Basics
BSA vs. BS — What's the difference?
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE AND ARTS (BSA)
BSA degrees are designed for you to have a solid core science, as well as a cross-disciplinary minor in another field. They allow you to explore your interests and the connections of science and technology to other disciplines like public policy, medicine, anthropology, the arts, psychology, business, and communications.
BSA degrees require completion of a Minor, Certificate, or a Field of Study (15 hours in a single field outside of CNS, Engineering, Geosciences, Pharmacy, or Nursing).
BSA degrees also require 12 hours of humanities courses from at least 2 of 4 different areas of approved humanities departments across campus, including:
- Fine Arts: ART, DES, ENS, FA, MUS, TD, VAS, & Performance (instrument courses)
- Humanities: AHC, AMS, ARH, CC, CL, E, HMN, PHL, RS, & RHE
- Social & Behavioral Sciences: ANT, ECO, GRG, GOV, HIS, LIN, PSY, and SOC
- Foreign Language and Culture: Foreign Language/Foreign Culture lists.
Should I choose this option?
Many Bioscience students also complete prerequisites for pre-health professional schools while completing their degree requirements and choose the BSA degree option in order to become a well-rounded applicant for professional school. While it is not untrue that professional schools value well-rounded students, BS degrees encourage more exposure to math and science courses that will help prepare you for the kind of material you will encounter in professional or graduate school. Talk with your advisor about the option that is best for your goals.
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (BS)
BS degrees are designed for the specialist, the person who wants to focus 80-90 credits of his/her degree on science and mathematics.
Should I choose this option?
BS degrees are great for students who want to pursue graduate school or a research career as well as those preparing to apply to a health professional school. UT offers BS degrees in each Bioscience major, including several different BS options in Biology in a variety of concentrations. Read the degree descriptions below to see if there's an option that fits your specific academic and professional goals. Talk with your advisor about the option that is best for you.
BACHELOR OF ARTS (BA)
BA degrees share the same structure with the BA in Liberal Arts.
Should I choose this option?
BA degrees were phased out with the introduction of the 16-18 degree catalog. For students in the 16-18, 18-20, and 20-22 catalogs, you can choose from the BS or BSA options available for your major.
Degree Checklists
Find degree checklists and four-year plans here on the college website.
Degree Descriptions
With so many Bioscience degree options, how do you know which degree is right for you? We've put together degree descriptions below with course options and possible career opportunities to help you decide! Talk with your advisor for more information.
Biochemistry
Degrees in Biochemistry
Biochemistry is the study of the chemistry of life. It combines biology and chemistry to investigate the structure, composition, and chemical reactions of substances in living systems. It includes the disciplines of molecular biology and cell biology, as well as bioinorganic, bioorganic, and biophysical chemistry. A degree in biochemistry is designed to prepare students for professional careers as biochemists, either upon graduation or after graduate study in biochemistry or a related field. A degree in biochemistry may also serve as the basis for a wide range of career choices in food science, toxicology, pharmacology, physiology, microbiology, and clinical chemistry, as well as the health professions (including medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine).
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE AND ARTS IN BIOCHEMISTRY
This degree provides a well-rounded education in biochemistry with room to explore other interests in the humanities. The BSA requires the completion of the Language, Arts, and Culture area as well as a Minor, Certificate, or a Field of Study.
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN BIOCHEMISTRY
This degree requires completion of Calculus through Calculus III and completion of both Physical and Analytical Chemistry. The BS degree also requires completion of a Minor, Certificate, or 18 additional hours of upper-division Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, or Neuroscience courses not used elsewhere in the degree.
Biology
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE AND ARTS IN BIOLOGY
This degree provides a well-rounded education in natural sciences with room to explore other interests in the humanities. The Bachelor of Science and Arts permits students to take advanced courses from a broad spectrum of the biological sciences, including:
- Cellular, developmental and molecular biology
- Genetics, genomics, and computational biology
- Physiology, neuroscience, and behavior
- Ecology, evolution, and biodiversity
The emphasis on a balanced program of study between biology courses enables students to explore additional academic interests from across the University. This degree prepares students for a variety of careers including, but not limited to, the health professions, business, law, and academia.
Bachelor of Science Options in Biology
OPTION I: ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND BEHAVIOR
This option provides students with an education in ecological studies and biodiversity and also emphasizes field experience. The degree requires courses in ecology and evolution as well as advanced courses in physiology, behavior, and biodiversity. Students have the option of tailoring their course and lab requirements in some of these areas to emphasize animal, plant, or ecological studies. Graduates may take positions with government agencies, consulting firms, or continue with graduate studies for academic careers at colleges, universities, museums, or other research organizations.
OPTION II: HUMAN BIOLOGY
Although the title might indicate a focus on the biology of the human body, students in this degree plan explore a much wider range of topics including human evolution, genomics, genetic and hormonal control of behavior, and impact on the environment. Students in this degree plan receive an interdisciplinary education about the relationship between biology and society. This option requires 19 hours of cross-disciplinary studies in the fields of statistics, physics, biochemistry, and organic chemistry. Additionally, students take a 3-hour course specific to the human biology major as well as courses in the following areas:
- Evolution
- Genetics, genomics, and computational biology
- Cellular, developmental, and molecular biology
- Ecology, environment, and health
- Anatomy and/or physiology
Graduates are especially prepared for careers in research, medicine, law, or public affairs.
OPTION III: MARINE AND FRESHWATER BIOLOGY
This option requires a breadth of biology, geology, chemistry, and marine science courses. It requires at least one summer at the Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, where students examine the physiology, diversity, and ecology of aquatic organisms. The location provides immediate access to a variety of marine environments and valuable hands-on fieldwork experience. Graduates play an important role in the protection and management of our aquatic resources.
A transcript-recognized certificate in Marine Science is also available.
OPTION IV: MICROBIOLOGY
After completion of introductory microbiology and other core courses, students in this option study the structure, growth and metabolism, physiology, and genetics of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and the diseases that they produce. Students also study how the vertebrate immune system works to combat those diseases. Microbiology majors take courses that explore how cells receive signals from their environments, how cells adjust to reading different sets of genes, and how cells can be genetically engineered. Other topics of study include public health, tumor biology, yeast cell biology, and molecular biology. This option prepares students for a variety of careers, including business, law, biotechnology, medicine, public health, or research.
OPTION V: CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
This degree option incorporates topics of genetics, evolution, developmental biology, and microbiology into the study of cell and molecular biology. Students in this degree are encouraged to pursue individual research for course credit, as students take three total upper-division labs to meet degree requirements. This degree requires 18 semester hours of additional upper-division coursework in Biology, Biochemistry, and Chemistry and therefore requires a strong commitment to scientific study. Upon graduation, students are well prepared for medical or graduate schools as well as medical or laboratory research careers.
OPTION VII: PLANT BIOLOGY
The Plant Biology option provides students with an education in all aspects of plant biology including evolution, physiology, ecology, molecular biology, genomics, and development. Careful selection of plant biology courses and electives will prepare students in one or more subdisciplines of their choice. A graduate of the Plant Biology option can expect to be positioned well for additional study in several areas, both basic and applied. Career paths include graduate school, medicine, business, biotechnology, museums, resource management, public agencies, or law. For example, training in plant biochemistry and molecular biology can be useful in pharmacology/drug discovery and design as well as preparation for graduate study. Similarly, training in ecology and evolution is excellent preparation for a career in conservation biology or graduate study in either of those fields. Most Plant Biology undergraduates work directly with faculty to perform independent field or laboratory research for credit.
OPTION VIII: TEACHING
This option is designed to fulfill course requirements for certification as a middle grades or secondary school science teacher in Texas. Students choose composite science certification under biology as the primary teaching field or life science certification. Students are advised in the UTeach Natural Sciences Advising Center in PAI 4.02.
Bioscience majors interested in teaching without choosing the Teaching option degree can pursue a UTeach Certificate.
OPTION IX: BIOLOGY HONORS
This is the honors program in Biology. Admission to this option requires the completion of an application process. It is the most selective honors program at UT for which freshmen are eligible. The program brings together a group of science students with similar interests and similar talents. Students are advised in the Dean’s Scholars Advising Center in PAI 5.60.
OPTION X: COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
Mathematical biology, computational biology, and bioinformatics have exploded in recent years thanks to large and increasingly complex biological data sets, advances in nonlinear dynamics, and an increasing appreciation for the utility of models and there is an urgent need for integrative education at an early stage. This new degree plan in Computational Biology is designed to give these students both a comprehensive biology curriculum and an essential foundation in mathematics, computer science, and statistics. Graduates will be highly competitive for quantitative jobs in the biotechnology industry and top-tier medical and graduate schools.
OPTION XI: BIOLOGY
Students who complete the Biology Option: Biology degree have the opportunity to explore a wide range of areas of the biological sciences as well as their own interests in other STEM fields. In addition to Entry-Level requirements and the common Biology degree requirements of Physics, Evolution, and Biostatistics, students complete 2 courses from each of the following areas:
- Cellular, developmental, and molecular biology
- Genetics, genomics, and computational biology:
- Physiology, neurobiology, and behavior:
- Ecology, evolution, and biodiversity:
- Upper-division biology laboratory courses
Additionally, students complete 12 hours of additional upper-division coursework selected from the Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Marine Science, Mathematics, Statistics, and Physics departments. Graduates are especially well-prepared for careers in medicine, research, education, and business.
This degree option was phased out with the introduction of the 22-24 catalog. Please speak with your academic advisor about alternative options.
OPTION XII: GENETICS + GENOMICS
One of the department’s newest majors, students focus on genetics, genomics, molecular biology, and developmental biology with the integration of bioinformatics and computational biology. The integration of lab work in genetics and either cell biology or developmental biology helps students apply course concepts in a research setting. Students have the option to further their interests in a series of electives related to microbiology, molecular genetics, or molecular genetics and medicine. Graduates are prepared for careers in genetic counseling, medicine, and research.
Environmental Science
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
You may be completing the Biological Sciences option for an Environmental Sciences (EVS) degree. EVS majors are advised by Jeff Hallock (jeff.hallock@jsg.utexas.edu) in JGB 2.108C (Holland Family Student Center).
Find more information about EVS advising here and the EVS program here.
Medical Laboratory Science
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE
Medical Laboratory Science is the health profession that provides laboratory testing and analysis which makes possible the accurate diagnosis and treatment of human disease. This unique pre-professional program has a “3+1” structure where students complete their biology and other required degree coursework within their first three years and then complete a 12- to 16-month clinical education program at an accredited school of medical laboratory science or medical technology. UT Austin partners with Austin State Hospital, Tarleton State, Texas State, and Baylor, Scott, and White.
Find more information about this program here.
Neuroscience
Degrees in Neuroscience
The Neuroscience degrees require a strong foundation in Biology coursework as well as completion of an introductory Neuroscience sequence (Neural Systems I, Neural Systems II, and—for the 20-22 catalog—Neural Systems III). Once this sequence is complete, students are free to choose from a range of Neuroscience electives on topics ranging from neurotechnology and programming to the neurobiology of disease to evolutionary neurobiology.
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE AND ARTS IN NEUROSCIENCE
This degree provides a well-rounded education in neuroscience with room to explore other interests in the humanities. The BSA requires the completion of the Language, Arts, and Culture area as well as a Minor, Certificate, or a Field of Study.
After completing the introductory neuroscience sequence, students are free to choose 12 upper-division neuroscience electives to complete their major requirements.
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NEUROSCIENCE
This degree option requires 15 hours of upper-division NEU courses after completion of the introductory neuroscience sequence. Students must also complete 6 additional hours of neuroscience laboratory coursework.
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN NEUROSCIENCE, NEUROSCIENCE SCHOLARS
The Neuroscience Scholars degree is available to students who apply to the program and are accepted after the successful completion of NEU 335 (Neural Systems II). Applicants must meet a competitive GPA threshold and secure a position in a neuroscience research lab to be considered, as the degree requires completing departmental honors and an honors thesis (NEU 379H) based on Neuroscience related research.
The degree requires 15 hours of upper-division NEU courses, 4 additional labs, at least 3 hours of research, and the completion of a strand of courses from another department. Departments include Psychology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Math, Physics, and Biology.