Questions about the NAB Major

Questions about transferring credits

Questions about signing up for courses

Questions about the NAB Major

What Columbia courses can I take to fulfill requirements?

Several courses in the Departments of Psychology and Biological Science at CU can be used to fulfill Major requirements. A list of acceptable CU courses will be available in the near future. Until that time, please contact the program director with specific questions.

How do I declare a NAB Major?

You should first select one of the NAB faculty members to be your major adviser (see How do I select or change a major adviser?) and then fill out the Major Declaration Form (available at the Registrar's Office). You will need to indicate the name of your adviser and get the form signed by the program director (Professor Glendinning in Alt 1107).

What course do I take if I just want to do research for degree credit?

If you simply want to take research for degree credit, then you could take BIOL BC3597 (Guided Research). Click here to download instructions.

How do I get involved in research?

Consult the Senior Thesis page on this website.  Once you have identified several possibilities, discuss them with your adviser or the NAB program director.  The earlier you start, the better.

How do I select or change a major advisor?

Any faculty member in the NAB program can serve as your adviser. You should pick somebody whose area of interest overlaps with yours and/or somebody with whom you feel comfortable.  Make sure you confirm that s/he is accepting new advisees.  You should realize that selecting an adviser is an important decision, but not a momentous one.  You can always change your adviser, and you are welcome to consult with other faculty members.

Do AP credits help fulfill any major requirements?

If you earned a 4 or 5 on the Psychology AP exam, then you will be exempted from Introduction to Psychology.  Irrespective of what you received on the Biology AP exam, you will still need to take the full BIOL BC1500-level Introductory Biology sequence.

Questions about transferring credits

How do I obtain study-abroad approval?

It is strongly recommended that you discuss your plans for studying abroad with the Study-Abroad Dean and your NAB advisor before enrollment. You will need to plan ahead so as to make sure that you can complete your GER and major requirements in time for graduation. Generally, students study abroad during the Spring semester of their junior year.

How do I obtain approval for summer courses?

It is strongly recommended that you obtain approval for non-Barnard courses prior to taking the course. For NAB classes, you can get approval from the program director once you have completed the Summer Course Approval form (see Registrar's website). Note that you will need to provide the program director with a syllabus and class description before s/he will be able to approve the class.

How do I transfer AP credit?

You need to contact the organization that administers the AP tests (Educational Testing Service), and ask them to send your AP scores to the Barnard registrar's office.

Questions about signing up for courses

How do I sign up for introductory Biology courses?

Please read the Biology Department's BIO 1500-level Frequently Asked Questions for details.

How do I sign up for upper level lab courses in Biology?

All upper-level Biology labs are limited to 16 students. To enroll in one of these labs, you must sign-up with the NAB departmental administrator (Maria Minino, mminino@barnard.edu) and then on eBear.  You can sign-up with Ms. Minino (in 1203 Altschul) during two sign-up periods.  The first sign-up period is for Barnard seniors (or rising Barnard seniors in the Spring), and the second is for all other students. The dates and times of the sign-up periods are provided at the Biology Program-Planning meeting, on the door of the Biology office, and on the Biology Department website.

Note: you must bring evidence that your advisor has approved your enrollment in the lab course (e.g., a printed copy of your approved program).  The Biology Department will fill the slots on a first-come first-serve basis.  After the two official sign-up periods end, you can still sign up at any time assuming the lab still has available slots.

I didn't get into my preferred upper-level Biology lab.  What do I do now?

If you're on the waiting list for a lab, then there is still a chance that you will get into the course.  You should speak with the professor to determine when s/he will offer the course again.  Further, you should attend the first lab period to see if any slots have opened up.  Realize that Biology gives preferential access to seniors.  So, if you are a junior and did not get into a lab, then you are almost certain to get into that lab next year.

How do I use the lottery system to sign up for L-courses in Psychology?

To enroll in a lab or statistics course in Psychology, students must enter the lottery during the semester before the course is offered. This is done through eBear. It is the student's responsibility to find out the lottery dates, which are announced through mailings and on the Psychology Department and NAB websites. Students are encouraged to take their lab courses during their early years at Barnard as seniors do not receive highest priority within the lottery system. If a student has any questions or problems regarding the lottery, she should contact the Department Administrator for Psychology as soon as possible.