Astrobiology Minor for Biology Majors

Program Requirements

The Departments of Biological Sciences, Biochemistry and Biophysics, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Physics, Applied Physics and Astronomy, participate in a multidisciplinary minor in Astrobiology for students majoring in these disciplines. To be eligible for the minor, students must pass the 3-credit course ASTR 4510 Origins of Life-A Cosmic Perspective and at least two semesters of the 1-credit seminar course ISCI 4510; they must also undertake a 4-credit research project on a topic related to Astrobiology under the supervision of a faculty member engaged in Astrobiology research in one of the above departments; finally they must complete a further two courses* selected from the following:

•  Any course in BCBP Credit Hours: 4

• ASTR 2050 - Introductory Astronomy and Astrophysics Credit Hours: 4
• BIOL 4860 - Evolution Credit Hours: 4
• CHEM 4810 - Chemistry of the Environment Credit Hours: 4
• ENVE 2110 - Introduction to Environmental Engineering Credit Hours: 4
• ERTH 4540 - Organic Geochemistry Credit Hours: 4

Additional Information

*The requirement that the two selected courses must be outside the major field of study is reduced to one in the case of a double major, provided both majors are in primary relevant areas of study (i.e., biology, chemistry, geology, and physics).