• 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. 

•  Fall 2024:
  • Apply for Fall 2024 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 November 1st.  
• Spring 2025:
  • Apply for Spring 2025 graduation now by going to Enroll & Pay>Degree Progress and Graduation.
  • Apply by November 12, 2024 for an early graduation check.
  • Every student must apply through Enroll & Pay to graduate. The final deadline to apply is March 3, 2025.
• 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.  

• Infrequently Taught Courses Offered in Spring 2025:
  • BIOL 418 Flowering Plant Family Lab (1 credit hour, counts towards BIOL 400+ Lab electives)
  • BIOL 418 Kansas Plants and Landscapes Lab (2 credit hours, March-May, counts towards BIOL 400+ Lab electives)
  • BIOL 420 Biotech Careers (1 credit hour)
  • BIOL 420 Careers in Bioscience (1 credit hour)
  • BIOL 420 Chemical Cues: Sex, Food, and Fight (2 credit hours)
  • BIOL 420 Genetic Basis of Speech and Language Disorders (3 credit hours)
  • BIOL 420 Measuring Biodiversity (2 credit hours)
  • BIOL 420 Native and Western Views of Nature (3 credit hours)
  • BIOL 420 Evolutionary Quantitative Genetics (3 credit hours)
  • BIOL 420 Research on KS Native Bees (3 credit hours; counts towards 2 credits of BIOL 400+ Lab Electives)
  • BIOL 505 Computer Science for Biology (4 credit hours; counts towards 1 credit of BIOL 400+ Lab electives)
  • BIOL 524 Mammalian Paleontology (Currently 3 credit hours)
    • May be changing to 4-credit hour with 1 credit counting towards BIOL 400+ Lab, waiting for College approval by mid-October.
  • BIOL 533 Biology of Fungi (4 credit hour; counts towards 1 credit of BIOL 400+ Lab Electives and KU Core Goal 6/Capstone requirement)
  • BIOL 583 Herpetology (4 credit hours; counts towards 1 credit of BIOL 400+ Lab electives)
  • BIOL 602 Plant Ecology (3 credit hours)
  • BIOL 622 Paleontology (3 credit hours)
  • BIOL 652 Comparative Animal Behavior (3 credit hours; counts towards KU Core Goal 6/Capstone requirement)
  • BIOL 668 Evolutionary Ecology (3 credit hours)
• BIOL 370 Biostatistics. We encourage students to take this course early in their college career, preferably by sophomore year when possible.
• BIOL 412 and BIOL 428 Spring only. BIOL 412 and BIOL 428 are only offered in the spring semester. If you are graduating in Summer 2025 or Fall 2025, enroll in BIOL 412 and/or BIOL 428 this spring if you haven’t already completed these courses.
• BIOL 420 Careers in Bioscience. This course will help you take steps to identify bioscience career options, start preparing yourself to enter the job market, and gain a better understanding of research as an integral part of bioscience. The course will help you:
  • Get advice from upper-level bioscience undergraduates on how to get the most from your bioscience degree
  • Explore bioscience career options (e.g. health-related, research, biotech)
  • Identify your career interests and begin thinking about preparing for applications for jobs, graduate school or professional school
  • Learn about different areas of bioscience research
  • Explore opportunities that can enhance your bioscience degree and identify steps to take that will help you ultimately be successful.
• BIOL 505 Computer Science for Biology. Open to all students, but especially recommended for students going on to graduate school (Master’s or PhD programs).
• BIOL 599 senior seminar. If you are taking BIOL 599 for your Goal 6 requirement, please note that 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 Spring 2025, Summer 2025, or Fall 2025. For students graduating in Spring 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.

• 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 350 and 400 conflict. BIOL 350, Principles of Genetics, and BIOL 400, Fundamentals of Microbiology, are both offered at the same time, 11-12:15 TuTh. It is not recommended to take these courses together, but please let your advisor know if you need both of these courses to graduate in Spring 2025. We plan to offer both courses in Summer 2025.
• BIOL 370 Biostatistics. We encourage students to take this course early in their college career, preferably by sophomore year when possible.
• MATH 116. As of last year, MATH 116 is no longer required for BA Human Biology majors. If you have questions about this change, please check with your advisor.
• BIOL 420 Careers in Bioscience. This course will help you take steps to identify bioscience career options, start preparing yourself to enter the job market, and gain a better understanding of research as an integral part of bioscience. The course will help you:
  • Get advice from upper-level bioscience undergraduates on how to get the most from your bioscience degree
  • Explore bioscience career options (e.g. health-related, research, biotech)
  • Identify your career interests and begin thinking about preparing for applications for jobs, graduate school or professional school
  • Learn about different areas of bioscience research
  • Explore opportunities that can enhance your bioscience degree and identify steps to take that will help you ultimately be successful.
• BIOL 505 Computer Science for Biology. Open to all students, but especially recommended for students going on to graduate school (Master’s or PhD programs).
• BIOL 599 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 Spring 2025, Summer 2025, or Fall 2025. For students graduating in Spring 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.

• BIOL 370 Biostatistics. We encourage students to take this course early in their college career, preferably by sophomore year when possible.
• BIOL 426 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 Spring 2025, Summer 2025, or Fall 2025. For students graduating in Spring 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.
• BIOL 426 Goal 6. BIOL 426 has been approved for KU Core Goal 6. If you are taking BIOL 426 in the Spring, then your BIOL 599 requirement will be waived. This will be done in May after you have completed BIOL 426.
• BIOL 412 and 417, Spring only. BIOL 412 & 417 are only offered in the spring semester. If you are graduating in Summer 2025 or Fall 2025, enroll in these courses this spring if you haven’t already completed them.
• BIOL 420 Careers in Bioscience. This course will help you take steps to identify bioscience career options, start preparing yourself to enter the job market, and gain a better understanding of research as an integral part of bioscience. The course will help you:
  • Get advice from upper-level bioscience undergraduates on how to get the most from your bioscience degree
  • Explore bioscience career options (e.g. health-related, research, biotech)
  • Identify your career interests and begin thinking about preparing for applications for jobs, graduate school or professional school
  • Learn about different areas of bioscience research
  • Explore opportunities that can enhance your bioscience degree and identify steps to take that will help you ultimately be successful.
• BIOL 505 Computer Science for Biology. Open to all students, but especially recommended for students going on to graduate school (Master’s or PhD programs).

• BIOL 370 Biostatistics. We encourage students to take this course early in their college career, preferably by sophomore year when possible.
• BIOL 507 & 513 permission. Permission has been preset for most Microbiology students graduating in Spring 2025, Summer 2025, and Fall 2025. Try to enroll first, and if you receive a permission error, fill out this permission request form. For students graduating in Spring 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.
  • Starting in Spring 2024, BIOL 507 is a 3-credit hour course. When taken Spring 2024 or later, it will also satisfy KU Core Goal 6.
• BIOL 512, 513, CHEM 335 conflict. Students needing all three of these courses to graduate in the spring should check in with their biology advisor for options. CHEM 335 is offered in the summer semester.
• BIOL 350 and 400 conflict. BIOL 350, Principles of Genetics, and BIOL 400, Fundamentals of Microbiology, are both offered at the same time, 11-12:15 TuTh. It is not recommended to take these courses together, but please let your advisor know if you need both of these courses to graduate in Spring 2025. We plan to offer both courses in Summer 2025.
• BIOL 420 Careers in Bioscience. This course will help you take steps to identify bioscience career options, start preparing yourself to enter the job market, and gain a better understanding of research as an integral part of bioscience. The course will help you:
  • Get advice from upper-level bioscience undergraduates on how to get the most from your bioscience degree
  • Explore bioscience career options (e.g. health-related, research, biotech)
  • Identify your career interests and begin thinking about preparing for applications for jobs, graduate school or professional school
  • Learn about different areas of bioscience research
  • Explore opportunities that can enhance your bioscience degree and identify steps to take that will help you ultimately be successful.
• BIOL 505 Computer Science for Biology. Open to all students, but especially recommended for students going on to graduate school (Master’s or PhD programs).

• 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.
  • The chemistry department also uses grade-based prerequisites for some of their courses.
• BIOL 639. 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 Spring 2025, Summer 2025, or Fall 2025. For students graduating in Spring 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.
• BIOL 420 Careers in Bioscience. This course will help you take steps to identify bioscience career options, start preparing yourself to enter the job market, and gain a better understanding of research as an integral part of bioscience. The course will help you:
  • Get advice from upper-level bioscience undergraduates on how to get the most from your bioscience degree
  • Explore bioscience career options (e.g. health-related, research, biotech)
  • Identify your career interests and begin thinking about preparing for applications for jobs, graduate school or professional school
  • Learn about different areas of bioscience research
  • Explore opportunities that can enhance your bioscience degree and identify steps to take that will help you ultimately be successful.
• 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 505 Computer Science for Biology. Open to all students, but especially recommended for students going on to graduate school (Master’s or PhD programs).

• Lab options. The below courses include lab hours that would count towards the BIOL 400+ Lab Electives for the BA Biology major. The lab hours for each course are in parentheses.
  • BIOL 418 Flowering Plant Family Lab (1 credit hours)
  • BIOL 418 Kansas Plants and Landscapes (2 credit hours)
  • BIOL 420: Research on KS Native Bees (3 credit hours; counts towards 2 credits of BIOL 400+ Lab)
  • BIOL 505 Computer Science for Biology (4 credit hours; counts towards 1 credit of BIOL 400+ Lab electives)
  • BIOL 533 Biology of Fungi (4 credit hours; counts towards 1 credit of BIOL 400+ Lab Electives and KU Core Goal 6/Capstone requirement)
  • BIOL 583 Herpetology (4 credit hours; counts towards 1 credit of BIOL 400+ Lab electives)
• BIOL 412 Spring only. BIOL 412 is only offered in the spring semester. If you are graduating in Summer 2025 or Fall 2025, enroll in BIOL 412 this spring if you haven’t already completed this course.
• MATH 116. As of last year, MATH 116 is no longer required for BA Biology majors. If you have questions about this change, please check with your advisor.
• BIOL 420 Careers in Bioscience. This course will help you take steps to identify bioscience career options, start preparing yourself to enter the job market, and gain a better understanding of research as an integral part of bioscience. The course will help you:
  • Get advice from upper-level bioscience undergraduates on how to get the most from your bioscience degree
  • Explore bioscience career options (e.g. health-related, research, biotech)
  • Identify your career interests and begin thinking about preparing for applications for jobs, graduate school or professional school
  • Learn about different areas of bioscience research
  • Explore opportunities that can enhance your bioscience degree and identify steps to take that will help you ultimately be successful.
• BIOL 505 Computer Science for Biology. Open to all students, but especially recommended for students going on to graduate school (Master’s or PhD programs).

Seniors intending to graduate Spring or Summer 2025 with departmental honors should enroll in BIOL 699.

Sophomores and juniors 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.

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 or visit them during their upcoming drop-in hours. Check @kansasbmac on Instagram for announcements.