BIOL 4090 Virology

Upon completing this course, students will be able to: summarize the ways in which viruses differ from cellular organisms, explain how viruses hijack host cells to ensure their own survival, describe the replication and immune evasion strategies of major viral pathogens of humans, and describe how viruses emerge, spread and adapt to their hosts. Students will also become familiar with current strategies for preventing and treating viral infections, including vaccinations and antiviral drugs. This course is ideal for students considering careers in biological or biomedical research, as well as those with specific interests in virology, microbiology, immunology or infectious disease. Prerequisites: BIOL2000 and a minimum of one 3000-level course.

Course overview

Department
Biology
School
MCAS
Credits
3
Level
Undergraduate
Offered
Every Fall

Catalog details

Prerequisites
BIOL2000

Catalog text is imported from the reviewed Boston College course snapshot. Confirm eligibility in EagleApps.

Requirements fulfilled

Requirement eligibility can vary by school, cohort, and section. Confirm the selected section in EagleApps or with an advisor.

Course evaluations

Response-weighted averages from Boston College’s official course evaluations (Avalanche/Blue).

Course rating
4.49 / 5 · Very Good
139 responses
Instructor rating
4.66 / 5 · Excellent
139 responses
Terms evaluated
5
Most recent: Fall 2025

Scales: overall ratings run from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent); agreement questions from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree); weekly effort from 1 (up to 1 hour) to 5 (10 or more hours).

Evaluations by term and instructor
TermInstructorCourse overallInstructor overallWell organizedClear learning objectivesIntellectually challengingHelpful assignmentsApplicable beyond courseAttendance necessaryWeekly effortResponses
Fall 2025Welkin Johnson4.85.04.84.94.74.54.84.04–6 hrs/week59 of 67
Fall 2024Jeremy Eberhard4.24.54.74.74.74.34.54.31–3 hrs/week31 of 36
Fall 2023Jeremy Eberhard—————————12 of 17
Fall 2022Jeremy Eberhard4.24.34.64.64.94.34.54.21–3 hrs/week14 of 17
Fall 2021Jeremy Eberhard4.34.34.54.64.84.34.54.14–6 hrs/week23 of 39

Data freshness

Course and evaluation data last updated 2026-10-09. Source details and limitations are documented in Data Sources and Methodology.

Instructors

Sections

  • Section 01
    Fall 2026 · Welkin Johnson · Higgins Hall 310 TuTh 09:00AM-10:15AM · Offered