Undergraduate Students

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Frequently Asked Questions

I can't find the information I need on this website. Who should I contact?

First, contact the specific advisor for your particular program. Click the link "Graduates" at the top of this page for information about program advisors and how to reach them. If all else fails, please contact the department chair.

Who is my faculty advisor?

Click for a list of Biology Faculty Advisors. (Your advisor can also be found on WESS) Most questions about degree programs can be answered by your faculty advisor.

I am a new transfer student. How do I get my courses transferred and find out what classes I need to take?

Your first step should occur during a MSU Transfer Day run by the Center for Academic Advising and Adult Learning (CAAAL). They will answer most of your general questions. You will find in many cases, the courses you took elsewhere will automatically be assigned Montclair State course numbers.

CAAAL will then direct you to the department chair of your major department. In Biology and Molecular Biology, the chair will evaluate all the biology courses you took at other institutions and advise you of the courses you need to take at Montclair State.

For non-biology transfer courses, you need to visit the department offices for each course you need evaluated.

I would like to do research. Can I do research - and how do I get access to the research lab?

As a student in our department, you have many opportunities to pursue independent scientific research with faculty members. For undergraduates, this typically comes in the form of BIOL 418 (Biology Independent Research). For graduate students, this may take place in the form of BIOL 599 (Introduction to Biological Research) or a MS Thesis (BIOL 698).

The first step is to find out what faculty members are doing research that is exciting to you. This website is a good place to start - each faculty member has a web page that describes their research and publications. Contact and visit those faculty members you find interesting - you might get a chance to conduct exciting new experiments!

Click here for additional information about research in the College of Science and Mathematics.

I am interested in doing an externship. Can I get college credit for it?

In many cases you can receive college credit toward your major for externship experiences. For life science majors at Montclair State, this generally comes in the form of BIOL 409 Externship in Biology.

Any faculty member can sponsor an externship, and every faculty member has a unique way of assessing the quality of your work. Typically, the student arranges the externship and puts her or his supervisor in touch with the MSU professor. The professor and on-site supervisor consult to determine the course grade.

The university also has a Cooperative Education program that helps link students with externship opportunities in a more formal way. For information about the CO-OP program for biology or molecular biology majors, contact Dr. Vega, Dr. DiLorenzo, or Dr. Lustigman.

I would like to go to medical school or a similar professional school (i.e. dental, veterinary). What classes should I take?

There is no "pre-med" major at Montclair State University. However, both the Biology BS and the Molecular Biology BS programs cover the undergraduate requirements for most medical, dental and veterinary programs.

While good grades and MCAT scores are important (and required for admission to professional schools), admission committees look at many additional factors, including experience, extra-curricular activities, volunteerism, etc.

Our best advice would be to visit with Dr. Shillcock, our pre-professional advisor, to discuss your plans. Visit early in your undergraduate career!

How can I enroll in a closed course section?

Courses can be closed to enrollment for several reasons. The most common is that the section is filled to its capacity. In other cases a course may be enrolled "by permission only" because there are special requirements or unusual scheduling options.

The first person to speak to is the instructor for the course. In 99% of cases, the instructor has the final say over course enrollments. If the instructor is not listed for the course, contact the department secretary.

If, after speaking with the course instructor, you still have questions about enrollments, contact the department chair.

All the courses are closed!!!! What do I do now?

First: Are all courses really closed, or just the sections or instructors you prefer? We will not overfill one course section if there are others you could take.

Second: Contact your faculty advisor. Your advisor may be able to help you find alternatives.

Third: If all else fails, contact the department chair for assistance. Keep in mind that there are 800 Biology and Molecular Biology majors and only one department chair. Contact the chair only when your faculty advisor is unable to resolve your problem.

NOTE: The above apply only to biology courses. Other departments have different policies. Contact the department office in question for further information.

My graduation audit says I am not ready to graduate, but I thought I was! What do I do?

The audit can come back with problems for many reasons. Sometimes, a course you took was developed after you matriculated at Montclair State and the computer does not recognize it as applicable to your program. Sometimes you mistakenly took a course, thinking it would count for one category when in fact it only counts for another. Sometimes transfer credits were not evaluated.

Take a look at your audit. An official copy came with your letter from the Registrar, but you can also examine your audit with "Analysis of Degree Progress" on WESS.

Take a look all the way at the bottom at "FREE ELECTIVES" - in 90% of cases, the culprit can be found here, instead of in the category where it belongs. In this case, contact the department chair for a credit adjustment.

However, it is also possible you did not take the right courses, or did not take enough courses. For advice on how to remedy your particular case, contact your faculty advisor.

I got a bad grade in one of my courses. Can I retake it and replace the grade?

You may only repeat a course for credit if you earned less than a C- (i.e. D+ or lower). If you retake the course and earn a higher grade, the old grade will be dropped from your GPA calculation, but will still show up on your transcript as a replaced grade (i.e. "RF").

If you repeat a course for which you earned at least a C-, you waste your time and money. The new grade will not be entered into your GPA and it will show up on your transcript as "REPEAT NO CREDIT".

Note that you must have at least a 2.0 major GPA to graduate with a BS in Biology or Molecular Biology.

I declared a biology or molecular biology major after my first semester. I took a non-biology freshman experience course. Do I also need to take BIOL 199?

You do not need to take BIOL 199 if you took another approved GenEd Freshman Experience course. We will accept the non-biology freshman experience course in lieu of BIOL 199.

The course description says "dissection required" but I do not wish to perform dissection for personal reasons. What do I do?

It is not uncommon for students, especially non-biology majors, to disagree with the practice of dissection.

The faculty of the Biology and Molecular Biology department feel that in many cases the best way to learn about organisms is to study them directly. For anatomy and physiology, this often requires the euthanizing of specimens to prevent pain and suffering.

It is possible that your instructor will provide alternative means of learning for you. The first step is to speak with the instructor during the first week of class to see if this is possible. If the instructor cannot accommodate you, contact the department chair to explore the possibility of switching sections.

I am doing really badly in my biology course, but the deadline to drop has passed. How do I withdraw after the deadline?

As discussed in Schedule of Courses Booklet: "After [the final deadline to drop] a student may request a WP or WF of their instructors. Instructors may give students who are earning a "C-" or better a WP and students who are "D+" or below a WF. The WP and the WF grades are intended to be exceptions or interventions for students who are experiencing hardships that legitimately prevent them from withdrawing before the deadline."

Instructors in the biology department will only consider such requests if a student can document a hardship that prevented withdrawing before the deadline. We will never, under any circumstances, grant a WP/WF because a student ends the semester with a poor course grade.

Can I withdraw from a class after the end of the semester?

No. It is the department policy that instructors may not change a final and posted letter grade to either WF or WP.

Remember, WF/WP - by university policy - are granted only as exceptions, during the semester, when a student misses the drop deadline for extenuating reasons.

A poor course grade is never a reason for a WF/WP.

I feel I received an unfair grade in my biology course. Can I appeal?

The grade grievance procedure is outlined here.

Where can I get free tutoring?

Your student fees cover tutoring services. You can access the tutoring schedule and also sign up for study skills workshops at the Center for Academic Development and Assessment.