Additional Requirements
Writing (W) requirement
Dietrich School students must complete at least one W-course in the major. BIOSC 1630 - COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY SEMINAR meets this requirement.
Grade requirements
All courses offered by the departments of Biological Sciences and Computer Science must be completed with a letter grade of C or better.
Co-Requisite courses
Students must complete co-requisite courses in the departments of Mathematics, Statistics, and Chemistry with an overall average of C or better, with the exceptions of CHEM 0110 GENERAL CHEMISTRY 1 and CHEM 0120 GENERAL CHEMISTRY 2 . Students must earn letter grades of C or better in each of these classes.
Honors
A Dietrich School student may achieve honors in the Department of Biological Sciences by meeting these requirements:
- Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.25;
- Complete a faculty-supported research project; and
- Complete an Honors Thesis. Details about the required thesis are available at www.biology.pitt.edu/undergraduate/advising-and-support/honors.
A School of Computing and Information student may achieve honors in the Department of Computer Science by meeting these requirements:
- Maintain a minimum overall GPA of 3.25; and
- Maintain a major GPA (CS and Biological Science courses) of 3.5; and
- Complete an additional major elective course with a grade of A.
Satisfactory/No Credit option
One core course required for the major may be taken on an S/NC basis. Co-requisite courses may be taken on an S/NC basis subject to School limitations.Please check with your School for specific information on S/NC grades.
Restrictions
- All BIOSC courses at the 0800-level are designed for non-majors and therefore do not count toward the major.
- Independent study and independent research credits do not count toward the major. The Department of Biological Sciences encourages students to seek out these experiences in order to enhance their education.
