Mar 29, 2024  
2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Biology, B.S.


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The Bachelor of Science in biology is designed for students who are interested in careers which require an extensive background in biology. Upon completion of the Bachelor of Science degree, the student will have met the minimum major requirements for admission to graduate and professional schools (e.g., medical, dental, veterinary, etc). Elective coursework can lead to a specialized focus in bioinformatics, molecular biology, or ecology. In collaboration with the College of Education, a B. S. in Biology Education is also offered and is described in the College of Education portion of the catalog. The department chair can provide more information.

Requirements for Major in Biology


Admission to the Program

Admission to the program is through a formal declaration of major and a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0.

Note

In addition to the CSEM requirements, Biology majors must earn a grade of “C” or better in MAT 241 - Calculus I . Biology majors may substitute PH 241 - General Physics I  /  PH 242 - General Physics II  for PH 251 - College Physics I  /  PH 252 - College Physics II . Students who major in Biology may substitute CH 446 Biochemistry II for one of their biology elective courses. In the second year, during the BI 222 - Biology Sophomore Seminar , all Biology majors will take an exam reviewing the material covered in BI 141 , BI 142  and BI 240 . Continuation in the program will be contingent upon successfully passing this exam or permission of the Department Chair and/or Academic Advisor.

Refer to the vertical curriculum for additional course requirements.

Biology: Total Semester Hours=124


Freshman Year


Total: 15

Total: 16

Third Semester


Total: 6

Sophomore Year


Junior Year


Total: 15

Second Semester


Total: 14

Senior Year


First Semester


  • BI 3/400 Level Elective (3 Credit Hours)
  • BI 3/400 Level Elective (4 Credit Hours)
  • 3 Credit Hour Free Elective
  • 3 Credit Hours GE
Total: 13

Second Semester


Total: 14

Notes:


General Education courses are in marked with a GE.

*Based on placement exam scores, these courses may require a pre-requisite which may extend the number of semesters needed to complete degree requirements.

Elective Requirements

  • One course (200 or above) must be taken in each of three areas: Ecology/Evolution; Structure and Function; and Cellular/Developmental/Molecular Biology.
  • One 300 I 400 level Biology Course must be computational or have a strong data component. (See below for examples.)
  • One 300/400 level Biology Course must have a strong writing component. (These courses will be indicated in the catalog description.)

Options in each category (writing courses are in bold)

Restricted 200-level Elective 
  • Bl 230 Intro to Cell/ Molecular Biology
  • Bl 2xx Integrative Biology
  • Bl 2xx Principles of Evolution
  • Bl 2xx Principles of Genetics
Ecology/ Evolution
  • Bl 2xx Principles of Evolution
  • ES 241 Environmental Science
  • Bl 337 General Ecology  (FA)
  • Bl 331 Botany
  • Bl 345 Comparative Anatomy (SP)
  • Bl 355 Marine Biology 
  • (SP) Several IES options
Structure and Function
  • Bl 311  Human Physiology
  • Bl 322 Modern Microbiology
  • Bl 345 Comparative Anatomy
  • Bl 346 Vertebrate Embryology
  • Bl 446 Animal Physiology
  • Bl 351 Plant Physiology
Computational / Data-based
  • Bl 330 Bioinformatics (SP)
  • Bl 391 Biomolecular Techniques
  • Bl 444 Computational Genomics
  • Bl 420 Adv Comp Resources  in  Biology
  • ES 335 GIS and Remote Sensing with Lab
Cellular/ Developmental/ Molecular
  • ES 246 Environmental Microbiology
  • Bl 340 Molecular Biology (FA)
  • Bl 391 Biomolecular Technologies
  • Bl 444 Computational Genetics
  • Bl 447 Genetics (FA)
  • Bl 449 General Bacteriology
  • Bl 450 Cell Biology (SP)
 
Additional Elective Options (writing courses in bold)
  • Bl 244 Microbiology    (not recommended for pre-professional students)
  • Bl 310 Human Anatomy
  • Bl 410 Special Topics in Biology (topics vary) Bl 440 Independent Research
  • SEM 441 Internship in SEM

 

 

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