Biology

Biology is concerned with the workings of life in all its varied forms. Over the past few decades, the life sciences have been revolutionized by the development of molecular, cellular, genomic, and bioinformatics techniques that are now being utilized to study fundamental processes in organisms as well as applying this information to improve human health, enhance rational management of our environment, develop forensic science, and augment the production of renewable energy with the concomitant sequestering of pollutants, as well as approach ethical and legal issues that impinge on biological discoveries and their applications. The Biology curriculum aims to produce scientists with inquisitive minds who are self-reliant and who seek high quality of information about how the natural world works.

Requirements for the Major

Students can choose to follow the academic bulletin from the year that they were admitted or a more recent academic bulletin. For example, if you were admitted to NYU Shanghai in Fall 2019, you can choose to follow the academic bulletin 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022.

Planning the Major

To declare the Biology major, students must have a final grade of C, or currently enrolled in BIOL-SHU 21 Foundations of Biology I.

Faculty Mentors

Faculty mentors are the leading faculty and experts in the major disciplines. Students can reach out to faculty mentors for specific questions about the major, and references for connecting with relevant discipline resources. If you have specific questions about specific fields of study within the major, you can search for faculty through the faculty directory.

 

Danyang Yu

Area Head of Natural Sciences, Professor of Practice of Biology

 
Biology FAQs
Research Opportunities
  • We encourage students to reach out to the professors and take Foundations of Science courses to gain the chance to work in the professor’s lab.
  • Students may refer to this study booklet of Molecular Science for the faculty research interests. 
Double Major

Biology major students can not double major or minor in Neural Science.

Independent Study

Students are permitted to work on an individual basis under the supervision of a full-time faculty member in the relevant discipline if they have maintained an overall GPA of 3.0 and have a study proposal that is approved by the professor, Area Head and Academic Affairs.

Course Prerequisites
* = offered in Spring 2022 in Shanghai
The requirements below are from the 2020-2021 bulletin. Please refer to the previous years of academic bulletin if you are following a different major version. Not every course listed is taught every semester, and in any given semester other courses may be offered that fulfill this requirement. Requirements may be met through equivalent courses in the Global Network with prior approval.
PREREQUISITE COURSES

BIOL-SHU 21

Foundations of Biology I*

Pre-req or co-req: MATH-SHU 131 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus

BIOL-SHU 22

Foundations of Biology II

Pre-reqs: MATH-SHU 131 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus AND BIOL-SHU 21 Foundations of Biology I

BIOL-SHU 123

FoS Biology Lab

Pre-reqs: MATH-SHU 131 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus AND BIOL-SHU 21 Foundations of Biology I

CHEM-SHU 125

Foundations of Chemistry I

Pre-req or co-req: MATH-SHU 131 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus

CHEM-SHU 126

Foundations of Chemistry II*

Pre-req: CHEM-SHU 125 Foundations of Chemistry I AND pre-req or co-req: MATH-SHU 131 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus

CHEM-SHU 127 OR

CHEM-SHU128

FoS Chemistry I Lab OR

Chemistry II Lab*

Pre-req or co-req: CHEM-SHU 125 Foundations of Chemistry I

Pre-req or co-req: CHEM-SHU 126 Foundations of Chemistry II

PHYS-SHU 11 OR

PHYS-SHU 91

General Physics I OR

Foundations of Physics I Honors

Pre-req or co-req for PHYS-SHU 11 or PHYS-SHU 91: MATH-SHU 131 Calculus or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus

PHYS-SHU 12 OR

PHYS-SHU 93

General Physics II* OR

Foundations of Physics II Honors*

Pre-req: PHYS-SHU 11 General Physics I 

Pre-req : PHYS-SHU 91 Foundations of Physics I Honors OR PHYS-SHU 11 General Physics I with B+ or higher grade 

PHYS-SHU 71

FoS Physics Lab

Pre-req or co-req: PHYS-SHU 91 Foundations of Physics I Honors or PHYS-SHU 11 General Physics I

PHYS-SHU 94

Physics II Lab*

Pre-req: PHYS-SHU 71 FoS Physics I Lab

Note that Foundations of Physics III is NOT required for Biology majors.

MAJOR COURSES

NEUR-SHU 100

Math Tools for Life Sciences*

Pre-req: BIOL-SHU 22 Foundations of Biology II or permission by the instructor

BIOL-SHU 250

Organismal Systems*

Pre-req: BIOL-SHU 21 Foundations of Biology I

CHEM-SHU 225

Organic Chemistry I

Pre-req: CHEM-SHU 126 Foundations of Chemistry II

CHEM-SHU 225L

Organic Chemistry I Lab

Co-req or pre-req: CHEM-SHU 225 Organic Chemistry I

BIOL-SHU 998

Integrated Science Capstone*

This course must be taken in the last semester before graduation.

BIOLOGY ELECTIVES: Choose Five

Note: Not every course listed is taught every semester, and in any given semester other courses may be offered that fulfill this requirement. Requirements may be met through equivalent courses in the Global Network with prior approval.

BIOL-SHU 30

Genetics

Pre-req: BIOL-SHU 22 Foundations of Biology II

BIOL-SHU 31

Genetics Laboratory

Pre-req or co-req is BIOL-SH 30 Genetics or BIOL-UA 30 Genetics

BIOL-SHU 44

Microbiology and Microbial Genomics

Pre-req: BIOL-SHU 250 Organismal Systems

BIOL-SHU 50

Immunology

Pre-req: BIOL-SHU 250 Organismal Systems

BIOL-SHU 58

Evolution

 

BIOL-SHU 200

Topic: Molecular Biology of Cancer

Pre-req: BIOL-SHU 22 Foundations of Biology II

BIOL-SHU 261

Genomics and Bioinformatics

Pre-req: BIOL-SHU 21 Foundations of Biology I AND BIOL-SHU 42 Biostatistics or other Statistics course AND CSCI-SHU 11 Introduction to Computer Programming 

BIOL-SHU 263

Developmental Biology*

Pre-req: BIOL-250 Organismal Systems, or BIOL-SHU 22 Foundations of Biology II

BIOL-SHU 271

Cell Biology: Body's Battle with Cancer*

Pre-req: BIOL-SHU 21 Foundations of Biology I

BIOL-SHU 314

Advanced Cell Biology Lab*

Pre-req: Foundations of Biology I or II or Foundations of Biology Lab

BIOL-SHU 997

Biology Independent Research (2-4 credits)

Note that one 4-credit Independent Study is allowed to count towards the Biology major elective. Two 2-credit Independent Studies can't satisfy the major elective. Students need to fill out the permission form.

BIOL-SHU 999

Biology Undergraduate Research Thesis*

Students must receive invitation of Biology Area Coordinator

BIOL-SHU 1128

Systems Biology

Pre-reqs: BIOL-SHU 250 Organismal Systems and BIOL-SHU 261 Genomics and Bioinformatics

CCEX-SHU 116

Where the City Meets the Sea

Pre-req: None

CHEM-SHU 881

Biochemistry I

Pre-req: CHEM-SHU 226 Organic Chemistry II

CHEM-SHU 882

Biochemistry II*

Pre-req: CHEM-SHU 881 Biochemistry I

MATH-SHU 160

Networks and Dynamics

Pre-reqs: MATH-SHU 131 Calculus with C or higher grade or MATH-SHU 201 Honors Calculus  AND MATH-SHU 140 Linear Algebra.

NEUR-SHU 201

Introduction to Neuroscience

Pre-req: BIOL-SHU 21 Foundations of Biology I and co-req: BIOL-SHU 22 Foundations of Biology II

NEUR-SHU 222

Perception

Pre-req: NEUR-SHU 201 Intro to Neural Science or PSYC-SHU 101 Intro to Psychology

Students are strongly encouraged (but not required) to take Organic Chemistry II as a general elective. Additionally, pre-health students may wish to take Introduction to Psychology or another relevant social sciences course, as required or recommended by some medical schools. Students interested in pursuing careers in the health sciences should meet with advising staff early on to ensure adequate course planning.

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