Undergraduate Programs in Biology

Members of the Biology faculty are available for advising on such academic matters as choice of courses, research, suggested readings, and career plans. The student services office maintains a current list of faculty advisers, advising schedules, and research interests.

The student services office staff and BioBridge, the department's peer advising group, are prepared to answer questions on administrative matters, such as requirements for the major, approved out-of-department electives, transfer course evaluations, and petition procedures. This office also distributes the department's Bachelor of Science Handbook, which delineates policies and requirements, as well as other department forms and information handouts.

Each undergraduate interested in the Biology major is required to select a department faculty adviser as part of the major declaration process. Students who plan to attend medical or graduate school, enroll in the honors or coterminal programs, take courses at Hopkins Marine Station, or attend one of the overseas campuses may find their faculty adviser particularly helpful.

TRANSFER STUDENTS

Because of differences between Stanford undergraduate courses and prerequisites and those of many other institutions, transfer students may face problems not encountered by entering freshmen. Transfer students are urged to visit the student services office in Gilbert 108 during transfer orientation to obtain information on course credit evaluations. Course catalogs, syllabi, and/or lecture notes from the former institution are necessary in the evaluation and accreditation process. Transfer students are encouraged to find a faculty adviser soon after arrival.

All transfer courses intended to fulfill department requirements must be evaluated on Evaluation of Course Content forms available in the student services office or downloadable at http://biology.stanford.edu/student_resources/eval_course_content.pdf; these forms are kept in the student's file. This department procedure is in addition to the Registrar's process of having units earned at other institutions transferred for Stanford credit that appear on the Stanford transcript.

The department authorizes transfer credit only for courses whose content parallels the Stanford courses and that have comparable prerequisites (not merely a comparable course title). To substitute a course taken elsewhere for an upper-division Stanford course, course content must be approved by a department faculty member teaching in the area of the course. Submit as complete a course description as practical (including prerequisites and their descriptions) using the Evaluation of Course Content form available in the student services office before taking an off-campus course. Students must provide exams, reading lists, term papers, and other materials for the evaluation. Credit is not allowed for projects for which the student was paid, nor is credit allowed for work of a purely technical or clinical nature. Academic performance is verified upon receipt of the official transcript.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PREHEALTH PROFESSIONS

Students who are not biology majors should take at least BIO 41, 42, 43, 44X, 44Y, and such upper-division electives as may be recommended by Undergraduate Advising and Research, Sweet Hall.

Registrar's Office

Stanford Bulletin, Archive 2008-09

Stanford Bulletin, Archive 2008-09

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