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Biology Department

Frequently Asked Questions

First things first: There are two authoritative and indispensable resources for all your questions about the Biology Department and its arcane practices: your adviser and the .

But, for a quick info fix, look through the following.

The Biology Major's Handbook provides a range of information especially relevant for Biology majors.

Is there more than one way to major in Biology?

Yes. In addition to the standard major, you can petition for an alternate Biology major, pursue a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major, or declare an Environmental Sciences - Biology major. All are described in links from biology's academic program page.

Is there a pre-med or pre-vet track?

No. You can major in anything and prepare for the health professions by taking the prerequisite courses specified by the professional schools. The Biology major includes most of them, with the addition of physics. See the catalog [] or the Reed health professions web site, and consult with a pre-med advisor.

Can I go overseas for a semester?

You can, but it requires some careful planning. The main things to keep in mind are completing your year-long courses and ensuring your coursework preparation for the Jr. Qual. Suggested 4-year plans are available from the International Programs office.

When do I have to declare my major?

The Registrar's Office requires a completed Declaration of Major form by the end of your second year (or equivalent for transfers). If you do not declare a major at that point, you will not be allowed to register for the following term. It is possible to change your major subsequently by filing an amended declaration form.

Do I have to worry about Divisional requirements?

The Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences imposes no requirements.

Is there some preferred order for taking upper-division courses?

A complete description of each course can be found in the Catalog or on the Department's web site. This includes recommended and prerequisite courses. As you might suppose, 200-level courses are intended to be taken earlier than are 300-level courses, and 400-level courses [e.g., 431 seminars] are restricted to juniors and seniors and often build on related 300-level courses. This being said, there is no tracking of courses; so, you may take them in the order that makes sense to you and your advisor.

[Keep in mind that only one 200-level course can be applied toward the "5th unit," or any number of 431 seminars or "half courses," i.e., the lecture-only portion of a 300-level course.]

Can I take bio courses off campus (even overseas)?

Except in unusual situations we discourage it, especially for the 300-level required courses. There are two problems posed by off-campus courses: unit transfer accounting can be cumbersome and course contents and quality vary greatly. Exceptions are always possible and include courses not offered at Reed but available through pre-existing study abroad programs.

Should I plan to do summer research?

Yes! There are many summer fellowship opportunities available in the department, in Portland, and nationally. If you can afford the low pay, summer fellowships, internships, and REUs offer valuable perspectives on research and hands-on experience with state-of-the-art methodology.

How do I find funding for a summer research opportunity?

There are many funding sources at Reed and external to Reed. You can start by reviewing summer awards administered by the Biology Department here. We also provide a curated list of information about off-campus research and external funding opportunities. Reed's Undergraduate Research Committee (URC) administers research awards including the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³ Science Research Fellowship and Summer Opportunity Fellowship Award. The Center for Life Beyond Reed (CLBR) awards Summer Internship Awards to support unpaid and underpaid off-campus research opportunites. The CLBR has an excellent tool to search for fellowships and awards on this page.

Why do we have a Junior Qual?

You must pass the Qual to begin thesis. The Biology Jr. Qual is designed to:
  • gauge the student’s mastery of the discipline
  • to serve as a diagnostic aid in identifying weaknesses in the student’s preparation for advanced study, especially thesis work in the discipline
  • to assist the student in unifying the knowledge of a major field of study
  • to assist the department in assessing the effectiveness of its own program 
A student who passes the Biology Jr. Qual will have demonstrated:
  • proficiency in basic scientific calculations and quantitative approaches to biological questions
  • ability to read, summarize, and understand a body of biological literature
  • appropriate literature searching and citation 
  • synthesis and unification of some key biological concepts/topics studied to date
  • capacity to formulate a hypothesis and design an experiment to test it

What do I need to know about taking and passing the Qual?

The Qual is offered at the following times:

Standard Qual Dates:
  • Late October/Early November
  • Mid-February 
Deferrals and Retakes:
These dates are offered as needed for 1) students who are returning from leaves or study abroad and plan to begin thesis that semester, and 2) students who need to retake the qual from the previous semester.
  • The first Thursday of Fall semester 
  • The first Thursday of Spring semester 

The entire qual is evaluated as:
Pass, Conditional Pass, or Not Passing

The most common score for the qual is generally a conditional pass. If you receive a conditional pass, you will have ~2 weeks to rewrite your answer(s) to one or more qual questions after receiving your score. You should first review any feedback received and then meet with the faculty member and/or your academic advisor to go over any questions you have before finishing your revisions.

If you do not pass the qual on your first attempt, you will have an opportunity to retake the qual the following semester.

What is the format of the Qual?

The qual is a multipart exam, available on a dedicated Moodle page that takes place over a long weekend. More specific information is available here on our Biology Jr. Qual Webpage.

Can I study for the Qual?

Basically no. The best preparation is to assemble your class notes, term papers, and lab reports. It probably also makes sense to get your texts together (including your Intro book). These will all be potentially useful resources. An information session will also usually be offered in the spring semester to answer any additional questions.

How about thesis? I'm not sure I can come up with a thesis topic on my own.

Not a problem. Thesis topic development is a collaborative process between you and your thesis advisor.

How do I get a thesis advisor?

The first couple weeks of your thesis year are set aside for you to go around and talk with faculty about their work and possible projects under their supervision. After you've submitted two short proposals (ranked in order of preference), the faculty meets and decides on assignments. In the great majority of cases, first choices are honored. Learn more about the thesis process here.

Can I do a thesis off-campus?

Yes, but you need to think carefully about this option and consult with your academic advisor. Some obvious concerns are the need for transport, the time it will take you away from Reed, and the fact that you will be working in an environment operating on a completely different calendar and with substantially different expectations about productivity.

Do I have to do an experimental thesis?

No. Each year a few students decide to tackle problems that aren't amenable to the sorts of experimental approaches we can apply. The challenge then becomes marshalling the literature resources necessary to develop a carefully argued document.

My friends are freaking out about the First Draft deadline. Should I?

Our Division has no formal deadline. The Biology Department asks for a draft of the Introduction the first day of the second semester, you need to consult with your thesis advisor on this deadline and others.

What if I don't get interpretable results?

Welcome to the Real World of Science! Most of the experiments we do, "don't work." It is our job to try to figure out why an experiment didn't produce the sorts of results we were expecting. It is rare that a set of experiments all work but it is even rarer that nothing works. Relax.