Welcome to a very important chapter of our Declassified Summer Registration Guide: Sciences at Barnard Breakdown 🔎🔬ðŸ”
During the July registration week, you won’t be registering for a full schedule of courses. You’ll only register for select First-Year Experience courses (First-Year Writing/Seminar), PE courses, and other select Barnard courses during the summer. You’ll register for the rest of your courses during orientation after you’ve met with an orientation advisor.
So what courses can you register for? You’re required to register for a First-Year Writing or First-Year Seminar course for the fall, and you’ll have the option to register for a P.E. class and select Barnard courses.
So what courses can you register for? You’re required to register for a First-Year Writing or First-Year Seminar course for the fall, and you’ll have the option to register for a P.E. class and select Barnard courses.
Today we'll be going over some of the Barnard courses you're allowed to register for during this registration period: Science courses.
Science Courses
Over the summer, you’ll also have the opportunity to register for many introductory science courses. If you're interested in a science major or completing the pre-health track, it's recommended you take a science course in the fall. For everyone else, don't worry about taking a science course right now.
Let’s break down the requirements of each science course and how to register for them.
Let’s break down the requirements of each science course and how to register for them.
If you’re interested in biology, you can take BIOL-BC1001 Revolutionary Concepts in Biology. This is just a lecture. You can also take BIOL-BC1500 Introduction to Organismal and Evolutionary Biology in the fall. This course has a lecture, a lab lecture called recitation, a discussion, and a lab component. You can take just the lecture or all four components together. You cannot take the recitation, discussion, and lab before taking the lecture. I recommend taking the lecture, lab, discussion, and recitation together, especially if you’re intending to be a science major and/or are fulfilling pre-health requirements.
Biology at Barnard is not sequential for introductory courses, meaning that you can start the biology sequence in either the fall or spring. In the fall the course is BIOL-BC1500 Introduction to Organismal and Evolutionary Biology and in the spring it’s BIOL-BC1503 Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology. Both have a lecture, recitation, discussion, and lab component.
Biology at Barnard is not sequential for introductory courses, meaning that you can start the biology sequence in either the fall or spring. In the fall the course is BIOL-BC1500 Introduction to Organismal and Evolutionary Biology and in the spring it’s BIOL-BC1503 Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology. Both have a lecture, recitation, discussion, and lab component.
Please note that your recitation, discussion, and lab sections do not have to be on the same day for biology.
If chemistry is more your speed, you can start with CHEM-BC2001 General Chemistry I this fall. This course is the beginning of the chemistry sequence at Barnard and has a lecture and lab component. You must take both the same semester.
Chemistry at Barnard is sequential and follows a five-semester sequence. As such, if you’re interested in a chemistry or biochemistry major, it’s strongly recommended that you start chemistry the fall of your first year. Chemistry at Barnard can only be started in the fall.
If physics fascinates you and you remember more from high school than just that gravitational acceleration on earth is -9.8 m/s2, you may want to start with PHYS-BC2001 Physics Mechanics this fall.
Mechanics is the introductory course to Barnard’s three-semester physics sequence. It’s intended especially for physics, chemistry, and biochemistry majors at Barnard. It also helps to fulfill pre-health requirements. The Physics courses are sequential, so majors and prospective majors are encouraged to start the course their first year.
Physics at both Barnard and Columbia is calculus based and requires Calculus I or the equivalent as a co-requisite (hello AP and IB credits!!).
Physics at both Barnard and Columbia is calculus based and requires Calculus I or the equivalent as a co-requisite (hello AP and IB credits!!).
PHYS-BC2001 Physics Mechanics has both a lab and a lecture component. You will only register for the lecture over the summer. Sign-ups for the lab will happen during the first week of class.
Interested in the brain and humans? PSYC-BC1001 Introduction to Psychology may be the place for you.
Introduction to Psychology is a very popular class that has both a lecture and a lab available, with multiple sections of each offered every semester. Because it's a requirement for so many majors and programs of study, and an interesting class in general, the sections fill up fairly quickly. But don't worry if you don't get into a section your first semester! At least three sections of the class are offered every semester.
The other special thing about Introduction to Psychology is that it is the only course at Barnard that you can receive credit for both the AP exam and the equivalent class. This means that if you got a 4 or 5 on the AP Psych exam and take Introduction to Psychology, you can receive credit for both. For all other AP subjects, you cannot receive credit for both the AP exam and the equivalent college course.
If you're interested in the biological foundations of behavior and cognition, look no further than NSBV-BC1001 Introduction to Neuroscience. This lecture is a prerequisite for the lab NSBV-BC2001 Laboratory in Neuroscience and many upper level neuroscience courses. It is offered in both the fall and spring semesters.
For an interdisciplinary study at how the mind works, COGS-UN1001 Intro to Cognitive Science may be right for you. There is no associated lab with this course. If you're interested in the Cognitive Science major, this course should be taken before choosing your specialization, and it's required for all Cognitive Science majors.
If plants are your vibe, start out with EESC-BC1001 Environmental Science I. Environmental Science I has both a lab and lecture that must be taken at the same time. It’s a required part of almost all of the environmental science majors and fulfills the Thinking Locally Foundations requirement. You can register for both the lab and the lecture over the summer.
Astronomy
If the stars are calling your name, check out the lab ASTR-UN1903 Astronomy Lab I. This lab has a few corresponding lecture options: ASTR-BC1753 Life in the Universe, ASTR UN1403 Earth, Moon, and Planets and ASTR UN1453 Another Earth. Please note that only the lab section is available for July registration. Lecture sections will become available for you in September. These courses are intended primarily for non-science majors but are also a great way to dip your toes into the world of astronomy.
When it comes to registering for a science course, there are a few things to consider. First, do you need to take a science course your first semester? If you’re interested in a science major or plan on following a pre-health path, you should probably start a science sequence your first semester. If you’re not sure of your major, or know you won’t be a science major and just need to fulfill your science Foundations requirements, you don’t need to start right away with a science course. You have 8 semesters to complete your requirements, so don’t stress too much about it right now.
If you’re unsure of what science course is right for you, reach out to the departments! They’ll be happy to help you figure out what class may be the best fit for you given your goals and backgrounds.
The science courses listed here will be the only ones open for registration from July 17th-21st. All other science courses, and all other Barnard courses that are not in this list, will be open for registration in August after you've met with an academic advisor.
