and Other Animal Physiology Lab1Y
BIOL 3360Ecological and Evolutionary Animal Physiology3 
BIOL 3440Human Reproduction3 
BIOL 3490The Genome Perspective in Biology3Y
BIOL 3500Comprehensive Human Anatomy4Y
BIOL 3510Comparative Chordate Anatomy5Y
BIOL 3520Vertebrate Histology4Y
BIOL 3530Introductory Parasitology3 
BIOL 3540Animal Behavior3 
BIOL 3540LAnimal Behavior Lab1Y
BIOL 3550Plants and People3 
BIOL 3560Dendrology4Y
BIOL 3570Biology of Plants3 
BIOL 3580Bee Biology, Management, and Beekeeping3 
BIOL 3640Invertebrate Biology3-4 
BIOL 3650Vertebrate Biology4Y
BIOL 3660Plant Systematics4Y
BIOL 3700GIS for Ecology and Environmental Science1-6Y
BIOL 3710Ecological Methods3Y
BIOL 3750Marine Ecology & Ecosystem Dynamics3 
BIOL 3930North American Field Trips1-4Y
BIOL 3940International Field Trips1-4Y
BIOL 3950XProfessional Development in Biological Sciences2 
BIOL 4010Fundamentals of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology4 
BIOL 4020Introduction to Pathology3 
BIOL 4030Introduction to Pathology II3 
BIOL 4060Bioinformatics of OMICS3 
BIOL 4140Life History and Reproductive Strategies3 
BIOL 4210Biological Principles of Aging3 
BIOL 4230Developmental Biology3 
BIOL 4230LDevelopmental Biology Lab1Y
BIOL 4280Cell Biology3 
BIOL 4300Principles of Plant Physiology3 
BIOL 4340Endocrinology3 
BIOL 4360Neurobiology3 
BIOL 4510Plant Evolution and Phylogeny4Y
BIOL 4540Plant Anatomy4Y
BIOL 4550Bryophyte and Lichen Biodiversity3Y
BIOL 4560Principles of Mycology3Y
BIOL 4570Herpetology2 
BIOL 4570LHerpetology Lab1Y
BIOL 4580Ornithology2 
BIOL 4580LOrnithology Lab1Y
BIOL 4590Mammalogy2 
BIOL 4590LMammalogy Lab1Y
BIOL 4620Evolutionary Genetics3 
BIOL 4640Wetland Ecology3 
BIOL 4650Macroevolution3 
BIOL 4710Introduction to Conservation Biology3 
BIOL 4740Plant Ecology3 
BIOL 4760Functional Ecology3 
BIOL 4800Studies in Marine Biology1-8Y
BIOL 4810Summer Field Studies1-8Y
BIOL 4820Tropical Biology1-4Y
BIOL 4830Environmental Biogeochemistry3 
BIOL 4840Ecosystem Ecology3 
BIOL 4850Community Ecology3 
BIOL 4860Aquatic Ecology3 
BIOL 4860LAquatic Ecology Lab1Y
BIOL 4870Microbial Ecology3 
BIOL 4880Identification of Aquatic Organisms1Y
BIOL 4890Population Ecology3Y
BIOL 4900Independent Study1 
BIOL 4910Undergraduate Teaching Experience1-2Y
BIOL 4920Preparing for Graduate School in Biology1 
BIOL 4940Biology Internship1-2Y
BIOL 4950Undergraduate Seminar1-3 
BIOL 4980Cooperative EducationR 
BIOL 4990Undergraduate Research1-3Y

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Advanced Biology Courses Offered by Other Departments

Iowa State University is a great place to study biology because there are so many departments involved in life sciences.  Advanced (3000+ level) courses from other departments can also count towards the 21 credits of advanced biology coursework students need to complete their Bachelor of Science in Biology.  

Course #Agronomy Course NameCreditsLab?
AGRON 3160Crop Structure-Function Relationships3 
AGRON 3170Principles of Weed Science3 
AGRON 3380Seed Science and Technology3Y
AGRON 3540Soils and Plant Growth3 
AGRON 421Introduction to Plant Breeding3 

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Course #Animal Science Course NameCreditsLab?
ANS 3130Exercise Physiology of Animals2 
ANS 3190Animal Nutrition3 
ANS 3310Domestic Animal Reproduction3 
ANS 3320Lab Methods in Animal Reproduction1Y
ANS 3330Embryo Transfer and Related Technology3 
ANS 3340Embryo Transfer Laboratory1Y
ANS 3370Lactation3 
ANS 3450Growth and Development of Domestic Animals3 
ANS 3520Genetic Improvement of Domestic Animals3Y
ANS 4190Advanced Animal Nutrition2 

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Course #Anthropology Course NameCreditsLab?
ANTHR 3070Biological Anthropology3Y
ANTHR 3170Primate Behavior, Ecology and Evolution3 
ANTHR 3190Skeletal Biology3Y
ANTHR 4240Forensic Anthropology3Y
ANTHR 4820Topics in Biological Anthropology3 

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Course #Biochemistry Course NameCreditsLab?
BBMB 4050Biochemistry II3 
BBMB 4110Techniques in Biochemical Research4Y
BBMB 4200Mammalian Biochemistry3 
BBMB 4300Prokaryotic Diversity and Ecology3 

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Course #Biomedical Studies Course NameCreditsLab?
BMS 3290Anatomy and Physiology of Domestic Animals3 
BMS 4010Introduction to Aquatic Animal Medicine1Y
BMS 4380Principles of Physiology4 
BMS 4480Principles of Human Gross Anatomy4Y

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Course #Entomology Course NameCreditsLab?
ENT 3700Insect Biology3Y
ENT 3740Insects and our Health3 
ENT 3740LInsects and our Health Laboratory1Y
ENT 3750Plant Protection Using Natural Enemies3 
ENT 4250Aquatic Insects3Y
ENT 4710Insect Ecology3Y

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Course #Food Science and Human Nutrition Course NameCreditsLab?
FSHN 3600Advanced Human Nutrition and Metabolism3 
FSHN 3620Nutrition in Growth and Development3 
FSHN 3640Nutrition and Prevention of Chronic Disease3 
FSHN 3670Medical Terminology1 

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Course #Geology Course NameCreditsLab?
GEOL 4060Geology Field Course1-2Y
GEOL 4120Micropaleontology3Y

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Course #Genetics Course NameCreditsLab?
GEN 3400Human Genetics3 
GEN 4090Molecular Genetics3 
GEN 4100Analytical Genetics3 

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Course #Health Studies Course NameCreditsLab?
HS 3500Human Diseases3 

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Course #Horticulture Course NameCreditsLab?
HORT 3210Horticulture Physiology3 
HORT 3220Plant Propagation3Y

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Course #Kinesiology Course NameCreditsLab?
KIN 3550Biomechanics3 
KIN 3630Basic Electrocardiography2 

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Course #Microbiology Course NameCreditsLab?
MICRO 3020Biology of Microorganisms3 
MICRO 3020LMicrobiology Lab1Y
MICRO 3100Medical Microbiology 3 
MICRO 3100LMedical Microbiology Lab1Y
MICRO 3200Molecular and Cellular Bacteriology4 
MICRO 3600Global Health3 
MICRO 4020Microbial Genetics and Genomics3 
MICRO 4080Virology3 
MICRO 4200Food Microbiology3 
MICRO 4750Immunology3 
MICRO 4750LImmunology Lab1Y

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Course #ToxicologyCreditsLab?
TOX 4010Principles of Toxicology3 
TOX 4500Pesticides in the Environment3 

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Course #Natural Resource Ecology and Management Course NameCreditsLab?
AECL 3210Fish Biology3Y
AECL 3660Natural History of Iowa Vertebrates3Y
AECL 4150Ecology of Freshwater Invertebrates, Plants, Algae3Y
AECL 4180Stream Ecology3Y
AECL 4420Aquaculture3 
AECL 4540Principles of Wildlife Disease3 
FOR 3020Silviculture3Y
NREM 3010Natural Resource Ecology and Soils4Y
NREM 3450Natural Resource Photogrammetry and GIS3Y
NREM 3570Midwestern Prairie Plants1Y
NREM 3900Fire Ecology and Management3 
NREM 4070Watershed Management4Y
NREM 4460Integrating GPS and GIS for Natural Resource Management3Y
NREM 4520Ecosystem Management3Y

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Course #Plant Pathology Course NameCreditsLab?
PLP 4080Principles of Plant Pathology3Y
PLP 4160Forest Insects and Diseases3Y
PLP 4770Bacterial-Plant Interactions3 
PLP 4940Seed Pathology2 
PLP 4940LSeed Pathology Lab1Y

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Course #Psychology Course NameCredits
PSYCH 3100Brain and Behavior3
PSYCH 3150Drugs and Behavior3

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Graduate Biology Program Courses

Graduate-level courses can be taken by undergraduate students with permission from the instructor.

Course #Course NameCreditsLab?
EEOB 5070Advanced Animal Behavior3 
EEOB 5140Life History and Reproductive Strategies3 
EEOB 5210Biological Principles of Aging3 
EEOB 5310Conservation Biology3 
EEOB 5340Endocrinology3 
EEOB 5350Restoration Ecology3Y
EEOB 5440Introduction to Bioinformatics3 
EEOB 5460Computational Skills for Biological Data3 
EEOB 5510Plant Evolution and Phylogeny4 
EEOB 5530Agrostology3 
EEOB 5550Bryophyte and Lichen Biodiversity3Y
EEOB 5610Evolutionary and Ecological Genomics3 
EEOB 5620Evolutionary Genetics3 
EEOB 5630Molecular Phylogenetics3 
EEOB 5640Wetland Ecology3 
EEOB 5650Macroevolution3 
EEOB 5660Molecular Evolution3 
EEOB 5670Empirical Population Genetics3 
EEOB 5680Advanced Systematics3Y
EEOB 5690Biogeography3 
EEOB 5770Concepts in Theoretical Ecology and Evolution1 
EEOB 5840Advanced Ecosystem Ecology3 
EEOB 5850Advanced Community Ecology3 
EEOB 5860Aquatic Ecology3 
EEOB 5860LAquatic Ecology Lab1Y
EEOB 5870Microbial Ecology3 
EEOB 5890Population Ecology3Y
EEOB 5900Special Topics1-3 
GDCB 5100Transmission Genetics3 
GDCB 5110Advanced Molecular Genetics3 
GDCB 5130Plant Metabolism2 
GDCB 5280Advances in Molecular Cell Biology3 
GDCB 5330Advances in Developmental Biology3 
GDCB 5360Statistical Genetics4 
GDCB 5420Intro to Molecular Biology Techniques1Y
GDCB 4440Fundamentals of Bioinformatics4 
GDCB 5450Plant Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology3 
GDCB 5560Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Neuroscience3 
GDCB 5570Advanced Neuroscience Techniques3 
GDCB 5680Statistical Bioinformatics3 
GDCB 5690Structual Bioinformatics3 
GDCB 5700Systems Biology3 
GDCB 5850Fundamentals of Predictive Plant Phenomics4 
GDCB 5900Special Topicsvariable 

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