General Questions

No course can count twice towards the Biology major. You need three major electives in addition to all other requirements.

For a research course to count, it must be 4 hours and have received a grade A-F. You must submit a paper following the guidelines for BIOL 4960R  ( https://biosciences.uga.edu/sites/default/files/2019-01/BIOL%2049X0R%20Research%20guidelines.pdf ) to biology@uga.edu, and we will determine if your research was biological in nature and rigorous enough to count for this requirement.

Only one can count towards the major, but we encourage you to continue research as upper division electives.

The Biology major covers from 31-36 of the 39 hours of upper division required to graduate with a UGA degree. You will need to satisfy these remaining hours with upper division (3000-level or higher) coursework through electives, a minor, Franklin requirements, or in rare instances core classes.

Yes, BIOL 1108 is a pre-req to many of our classes, and provides you the fundamentals to be successful in the major.

COMM 1100 and 1500 are requirements for many other majors and colleges on campus, but not for the Biology major housed in Franklin College. These COMM classes do not count towards any of the Franklin College requirements, so we typically recommend other core classes that also count as Franklin requirements, unless you are interested in a professional program that requires it.

Typically, it is best to meet with an advisor in the new major. If the change is within the Division of Biological Sciences, we may be able to help you, but you will get the most accurate, up to date information from an advisor in the major you are considering.

BIOL 4940, an internship course, is graded S/U and will not count towards the major. It does count as Experiential Learning. Contact your advisor for more information.

BIOL 4940, the internship course, counts as Experiential Learning but not in the major itself. Within the major, BIOL 3110L, BIOL 4960R, Undergraduate Research, PBIO 3660L, Plant Biology Intensive Lab, GENE 4210L, 4220L, 4230L, 4240L, and MARS 4500, Field Study in Oceanography and Marine Methods, count as Experiential Learning as well as counting for major credit.

PEDB 1950E (Online Walking) is a course designed for very specific members of the UGA population. It is offered during the fall, spring and summer thru sessions, BUT enrollment is restricted and registration takes place on a first-come, first-serve basis. The specific criteria that must be met for a student to be eligible for the course can be found here: https://coe.uga.edu/intranet/resources/physical-education-requirement-faq

Rather than thinking of courses as hard or easy, we encourage you to find courses that sound interesting and engaging to you. Even the most difficult course can be easy if you are excited and interested in the material. Additionally, each student has unique strengths, and advisors cannot predict what those strengths will be.

The biology major isn’t housed in an academic department – but under the division of biological sciences which has 8 contributing departments. Check departments for additional scholarships.

Franklin College of Arts and Sciences does have several scholarships, some of these are for currently enrolled students and may not be applicable to an incoming student. 

• Franklin College Scholarships
• UGA scholarships
• General scholarships
• Division Scholarships
  • BSURF (Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Fellowship)
  • Vallis Scholarship
  • Alexander (AJ) Jackson Memorial Scholarship
  • The Barstow Scholarship for Biological Sciences (an OGE scholarship for Study abroad)

While these classes are common prerequisites for some health intentions (such as pre-PA), they DO NOT count in the Biology major, even as major electives. The Biology major is composed of upper-division coursework approved to count towards the major.

First, you find a professor and lab to work with, and make sure the research is biological. Arrangements must be made in advance as the deadline is the last business day before the semester of research. You and your PI will both fill out paperwork describing the type of work you will be doing in the lab (https://ugeorgia.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ai4DwVUgDfBKLno ). A final paper/report is required to receive credit toward the Biology major. The best place to start is the biological sciences departmental websites and other research units.

The Career Center has many additional resources to help you with find positions. Here are a few to start:

Check out the US Government jobs site - https://www.usajobs.gov/  they often have short term research/lab tech positions – USDA, Center for Disease Control, US Forest Service, NPS, etc.

UGA also has research/lab tech positions https://www.ugajobsearch.com/applicants/jsp/shared/Welcome_css.jsp The ones under no-benefits are typically part time and non-permanent, also look at the partial benefits and full benefit positions under research and lab.

BIOL 1103 and 1104 do not count towards the Biology major or other life science majors at the university. Even if you have another major that accepts the 1103 and 1104 sequence, you should take the 1107 and 1108 sequence for the Biology major.

No, that sequence of courses is designed for people not majoring in the biological sciences. Those courses will not prepare you for the 1107/1108 sequence, and there would be no benefit to taking the 1103 and 1104 sequence as a Biology major.

No, both courses will factor into your GPA and appear on your transcript. UGA does not replace or erase former grades. Please note that you can only receive hours into the 120 required to graduate once per course (unless it is repeatable per the bulletin), so you may need additional courses to hit the 120 graduation requirement if you retake courses.

This decision would be based on numerous factors, and depends on your future plans. Generally, it is recommended that you continue through the Chemistry sequence instead of retaking the course, but check with your advisor about your specific situation. If you have a pre-health intention, check with the pre-health advising office.

Every situation is different, and there is no set time to take courses as long as you are making progress through the major coursework.

UGA does not have a Psychology minor, but there many other options to choose from: http://bulletin.uga.edu/HTMLFiles/m_minors_Listing.html

Advisors do not recommend courses based on professors. Rather than thinking of professors as hard or easy, we encourage you to challenge yourself as preparation for future studies, especially if you are considering professional or graduate school, like medical school or Ph.D. programs. Additionally, each student has unique strengths, so a professor that seemed “hard” to your friends may have a teaching style that works very well for you.

Please direct all questions about HOPE, Zell, or any other scholarship or financial aid questions to the Office of Financial Aid: osfa@uga.edu

Degreeworks has a GPA calculator available to you calculate this.