Biology Undergraduate Directed Study

Guidelines for Directed Studies (Research Experience) Course Credit in Biology

The USF Biology Department has several options for undergraduate directed study (research experience) courses that can be taken for credit (see the USF Catalog for full course descriptions): 

  • BIOL298 Research Experience in Biology: This course is Pass/Fail only and units do not count towards the Biology major. Units can count towards the 128 units needed for graduation. No more than 2 units of BIOL298 can be taken in one semester and no more than 4 units total can be counted towards your USF degree. Research can be conducted in the Biology Department or outside of Biology. 
    BIOL298 requires a Biology faculty mentor; or if research is conducted outside of the Biology Department, a Biology faculty sponsor is needed.1  (See below for instructions if research is outside of Biology.)
    Prerequisites: Must be a Biology major.
  • BIOL398 Readings for Advanced Undergraduates2: This is an upper division course that is evaluated with a letter grade and units can count toward the Biology major as a lecture-only course. Readings for BIOL398 can only be mentored by a faculty member in the USF Biology Department.1
    Prerequisites: CHEM 231 or CHEM 236, and BIOL 310 with minimum grade of C. Minimum Biology major GPA of 3.0 (includes supporting science courses in Chemistry, Math and Physics).
  • BIOL498 Research Experience for Advanced Undergraduates2: This is an upper division course that is evaluated with a letter grade and units can count toward the Biology major as a lab or field course. Research for BIOL498 can only be conducted in the Biology Department with a Biology faculty mentor.1
    Prerequisites: CHEM 231 or CHEM 236, and BIOL 310 with minimum grade of C. Minimum Biology major GPA of 3.0 (includes supporting science courses in Chemistry, Math and Physics).
  • BIOL598 and 599 Biology Honors Research and Biology Honors Thesis Writing: These upper division courses are linked for the Biology Honors Program. Both courses are evaluated with a letter grade and units can count toward the Biology major as a 4-unit lab or field course. A typical distribution is 2 units of BIOL598 in the semester before graduation, followed by 1 unit BIOL598 and 1 unit of BIOL599 in the last semester at USF. 
    Research for BIOL598/599 requires a Biology faculty mentor; or if research is conducted outside of the Biology Department, a Biology faculty sponsor is needed.1 (See below for instructions if research is outside the Biology Department.) In addition, acceptance into the Biology Honors Program requires approval by the Biology Honors Committee. Applications are submitted in the third semester before graduation.
    Prerequisites: One year left to graduation. Minimum overall grade point average of 3.2, and minimum Biology major GPA of 3.0 (includes supporting science courses in Chemistry, Math and Physics).

1Your Biology faculty mentor or sponsor will create a course syllabus in consultation with you (and your research mentor if the research is outside the Biology Department). They will also help decide if the work you are doing should be credited with 1 or 2 units for a semester. Your Biology faculty mentor or sponsor will also prepare the USF Directed Study form which will require their signature, and the signature of the Biology Department chair or your academic advisor. It is your responsibility to submit the form to CASA so that you can be registered for the course.

2No more than two units of directed study can be taken in one semester and no more than four units total combined from BIOL398, BIOL498, BIOL598 and BIOL599 can be counted towards Biology upper division course requirements.

Research Outside of the USF Biology Department (BIOL298 and BIOL598/599 only)

If your research experience for BIOL298 or BIOL598/599 will be outside of the Biology Department see instructions below on how to proceed. Note: Students being paid for research internships or other research positions cannot also receive course credit.

BIOL298 Research Experience in Biology outside of the Biology Department

Steps for students to arrange for course credit for BIOL298 research experience outside of the Biology Department:

  1. Find a biology-related research experience outside of the Biology Department (e.g., be a research volunteer at UCSF, an unpaid intern at a biotech company, etc.).
  2. Get approval from your mentor at your internship/lab to receive course credit for your work.
  3. Find a full time USF Biology professor who is willing to be your sponsor and the instructor of record for your BIOL298 Research Experience in Biology course. This person could be your Biology faculty advisor, another Biology full-time faculty member who you took a class from previously, or a full-time faculty member who has expertise in the field that you are working in. Your Biology faculty sponsor will create a course syllabus in consultation with you and your research mentor. They will also help decide if the work you are doing should be credited with 1 or 2 units for a semester. 
  4. Your Biology faculty sponsor will prepare the USF Directed Study form which will also require the signature of the Biology Department chair or your academic advisor. It is your responsibility to submit the completed Directed Study form with the course syllabus to CASA so that you can be registered for the course.
  5. Your BIOL 298 Directed Research class will appear on your transcript and you will receive a Pass/Fail grade for this course at the end of the semester. Note: BIOL298 credits will not count towards the Biology major and you can only have a total of four units across multiple semesters.

BIOL598/599 Honors research outside of the Biology Department

Students who have secured unpaid biological research opportunities outside of the Biology Department and qualify academically for the Biology Honors Program (see also the USF catalog) can apply for the Honors Program (Honors application). Honors research must be a relatively independent project and not performing routine lab tasks or providing basic support for Masters/PhD student projects. Research outside of the USF Biology Department must be in an area related to Biology. (Note: Students being paid for research cannot receive course credit.)

Steps for students to arrange for Honors course credit for research outside of the Biology Department:

  1. Secure a research position outside of the Biology Department and get approval from your research mentor to receive Honors course credit for your work.
  2. Find a USF Biology full time faculty member who has some expertise in the field you are working in who will agree to be your sponsor.
  3. Put together your Honors Thesis Committee. Your Honors Thesis Committee will be comprised of your non-Biology research mentor, the sponsoring USF Biology professor (who is the instructor of record) and a second faculty member from USF Biology.
  4. Submit an application for the Honors Program to the Biology Honors Committee. Your application will include your research proposal (which has already been accepted by your Honors Thesis Committee).
  5. After approval of the Directed Study form by CASA, submit a Change of Academic Program (COAP) request to add the Honors Program to your academic record.
  6. Your Biology faculty sponsor will create a course syllabus in consultation with you and your research mentor. Your Biology faculty sponsor will also prepare the Directed Study form which will require the signature of the Biology Department chair. It is your responsibility to submit the Directed Study form with the syllabus and approved Honors application form to CASA so that you can be registered for the course.
  7. Your BIOL 598 and 599 Honors classes will appear on your transcript and you will receive a letter grade each semester. Note: No more than four units total combined from BIOL398, BIOL498, BIOL598 and BIOL599 can be counted towards Biology upper division course requirements.

Responsibilities the USF Biology faculty sponsor:

  • Assure that the non-Biology mentor understands the intent and execution of an Honors Project.
  • Be the instructor of record for BIOL598 and BIOL598.
  • Oversee the development and review the final version of the Honors research proposal before the student submits to the departmental Biology Honors Committee.
  • Provide a "sponsorship plan" to be submitted with the Honors application that will explain how you plan to oversee the student's progress in research and thesis writing.
  • Create the course syllabi for BIOL598 and BIOL599 courses.
  • Sign the directed study forms.
  • Monitor the progress of the research during the year by keeping in contact with the student and primary research mentor.
  • Assist the student with the writing of the thesis and help with preparations for the oral presentation. (It is not expected that non-USF mentors will take on these roles.)
  • Assign letter grades for BIOL598 and BIOL599 as the instructor of record after consultation with the non-Biology mentor.

Responsibilities of non-Biology faculty mentors:

  • Provide a letter to be submitted with the Honors application stating that they understand the requirements of the Biology Honors program and that the student will be working on an independent research project (not acting as a research assistant). This letter will be submitted on line.
  • If the mentor is not the PI of the lab (e.g., mentor might be a graduate student or post-doc), the PI of the lab will need to provide a letter acknowledging that they are aware of the Honors project being conducted in their lab. This letter will be submitted on line.
  • Provide close guidance and supervision of the research conducted by the USF Biology major.
  • Review the thesis before it is submitted to the Thesis Committee.
  • Consult with the USF sponsor to determine the grade.