The Department of Biology currently offers courses of study leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Science and Master of Science.
The broadly-based
requirements of the undergraduate major are designed to prepare students
for:
(1) advanced studies in biology, biomedical sciences, environmental biology,
ecology and applied ecology;
(2) professional training in medicine, dentistry, optometry, chiropractic,
pharmacy, veterinary medicine and other health professions;
(3) teaching of biology in secondary schools; or
(4) career opportunities in research, biomedical sciences, agriculture,
industry, government, and academic institutions.
Students interested in completing a major in biology are strongly urged to declare the major early and seek advisement from a departmental advisor. It is particularly important to note that students who complete the major in Biology are exempted from having to take any courses in the Natural Sciences distribution area of the General Education Program.
In addition, students should be aware that a maximum of 18 credit hours of biology courses can be accepted toward the Biology Major in transfer credits, and a maximum of 9 credit hours of transfer credits can be accepted toward the Biology Minor. In order for introductory biology courses taken at another institution to be accepted in place of BIO-201 or BIO-202, they must be specifically designated as being courses for Biology majors. Students seeking to transfer courses from other institutions should have their coursework evaluated by an advisor in Biology at the time they declare the major or minor.
Requirements for Secondary Education Certification: In completing the Major in Biology, students seeking certification must earn 8 semester hours in botany including 5 semester hours in laboratory work, 8 semester hours in zoology including 5 semester hours in laboratory work, and 8 semester hours in physiology including 5 semester hours in laboratory work. Students who major in Biology and Secondary Education should consult with both an advisor in Biology and an advisor in the College of Education.
NOTE – Beginning in the Fall semester of 2007:
In order to register for BIO-150/BIO-201 (or any other course that counts toward the Major or Minor), students must have earned the following scores on placement tests, or have completed equivalent coursework with a grade of C or better:
> a score of 5 on the Reading Placement Test (or READ-116) or ACT Reading score of 20 or higher;
> a score of 7 on the Writing Placement test (or ELP-099 or ESL-120); and
> a score of 30 or higher on the Math Placement Test (or MATH-092) or ACT Math score of 21 or higher.
Although not required by the Major in Biology, students are encouraged to take English Composition I ENGL-101) and English Composition II (ENGL-102) as early as possible in their academic careers, as successful completion of these courses will help students with the writing components in many of the courses offered by the Department of Biology. Likewise, completing Pre-calculus Math (MATH-106) early on will help students with the quantitative aspects of many Biology courses, as well as satisfy the pre-requisite requirement for the Physics courses that are required by the major.
Major in Biology for the Bachelor of Science Degree
(67-71 credit hours total: 43-46 credits in Biology + 24-25 credits in cognate areas)
The Biology major requires a set of six required Biology courses (including a cornerstone course, BIO-150), five elective courses in Biology, a capstone course in Biology, and a set of cognate courses in Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. As such, the curriculum provides broad training in the sciences, allows for students to take a sequence of courses that fit their particular interests within Biology and allows students to prepare themselves for specific careers in Biology.
Students who are seeking to be certified for teaching Biology in secondary schools should consult with both an advisor in Biology and an advisor in the College of Education.
Students interested in pursuing graduate studies are strongly encouraged to take one year each of organic chemistry and calculus, and a course in statistics.
Students who are planning to pursue professional training in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and other health professions should contact the professional schools to which they intend to apply in order to determine their specific program requirements. Students should also consult regularly with an advisor in Biology to ensure that they take an appropriate set of elective courses. Finally, these students can receive guidance on recommended courses, graduate-school test preparation and the application process from the Coordinator of Student Services in the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Required Biology Courses:
The following
six core courses are required of all majors.
(Note that BIO-150 must be taken concurrently with BIO-201.)
BIO-150 Essential Skills for Biologists ................. 2 cr.
BIO-201 General Biology I .................................... 4 cr.
BIO-202 General Biology II.................................... 4 cr.
BIO-301 Cell Biology ............................................ 4 cr.
BIO-303 General Genetics..................................... 4 cr.
BIO-305 General Ecology ..................................... 4 cr.
Five elective courses must also be taken. Four of these must be Biology courses, one of which must focus on plants and one must focus on animals. The fifth course may be in Biology, or can be a course from another department, as long as it has been approved by the Biology Department to count as an elective. At least three of these courses must include a lab component. Students should check with the Biology Department Office or their advisor for a list of approved courses..................... 18-20 cr.
One capstone course must also be taken after a student has made substantial progress toward completing the major requirements. The capstone requirement can be satisfied by taking BIO-390 (Biology Senior Seminar) OR BIO-391 (Internship in Biology) OR BIO-392 and 393 (Independent Research), OR BIO-394 (Seminar in Teaching of Biology). Students should check the catalog or their advisor to determine the pre-requisites for each of these options...................... 3-4 cr.
Required Cognate Courses:
CHEM-211 General Chemistry I..................................... 5 cr.
CHEM-212 General Chemistry II.................................... 4 cr.
CHEM-231 Organic Chemistry I.................................... 4 cr.
MATH-187 Calculus
I -OR- MATH-275 Statistics
(effective Fall 2012)..................................................
3-4 cr.
and
Two semesters of
Physics, either algebra-based (PHYS-201
and 202) or calculus-based (PHYS-206 and 207), with labs
(PHYS-203 and 204)..................................................... 8 cr.
Students are encouraged to begin taking these cognate courses as early as possible. Additional cognate courses may be recommended by the student’s advisor in relation to the student’s goals.
Minor in Biology
(21-22 credit hours)
Students who are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of a few disciplines within Biology are encouraged to minor in Biology. In addition, students who are interested in pursuing a career in the health professions, but who do not want to major in Biology will benefit by choosing Biology as a minor.
A maximum of 9 cr. toward the Minor in Biology will be accepted in transfer credits. Note that students in the Early Education and Early Childhood Education programs who select this minor must complete a minimum of 9 hours of coursework at the 300-level in order to meet graduation and certification requirements. Dr. Joel Olfelt is the advisor for Biology Minors.
Required courses for the Biology Minor:
BIO-150 Essential Skills for Biologists ........................ 2 cr.
BIO-201 General Biology I ........................................... 4 cr.
BIO-202 General Biology II........................................... 4 cr.
Three elective courses in Biology must also be taken, at least two of which must have a laboratory component .......... 11-12 cr.