Building the department map…
Department paths
Courses with no prerequisites inside the department that unlock the most downstream work.
Generated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo’s catalog, prerequisite, and concentration data. Spotted an error? Departments can adjust labels, ordering, and notes without a code change, so contact us.
The shortest canonical route from each entry point to a gateway course.
Each of these unlocks the largest share of downstream work on this map. Courses from other departments can appear here when they genuinely gate BIO coursework.
Intro tiers at the top, advanced work below; arrows point from a prerequisite to the course it unlocks. Courses from other departments appear where they gate BIO work. Click any course to see what it requires and unlocks without leaving this page; hovering lights up its neighbors. The lists on this page carry the same courses in text form.
Showing the 112 BIO and feeder courses that have prerequisite links. 27 more BIO courses have no recorded prerequisites. They are listed under Tracks below, not drawn as loose dots here.
The concentrations and majors that build on BIO, and how their requirements are structured. Expand a program to see which courses satisfy each group, then plan it in the Planner.
MAJOR COURSES2 required · verify with the official sheet
Select from the following:; Marine Science Electives; Select a minimum of 4 courses from the following:
SUPPORT COURSES2 required · verify with the official sheet
APPROVED ELECTIVES2 required · verify with the official sheet
Select from the following (a minimum of 6 units must be 3000-4000 level):
MAJOR COURSES2 required · verify with the official sheet
Select from the following:; Select from the following:; Select from the following: (Upper-Division 4); Select from the following: (Upper-Division 2/5); Select from the following:; Select from the following:; Select from the following:; Select from the following:
Environmental Science Emphasis Areachoose 1
Ecology Courses; Select two courses from the following:; Plant Courses; Policy, Law, Human Dimensions Courses; Water Science Courses; Atmospheric Science Courses
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Upper-level clusters, grouped by the gateway that opens them.
Gateway: CHEM 2242
Gateway: BIO 2253
Gateway: MCRO 2224
Gateway: BIO 3352
The deepest prerequisite chains in BIO. These are the routes that take the most semesters to climb.
6 courses deep, ending at BIO 5528
5 courses deep, ending at BIO 3362
5 courses deep, ending at BIO 4437
5 courses deep, ending at BIO 4447
1 course from1 required
Approved Electives2 required · verify with the official sheet
Select from any 3000-4000 level BIO or MCRO courses except those not open for major degree credit in Biological Sciences, or from the following (a minimum of 7 units must be upper-division):
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Soil Resource Management Emphasis Areachoose 1
Soil Science Courses; Select two courses from the following:; Earth Science Courses; Applied Plant Science and Resource Management Courses; Plant Science Courses; Water Science Courses
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SUPPORT COURSES2 required · verify with the official sheet
Select from the following: (5A & 5C); Select from the following: (2); Life Science Support Elective; Select from the following: (5B)
SUPPORT COURSES2 required · verify with the official sheet
Select from the following: (5A & 5C); Select from the following: (2); Select from the following:; Life Science Support Electives; Select from the following: (5B)
All BIO courses in the Cal Poly SLO catalog
Grade medians are for verified students. Sign in with your school email to see them.
Use your school emailNo section schedule with instructor names for BIO yet.
No clubs or organizations on record under BIO yet.
This shows once five students share their club memberships.
BIO does not run a page here yet. When it does, its events show up here and on the Cal Poly SLO campus feed.