Student Resources
Employment and Internship Opportunities
Project Vesta Research Assistant: /sites/default/files/users/u241701/project_vesta_research_assistant_2022.pdf
Resources for Undergraduates
Advisement is an essential component of successful and timely academic achievement. Students are strongly advised to seek advisement at the beginning of their program and and at least once each academic year. All on-duty faculty members are available for general advisement regarding academic requirements, course selection, and career opportunities in the biological sciences during faculty office hours. For graduation checks and reinstatements, students must make an appointment with the Principal Undergraduate Advisor. You can make an appointment with any of the full-time faculty members through the Biological Sciences Department Office in person or over the phone.
Roadmaps to Graduation
Graduation Roadmaps are suggested academic plans designed to inform students about the sequence of courses needed to satisfy degree requirements. Linked below are roadmaps for both the quarter system and semester system. Four-year roadmaps are provided for freshman who are attending college full-time. Five-year roadmaps are provided for freshman who are working part-time while attending college. Two-year roadmaps are also provided for transfer students who have satisfied all the general education requirements before coming to Cal State LA.
For 2021 Catalog Year And Later
For 2020 Catalog Year
Program Forms (Fall 2020 or Later):
Other Forms
Below are a few additional forms that may be useful. You should not attempt to submit these forms without consulting with an academic advisor. You can make an appointment with any of the full-time faculty members through the Biological Sciences Department Office via email.
General Academic Petition Form
This form is used to petition undergrduate academic requirements which may occur under unusual circumstances. An example might be a subsitution of a course for the General Education requirements. Consult with an advisor before submitting this form.
 |
Academic Petition Form |
Request for Course Substitution
This form is used to request a course substitution in your undergraduate major or minor. Consult with an advisor before submitting this form.
|
Request for Course Substitution |
Bachelor's Degree Worksheet
This form is used as a checklist of the requirements for a baccalaureate degree. Complete this form before you meet with the Principal Undergraduate Advisor for a graduation check.
|
Bachelor's Degree Worksheet |
Grade Appeal & Academic Grievance Form
This form is used to file a formal grade appeal or academic grievance. Before filing this form you must attempt to resolve the dispute informally. You are strongly encouraged to read carefully Cal State LA's Grade Appeal/Academic Grievance Policy.
|
Grade Appeal & Academic Grievance Form |
Roadmaps to Graduation
| BIOL BS Roadmaps for the Semester System (Fall 2016 to Fall 2019): | |
|
Four-Year Roadmap for Biology Freshmen (semesters) |
|
Roadmap for GE-Certified BIOL BS Transfer Students (semesters) |
| MICR BS Roadmaps for the Semester System (Fall 2016 to Fall 2019): | |
|
Four-Year Roadmap for Microbiology Freshmen (semesters) |
|
Roadmap for GE-Certified MICR BS Transfer Students (semesters) |
| BIOL MS Roadmaps for the Semester System (Fall 2016 to Fall 2019): | |
|
Semester Programs
Resources for Graduates
The Master's of Science program in Biology involves a combination of course work and original research. There is no comprehensive examination option. Students work closely with a faculty mentor who is their primary source for academic advisement.
|
|
Program for the Masters of Science Degree in Biology |
|
|
MS Degree Program in Biology Information Sheet |
General Requirements for the MS Program
Graduate Student Handbook
This handbook contains information about important policies and services for graduate students, financing your education, and tips for success in your program.
|
General Graduate Student Handbook |
|
|
NSS Graduate Student Handbook |
Graduate Research Prospectus
Graduate students must prepare a prospectus that describes the proposed research on which the master's thesis will be based. The research prospectus must be approved by the student's thesis advisor, their thesis examining committee, and the departmental Graduate Affairs Committee. Students may enroll in BIOL 5970 while they are preparing the prospectus. Students normally submit their research prospectus after their second semester of graduate study. Students who have been advanced to candidacy will be allowed to register for BIOL 5990; to remain enrolled in BIOL 5990, the Department must receive a student’s committee-approved research prospectus before the add-drop deadline of the semester in which they wish to take BIOL 5990.
Guidelines for the Research Prospectus
The document below provides guidelines for the preparation of the graduate research prospectus.
|
Prospectus Guidelines |
Common Pitfalls in the Preparation of a Prospectus
The document below describes some of the more common mistakes encountered in the evaluation of a graduate research prospectus.
|
Common Pitfalls for the Research Prospectus |
Master's Thesis
Graduate students must write a master's thesis based on their research. The Department also requires a thesis seminar followed by an oral defense of their thesis. You may invite friends and family to the public seminar. The oral defense is a one to two hour closed-door session with members of your thesis committee. You should allow at least three weeks for your committee to read the final draft of your thesis prior to the defense.
Guide to Preparation of the Master's Thesis
The page below is the University's guide to the preparation of a master's thesis.
|
Master's Thesis Guide |
Master's Thesis Forms
Below are the forms for establishing a thesis committee and committee approval of the Master's thesis.
|
Request for Thesis Committee (GS-10) |
| Approval Page for Graduate Thesis (GS-13) | Approval Page for Graduate Thesis GS-13 |
Other Forms
Below are a few additional forms related to the graduate program that may be useful.
Request for Transfer Course Level Evaluation
This form is used if you are requesting approval to use transfer courses on your master's degree program
|
Request for Transfer Course Level Evaluation (GS-1A) |
Request for Course Substitution on Graduate Program
This form is used to request a course substitution in your graduate program. Note that course substitution requests must be submitted before the student completes the courses to be substituted.
|
Request for Graduate Credit for Undergraduate Work |
Syllabi
Examples of course syllabi are available below. Keep in mind that these syllabi may not always represent the way the course is currently being taught and that the content of a course may change depending on the instructor. Syllabi were not available for all courses.
Syllabi for Biology Courses
BIOL 1100 - Principles of Biology I (lecture)
BIOL 1100 - Principles of Biology I (lab)
BIOL 1200 - Principles of Biology II
BIOL 2800 - Physiology for Biomedical Engineering
BIOL 3084 - Biology of Human Aging
BIOL 3100 - General Microbiology
BIOL 3200 - Professional Writing in the Life Sciences
BIOL 3400 - Principles of Genetics
BIOL 3401 - Cell and Molecular Laboratory
BIOL 3600 - Functional Biology
BIOL 3800 - Ecology and Evolution
BIOL 4080 - Advanced Biostatistics
BIOL 4120 - Human Genetics
BIOL 4130 - Molecular Diagnostics
BIOL 4150 - Population Genetics
BIOL 4160 - Molecular Genetics
BIOL 4180 - Advanced Evolutionary Biology
BIOL 4240 - General Embryology
BIOL 4290 - Animal Histology
BIOL 4300 - Plant Physiology I
BIOL 4320 - Fundamentals of Toxicology
BIOL 4330 - Integrative Human Physiology I
BIOL 4340 - Integrative Human Physiology II
BIOL 4350 - Neurobiology: Neuroanatomy and Development
BIOL 4360 - Neurobiology: Cellular and Molecular Physiology of the Nervous System
BIOL 4450 - Bioscience Companies: From Concept to Market
BIOL 4460 - Biotechnology Applications of Cell and Molecular Biology
BIOL 4490 - Neurobiology: Development
BIOL 4500 - Botanical Medicine
BIOL 4540 - Special Lecture Topics in Biology
BIOL 4541 - Special Activity Topics in Biology
BIOL 4550 - Mammalogy
BIOL 4570 - Marine Invertebrate Zoology
BIOL 4620 - Plant Ecology
BIOL 4700 - Conservation Biology
BIOL 4800 - Modeling Biological Systems
BIOL 4810 - Animal Cell Culture Theory and Technique
BIOL 4840 - Drug Discovery and Development
Syllabi for Microbiology Courses
MICR 1010 - Introduction to Microbiology (3)
MICR 2010 - Microbiology for Health Related Sciences (3)
MICR 2020 - Microbiology Laboratory for Health Related Sciences (1)
MICR 3100 - General Microbiology (4)
MICR 3300 - Microbial Genetics (3)
MICR 3500 - Bacterial Physiology (3)
MICR 3700 - Medical Microbiology (4)
MICR 3900 - Applied and Environmental Microbiology (3)
MICR 4100 - General Virology (3)
MICR 4200 - Emerging and Re-Emerging Infectious Diseases (3)
MICR 4220 - Bioterrorism and Biosecurity (3)
MICR 4300 - Hematology (3)
MICR 4400 - Fungal Pathogenesis (3)
MICR 4600 - Theoretical and Applied Immunology (4)
Careers in Biology and Microbiology
Biology is a varied discipline and there are many career paths that one can follow. These include research, heath care, environmental management and conservation, and education. The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) provides good general information on careers in the biological sciences. Career information is also available from professional societies such as the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB), the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), and the Ecological Society of America (ESA). Another good resource is the FindHow career exploration page for biological scientists.
Career information is also available on campus. The CSULA Career Development Center has a list of career areas, employers, and strategies for the biological sciences. It also provides a list of links to career information in the biological sciences. You can also seek career advice from the Biological Sciences faculty. Make an appointment with a faculty member whose research is most closely aligned to your area of interest. You can find numerous useful links related to careers in microbiology.
CSU Biocompass
The CSU Biocompass Web Site was created by the California State University (CSU) to better publicize biotechnology degree programs and courses offered at CSU campuses. It features programs that pertain to current life sciences industry workforce needs, as reported by industry partners and associations. This website is useful to working professionals searching for courses to augment their skills and knowledge and students and new graduates who want to learn more about careers in the biotechnology industry.
UC Graduate Admissions
The University of California created the UC Graduate Admissions website to assist students who are exploring the possibility of graduate school at UC. This website includes an online degree search tool for all UC graduate programs which makes it easier for students to search the 600+ graduate degree programs offered across the ten campuses to find programs that fit their area of interest. This site also offers practical advice and insight on preparing for and applying to graduate school at UC, from tips on writing an effective statement of purpose to resources for financing a graduate education.
LinkUp Job Search Engine
The LinkUp Job Search Engine is a searchable database containing thousands of available jobs across the U.S. Enter a discipline (e.g. microbiology) and city, state, or zip code (e.g. Los Angeles or California) to get listings of available positions.
Faculty Office Hours
There are two types of office hours for full-time faculty. Office hours marked Advisement are reserved for students seeking academic and career advisment. Office hours marked Instructional are reserved for students who are enrolled in a faculty member's classes. Advisement office hours are by appointment only. You can make an appointment for a faculty member's advisement office hours through the Biological Sciences Department Office in person and must bring their CIN card. Do not contact the faculty members directly because they may not know which times have already been scheduled. Students who are enrolled in a faculty member's classes should make use of the instructional office hours. Note that part-time faculty have only instructional office hours. Contact the department office for the most up-to-date information about office hours times.
Quarters Program Archive
Our last term on the quarter-based calendar was Summer 2016. This page provides links to resources about the old quarters programs in the Department of Biological Sciences. The academic requirements for the bachelor of science degrees in biology (BIOL BS), microbiology (MICR BS), and the master of sciences degree in biology (BIOL MS) changed under the new semester system. Below is an archive of quarters program syllabi, forms related to the old quarters programs, and guidance for biology and microbiology majors who transitioned from quarters to semesters.
Quarters Syllabi Archive
BIOL 100A - Introductory Biology I
BIOL 100B - Introductory Biology II
BIOL 100C - Introductory Biology III
BIOL 156 - Plant Biology: Plants and People
BIOL 165 - Humans and the Biological Environment
BIOL 180 - Life Science for Elem. Teachers
BIOL 181- Life Science seminar for Elem Teachers
BIOL 200A - Human Anatomy & Physiology I
BIOL 200B - Human Anatopmy & Physiology II
BIOL 320 - Writting for Biologists
BIOL 384N - Biology of Human Aging
BIOL 413 - Molecular Diagnostics
BIOL 417 - Principles of Gene Manipulation
BIOL 422 - Vertebrate Structure and Function
BIOL 432 - Fundamentals of Toxicology
BIOL 433 - Animal Physiology I
BIOL 434 - Animal Physilogy II
BIOL 436 - Neurobiology: Neurophysiology
BIOL 440 - Angiosperm Taxonomy
BIOL 444 - Drug Discovery and Development
BIOL 448: Molecular Biology of the Brain
BIOL 449: Neurobiology of Development
BIOL 457: Marine Invertebrate Zoology
BIOL 470: Conservation Biology
BIOL 481: Animal Cell Culture Theory and Technique
MICR 151: Biology of Microorganisms
MICR 200A: General Microbiology
MICR 201: Microbiology for Health Related Sciences (lec)
MICR 202: Microbiology for Health Related Sciences (lab)
MICR 300: General Microbiology
MICR 301: General Medical Microbiology
MICR 302: Pathogenic Bacteriology
MICR 304: Immunology & Serology
MICR 331: Structure and Function of Bacteria
Program Form Archive
Beginning Fall 2016, it is possible for students to be under one of three possible BIOL BS or MICR BS programs. Students who declared their major prior to Fall 2013 are under the old quarter system programs in existence at that time, unless they completed a New Program Form Request after Summer 2013. Students who declared a major in the time period from Fall 2013 to Summer 2016 will be under the new quarter programs. Students who become BIOL BS or BIOL BS majors in Fall 2016 or later will be under the new semester programs. To find your major program year, use GET to check your CSU Academic Advisement Report (CAAR) or consult with your academic advisor.
| Old Quarters Program Forms (prior to Fall 2013): | |
|
Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology (before F13) |
|
Bachelor of Science Degree in Microbiology (before F13) |
| New Quarters Program Forms (Fall 2013 to Summer 2016): | |
|
Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology (F13 to Su16) |
|
Bachelor of Science Degree in Microbiology (F13 to Su16) |
Also listed below is the quarter program form for biology graduate students.
|
MS Degree in Biology (before F16) |
Below are links to the quarter programs in the University Catalog.
Quarter Programs Prior to Fall 2013:
- University Catalog listing of BIOL BS program (before F13)
- University Catalog listing of MICR BS program (before F13)
Quarter Programs from Fall 2013 to Summer 2016:
- University Catalog listing of BIOL BS program (F13 to Su16)
- University Catalog listing of MICR BS program (F13 to Su16)
- University Catalog listing of BIOL MS program (before Su16)
Roadmaps to Graduation
Graduation Roadmaps are suggested academic plans designed to inform students about the sequence of courses needed to satisfy degree requirements. Four-year roadmaps are provided for freshman who are attending college full-time. Five-year roadmaps are provided for freshman who are working part-time while attending college. Two-year roadmaps are also provided for transfer students who have satisfied all the general education requirements before coming to Cal State LA.
| BIOL BS Roadmaps for the Quarter System (prior to Fall 2016): | |
|
Four-Year Roadmap for Biology Freshmen (quarters) |
|
Five-Year Roadmap for Biology Freshmen (quarters) |
|
Roadmap for GE-Certified BIOL BS Transfer Students (quarters) |
| MICR BS Roadmaps for the Quarter System (prior to Fall 2016): | |
|
Four-Year Roadmap for Microbiology Freshmen (quarters) |
|
Five-Year Roadmap for Microbiology Freshmen (quarters) |
|
Roadmap for GE-Certified MICR BS Transfer Students (quarters) |
Advice for Students Transitioning from Quarters to Semesters
Students who are attending Cal State LA in the quarter system and are unable to complete all their degree requirements before Fall 2016 will take a mixture of quarter and semester courses. These students will be required to work with an advisor to create an Individualized Advisement Plan (IAP).
There are some general rules to follow that will make your transition to semesters go more smoothly. Since the BIOL BS and MICR BS require several course sequences, it is best to try to start and complete these sequences under one system (quarters or semesters). Also, due to changes in some of the 300-level courses, there are combinations of quarter-system 300-level courses that are equivalent to semester-system 3000-level courses. The table below summarizes the course sequence equivalencies for the BIOL BS and MICR BS program requirements. The numbers in parentheses are course units for the quarter and semester systems.
| Quarter System | Semester System |
| Biology Course Equivalencies | |
| BIOL 100ABC (5, 5, 5) | BIOL 1100 (5) + BIOL 1200 (5) |
| BIOL 300 (4) | BIOL 3000 (3) |
| BIOL 320 (4) | BIOL 3200 (3) |
| BIOL 340 (4) + BIOL 380 (4) | BIOL 3400 (3) + BIOL 3401 (2) |
| BIOL 350 (4) + BIOL 360 (4) | BIOL 3800 (3) |
| Microbiology Course Equivalencies | |
| MICR 300AB (4, 4) | MICR 3100 (4) |
| MICR 340 (4) | MICR 3300 (3) |
| MICR 430 (3) + MICR 433 (2) | MICR 3500 (3) |
| MICR 350 (5) | MICR 3700 (4) |
| MICR 360 (5) | MICR 4600 (4) (elective) |
| MICR 370 (4) | MICR 3900 (3) |
| Mathematics Course Equivalencies | |
| MATH 104A (4) + MATH 105 (4) | MATH 1050 (6) |
| MATH 104A (4) + MATH 105 (4) | MATH 1081 (3) + MATH 1085 (3) |
| MATH 204 (4) | MATH 2040 (3) + MATH 2041 (1) |
| MATH 205 (4) (BIOL BS only) | MATH 2050 (3) + MATH 2051 (1) |
| Chemistry & Biochemistry Course Equivalencies | |
| CHEM 101, 102, 103 (5, 5, 5) | CHEM 1100 (5) + CHEM 1110 (5) |
| CHEM 291AB (3, 3) + CHEM 301 (3) | CHEM 2200 (4) + CHEM 3200 (4) |
| CHEM 292A (2) | CHEM 2201 (1) |
| CHEM 431AB (3, 3) | CHEM 4300 (3) (MICR BS only) |
| Physics Course Equivalencies | |
| PHYS 101, 102, 103 (4, 4, 4) | PHYS 1100 (4) + PHYS 1200 (4) |
In cases where it was not possible for students to complete a course sequence under the quarter system, temporary bridge courses may be offered to help students to meet the major requirements more efficiently. The following document provides specific advice on which combinations of courses to complete as you transition from quarters to semesters.
|
Course Recommendations for Transitioning Students |
The following planning sheets may be helpful for students who are transitioning from quarters to semesters. They allow students and advisors to list courses term-by-term beginning in Fall 2015.
|
Course Planning Sheets for BIOL BS Majors |
|
Course Planning Sheets for MICR BS Majors |
Other Information Resources
- The University Academic Advisement Center provides advisement on general education requirements and university policies and procedures.
- The NSS Academic Advisement Center provides one-on-one advisement for both general education and major academic requirements for academic programs within the College of Natural and Social Sciences.
|
Course Recommendations for Transitioning Students |
