FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the difference between the B.A. and B.S. degrees?
What is the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (B&MB) major?
Should I take chemistry and calculus my first year?
Can I specialize in one particular area of biology?
Can I major in biology and still study abroad in my junior year?

If you have other questions about the biology major at Sweet Briar, email us.

What is the difference between the B.A. and B.S. degrees?

At Sweet Briar, the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree indicates that a student has taken substantial coursework in several sciences.  In Biology, a B.S. degree candidate is required to take at least 23 credits of coursework in chemistry, mathematics and physics, and may fulfill some requirements with coursework in environmental science and psychology.  In contrast a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in a science discipline requires less coursework outside of that department.  In Biology, the B.A. requires no courses outside of the department.

Should you aim for the B.A. or the B.S. degree?  The answer depends primarily on your interests and goals.  Colleges vary in their degree requirements, and many schools offer only a B.S. or only a B.A. in Biology, so a graduate school or employer will not pay much attention to which degree you have.  They will examine the breadth and depth of your knowledge through interviews, standardized exams, your resume, and your college transcript.  (Three of our biology faculty, with undergraduate degrees from liberal arts colleges, have B.A. degrees; two have B.S. degrees.)

Consider the B.S. degree if you

• enjoy sciences other than biology
• are interested in medical school or veterinary school
• want a research career in health, molecular or cellular biology fields

Some graduate programs, and medical and veterinary schools, require applicants to have completed coursework in chemistry, physics and calculus, so if these are your goals you will be completing many of the B.S. requirements already. 

The B.A. degree provides greater flexibility. Consider the B.A. degree, therefore, if you

• have interests in addition to biology, but not particularly in chemistry, math and physics
• want to spend your junior year abroad
• want to double major in biology and a non-science discipline
• have co-curricular interests with extensive time demands, that make it difficult to schedule two to three labs per week almost every semester

Most B.A. candidates do take some sciences in addition to Biology.  If you are interested in animal behavior research, for example, you will take courses in psychology and statistics.  Secondary teacher licensure in biology requires 21 credits in other sciences.  Sometimes a student working towards the B.S. is unable to complete one or two of the specific requirements for this degree and therefore graduates with the B.A.

What is the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (B&MB) major?

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is an intensive, research-oriented major advised jointly by the Chemistry and Biology departments.  It offers excellent preparation for graduate study in biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology and related fields.  Almost all majors conduct research during two or more summers, first at Sweet Briar and then at major research universities, before continuing to graduate school. 

B&MB is recommended only for highly motivated students with very strong high school science backgrounds.  It requires 72 credits -- more than twice as many as some majors -- and it is important that courses be taken in sequence .  If you are interested in this major, please talk with Professor Davies (Biology) or Professor Jill Granger (Chemistry) early in your first year.

Should I take chemistry and calculus my first year?

The answer depends on your high school preparation, career goals and interests.

If you

• are quite certain that you want to enter a health science profession (medicine, nursing, physical therapy, etc.) or veterinary medicine, or
• want to do research in cell and molecular biology, or
• have an interest in other sciences as well as biology and a strong high school science background

then you are similar to students who usually take both biology and chemistry, and at least one semester of calculus, in their first year.  Taking these courses early gives you the greatest flexibility in your course selection later on, prepares you well for summer research in cell or molecular fields, and sets you on a timetable that will allow you to attend graduate school right after you graduate.  Some students find this heavy science courseload to be an enjoyable challenge.

If you

• have many academic interests in addition to science, or
• know that your interests are primarily in ecology, animal behavior or conservation biology, or
• have a weak high school science background and/or weak quantitative skills

then the appropriate decision for you may be to take biology, or biology and math, as your only science during your first semester or entire first year.  This will allow you to use your first year to explore a range of courses and develop study skills that are important for success in the sciences.  You can complete all of the requirements for the B.S. or B.A. major in biology without taking any chemistry in your first year.

Suppose you wait to take chemistry, and then decide that you want to go to medical school or graduate school in a cellular discipline?  Taking chemistry, physics or math courses in summer school after your freshman or sophomore year may 'get you on track' to take the MCAT's or GRE's and apply to medical school or graduate school in your senior year.  It is also possible that you will decide to take a break before continuing with school, instead spending one or more years as, perhaps, a research assistant, an emergency medical technician, or a Peace Corps or Teach for America volunteer.

I am most interested in one particular area of biology (cancer biology, microscopy, plants, field biology, etc.).  May I specialize in this area?

We encourage students to explore many fields of biology, from molecular genetics to vertebrate physiology, from insect behavior to photosynthesis, from microbial ecology to oak tree natural history.  We know that our students often become intrigued by subjects they didn't know much about.  In addition, much of the most interesting and important research today is at the intersections of disciplines.  West Nile virus, for example, is both a human and a wildlife disease.  Ecologists use molecular techniques to address many questions.  The incorporation of evolutionary theory into medicine is transforming our understanding of disease and its treatment.  We believe, therefore, that a broad education in biology is the best program for our undergraduates, and that specialization should wait for graduate or professional school. 

We do encourage you to explore your particular interests.  Within the major you have flexibility in your course selection, and can tailor your program with electives, summer internships, research projects and independent study. 

Our students' achievements in graduate and professional degree programs, as teachers, and in the job market indicate that our approach is successful. 

Can I major in biology and still study abroad in my junior year?

Yes.  It is easier if you plan for this from your first year, since the advanced biology courses are offered in alternate years and have specific prerequisites.  It is also easier if you go to an English-speaking university in Great Britain or Australia.  If you go to a non-English university, and/or plan to take non-science courses, you will find it easier to complete the B.A. requirements than the B.S. requirements. 

If your interests are in field biology / conservation biology, consider the excellent (but expensive) off-campus semester and summer programs offered by the School for Field Studies, the Organization for Tropical Studies, Duke University's Marine Lab, and the Council on International Educational Exchange.

Studying abroad may conflict with some of the other things you would like to do as an undergraduate.  In this case you will have to decide what is most important to you.  You may have to make a decision, for example, between spending a year abroad and writing an honors thesis (although it is possible to do the junior honors research required for the thesis during the summer after your sophomore or junior year).  You may need to take courses in summer school.  You may not be able to complete a second major.