Major Tips and Information

(for Cal students admitted as freshmen & sophomores)

Some Tips on IB:

  • The Integrative Biology (IB) major CAN be declared when the majority of lower division courses are completed. (when 70 grade points have been earned.)
  • A minimum 2.0 GPA in lower and upper division courses is required. 
  • Most students declare at the end of their 2nd year, or beginning of 3rd. 
  • Students may use a course to fulfill both a lab requirement and a requirement group.
  • A statistics course is recommended for those planning on graduate study. 
  • Students may use up to TWO pre-approved courses from outside the IB major for elective credit in the major.
    (See the course list for a listing of these pre-approved electives.)

Discuss with the Undergraduate Student Services Office your readiness to declare; be sure to bring a copy of your transcripts and current enrollments to that meeting. 

Using AP Scores for Requirements

Students planning on the IB major may be exempted from the following, although if you plan to attend medical, dental, pharmacy or graduate school, we recommend that you take all lower-division preparatory courses at the college level.

  • Math 16A with AP Math BC score of 5

You cannot use biology, chemistry & physics AP scores to waive other lower-division IB requirements.

Major Requirements

See our Undergraduate Curriculum for lower- and upper-division requirements

Planning the IB Major

Since there are many paths to complete the IB major, we recommend that you take advantage of our peer advising services to get some help. Peer advisors are in the USSO, in 3060 VLSB, M-Th 10-12 and 1-4 and F 10-12 and 1-3, and they are trained and ready to help you develop a 3-year or 4-year plan.

To plan your IB major, you can visit the forms page and print out a helpful checksheet. Below are some sample plans to help guide you in the planning processl

Freshman & Sophomore Sample Academic Plans

Track 1—Ecology, Evolution & Organismal Biology

Track 2—Human Biology & Health Sciences