Spring 2027 Advising Update

• You can schedule a 30-minute appointment in Jayhawk GPS or by calling the Jayhawk Academic Advising front desk at 785-864-2834.  
• You can also meet with a biology advisor during drop-in hours. Drop-in hours are Mondays and Thursdays from 12:30 – 4:00 PM. Join drop-ins at this link! 
   

• 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 2026: 

• Apply for Fall 2026 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 2, 2026.  
• Fall 2026 graduates have the option to attend the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) Fall 2026 graduation ceremony and/or the Biology Recognition Ceremony in Spring 2027. The Fall 2026 CLAS graduation ceremony is planned for December 13, 2026 at the Lied Center. Students can also attend the Spring 2027 biology graduation ceremony in May 2027. Check back at this link in the coming months for updates about the Undergraduate Biology recognition ceremony.

Spring 2027: 

• Apply for Spring 2027 graduation now by going to Enroll & Pay>Degree Progress and Graduation. 
• Apply by November 20, 2026 for an early graduation check. 
• Every student must apply through Enroll & Pay to graduate. The final deadline to apply is March 1, 2027.

Summer 2027: 

• Check back at this website for information about applying for Summer 2027 graduation You can apply for graduation by following these directions: Enroll & Pay>Degree Progress and Graduation. 
• We strongly encourage you to apply by April 2027 to have your Spring and Summer enrollment and graduation requirements reviewed before the summer semester begins in case any changes need to be made.  
• Every student must apply through Enroll & Pay to graduate. The final deadline to apply is July 15, 2027.

• Infrequently Taught Courses:  
• Summer 2026:  
  • 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 2026:  
  • BIOL 420: Intro to Biodiversity Science (1 credit)
  • BIOL 420: Programming in R (3 credits) 
    • Email Dr. Jamie Walters for permission 
  • BIOL 420: Machine Learning in Biology (3 credits) 
    • Email Dr. Dan Reuman for permission 
  • BIOL 441: Ecological Research Tools in Field and Lab (3 credits) 
    • Replaces BIOL 415 Ecology Lab 
  • 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 520: Marine Biology (3 credits) 
  • BIOL 550: Plant Anatomy and Development (1 credit) 
  • BIOL 551: Plant Anatomy and Development Laboratory (3 credits; all credits count towards 400+ lab electives) 
  • BIOL 578: Entomology (2 credits) 
  • BIOL 579: Entomology Laboratory (2 credits; all credits count towards 400+ lab electives)  
  • BIOL 593: Ornithology (3 credits; 1 credit counts towards 400+ lab electives) 
  • BIOL 648: Systematics and Macroevolution (3 credits)  

• 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 418/420 Courses. Click on the Notes link at classes.ku.edu to the left of each course to view a full course description and prerequisites. 
• BIOL 420: Exploring Genetics. We are offering a supplemental reviewcourse for BIOL 350 Genetics, which if you are a biology major, can count towards your BIOL 400+ electives. Genetics is a challenging course, soBIOL 350 Genetics and BIOL 420 Exploring Genetics are intended to be taken together and offers additional instruction and class time with a professor for students who may enjoy and benefit from the extra practice of genetics course material. If you are interested in this course, request permission via our permission request form. 
• BIOL 599 permission. You may request permission for BIOL 599 through our permission request form. Fall 2026 graduates will be prioritized first. 
• BIOL 489 Intro to Honors Research. BIOL 499 Intro to Honors Research (2 credit hours) has changed to BIOL 489 Intro to Honors Research (1 credit hour). If you are interested in research, consider taking BIOL 489 Intro to Honors Research (1 credit hour) in Fall 2026 as one of your BIOL 400+ electives. If you are considering departmental honors, BIOL 489 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 241 Anatomy Lab. If you are interested in taking BIOL 241 in Spring 2027, please fill out this permission form with your preferred section. Preference will first be given to seniors graduating in Spring 2027 or Summer 2027. For students graduating in Fall 2027 or later, fill out the permission form and we’ll add you to a waiting list. We’re hopeful that we’ll have seats for most interested juniors.
• BIOL 402 Microbiology Lab and BIOL 547 Physiology Lab. If the sections that fit your schedule are full, please continue to check for open seats a few days after your enrollment. After checking, if you’re unable to get into the section that you need, please fill out this permission form. We’ll be prioritizing seniors graduating in Spring 2027, Summer 2027, and Fall 2027. We hope to have seats for most interested juniors as well.
• 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 2027. We usually offer both courses in the summer semesters, you can check the summer schedule when it is released in March 2027 to see if it will be offered again.
• BIOL 370 Biostatistics. We encourage students to take this course early in their college career, preferably by sophomore year when possible.
• BIOL 412 Evolutionary Biology. Beginning Fall 2027, BIOL 412 will be offered in both the Fall and Spring semesters.
• BIOL 536 Honors Cell Biology. We will be offering BIOL 536 Honors Cell Biology this Spring. This is open to students in the University Honors Program who have met the pre-requisites for the course.
• BIOL 676 Biochemistry Nobel Prizes of the 21st Century, Honors. Honors course for Spring 2027:
  • 1 credit hour
  • 11-11:50 Monday, HAW 3012
  • Honors course
  • Instructor: Dr. Joanna Slusky
  • Prerequisite: BIOL 600 or 636, and membership in Honors program.
• BIOL 680 Genomics. BIOL 680 may substitute into the Human Disease category.
• Capstone requirement. The below classes will fulfill the Goal 6/Capstone requirement. We have limited seats in BIOL 599 so we encourage you to select other Goal 6/Capstone courses if you need additional BIOL 400+ elective hours. If you need BIOL 599, please fill out this permission form with your preferred section. Preference will first be given to seniors graduating in Spring 2027, Summer 2027, or Fall 2027. Capstone options: 
  • BIOL 446 (Biology of Sleep)
  • BIOL 533 (Biology of Fungi)
  • BIOL 545 (Evolution of Development)
  • BIOL 606 (Ecological Plant Physiology)
  • BIOL 652 (Animal Behavior)

• BIOL 370 Biostatistics. We encourage students to take this course early in their college career, preferably by sophomore year when possible.
• BIOL 412 Evolutionary Biology. Beginning in Fall 2027, BIOL 412 will be offered in both the Fall and Spring semesters.
• BIOL 426 permission. Permission has been entered already for most MCDB majors planning to graduate in the Spring. Please try enrolling in the course first and if you’re unable to enroll in one of the lab options, complete this permission form with your preferred section. Preference will first be given to seniors graduating in Spring 2027, Summer 2027, or Fall 2027. For students graduating in Fall 2027 or later, fill out the permission form and we’ll add you to a waiting list until we know if we have additional seats. 
• BIOL 417, Spring only. BIOL 417 is only offered in the spring semester. If you are graduating in Summer 2027 or Fall 2027, enroll in these courses this spring if you haven’t already completed them.
• BIOL 536 Honors Cell Biology. We will be offering BIOL 536 Honors Cell Biology this Spring. This is open to students in the University Honors Program who have met the pre-requisites for the course.
• BIOL 676 Biochemistry Nobel Prizes of the 21st Century, Honors. Honors course for Spring 2027:
  • 1 credit hour
  • 11-11:50 Monday, HAW 3012
  • Honors course
  • Instructor: Dr. Joanna Slusky
  • Prerequisite: BIOL 600 or 636, and membership in Honors program.
• BIOL 680 Genomics. BIOL 680 may substitute into the BIOL 650/672/688 category for BS MCDB majors, and the BIOL 435/672/688 category for BA MCDB majors.

• 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 2027. We usually offer both courses in the summer semesters, you can check the summer schedule when it is released in March 2027 to see if it will be offered again.
• 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 2027, Summer 2027, and Fall 2027. Try to enroll first, and if you receive a permission error, fill out this permission request form. For students graduating in Spring 2028 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 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 typically offered in the summer semester.
• BIOL 536 Honors Cell Biology. We will be offering BIOL 536 Honors Cell Biology this Spring. This is open to students in the University Honors Program who have met the pre-requisites for the course.
• BIOL 676 Biochemistry Nobel Prizes of the 21st Century, Honors. Honors course for Spring 2027:
  • 1 credit hour
  • 11-11:50 Monday, HAW 3012
  • Honors course
  • Instructor: Dr. Joanna Slusky
  • Prerequisite: BIOL 600 or 636, and membership in Honors program.

• BIOL 536 Honors Cell Biology. We will be offering BIOL 536 Honors Cell Biology this Spring. This is open to students in the University Honors Program who have met the pre-requisites for the course.
• BIOL 638 Biochemistry II 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 Biochemistry Lab. If the sections that fit your schedule are full, please continue to check for open seats a few days after your enrollment. After checking, if you’re unable to get into the section that you need, please fill out this permission form. We’ll be prioritizing seniors graduating in Spring 2027, Summer 2027, and Fall 2027, but should also have seats for most if not all Spring 2028 graduates.
• BIOL 676 Biochemistry Nobel Prizes of the 21st Century, Honors. Honors course for Spring 2027:
  • 1 credit hour
  • 11-11:50 Monday, HAW 3012
  • Honors course
  • Instructor: Dr. Joanna Slusky
  • Prerequisite: BIOL 600 or 636, and membership in Honors program.
• 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.

• 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 Kansas Plants and Landscapes Lab (2 credit hours, March-May, counts towards BIOL 400+ Lab electives)
  • BIOL 418 Flowering Plant Laboratory (1 credit hour, counts towards BIOL 400+ Lab electives)
  • BIOL 451 Ecosystems Stewardship (3 credit hours; counts towards BIOL lab elective requirement)
  • BIOL 505 Computer Science for Biology (4 credit hours total; counts towards 1 credit of BIOL 400+ Lab Electives))
    • This course is strongly encouraged for any students planning to attend graduate school for a masters or PHD in biology.
  • BIOL 526 Mammalian Paleontology Lab (1 credit hour), co-requisite is BIOL 534 Mammalian Paleontology lecture (3 credit hours)
  • BIOL 533 Biology of Fungi (4 credit hours total; counts towards 1 credit of BIOL 400+ Lab Electives))
  • BIOL 545 Evolution of Development (4 credit hours; 3 credit hours counts towards BIOL lab elective requirements)
  • BIOL 583 Herpetology (4 credit hours; counts towards 1 credit of BIOL 400+ Lab Electives)
  • BIOL 606 Ecological Plant Physiology (3 credit hours; counts towards 2 credits of BIOL 400+ Lab) 
  • BIOL 623 Paleontology Laboratory (1 credit hour; counts towards BIOL 400+ Lab Electives), co-requisite is BIOL 622 Paleontology Lecture (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 Evolutionary Biology. Beginning in Fall 2027, BIOL 412 will be offered in both the Fall and Spring semesters.
• BIOL 536 Honors Cell Biology. We will be offering BIOL 536 Honors Cell Biology this Spring. This is open to students in the University Honors Program who have met the pre-requisites for the course.
• BIOL 676 Biochemistry Nobel Prizes of the 21st Century, Honors. Honors course for Spring 2027:
  • 1 credit hour
  • 11-11:50 Monday, HAW 3012
  • Honors course
  • Instructor: Dr. Joanna Slusky
  • Prerequisite: BIOL 600 or 636, and membership in Honors program.
• Capstone requirement. The below classes will fulfill the Goal 6/Capstone requirement. We have limited seats in BIOL 599 so we encourage you to select other Goal 6/Capstone courses if you need additional BIOL 400+ elective hours. If you need BIOL 599, please fill out this permission form with your preferred section. Preference will first be given to seniors graduating in Spring 2027, Summer 2027, or Fall 2027. Capstone options: 
  • BIOL 446 (Biology of Sleep)
  • BIOL 533 (Biology of Fungi)
  • BIOL 545 (Evolution of Development)
  • BIOL 606 (Ecological Plant Physiology)
  • BIOL 652 (Animal Behavior)

Seniors intending to graduate Spring or Summer 2027 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 2026 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! 
• Students do not have to be part of the University Honors Program to pursue Departmental Honors in Biology 

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. Check @kansasbmac on Instagram for announcements.