Requirements for Major (B.A.)
A student planning to major in biology develops a plan of study based on the
following guidelines. The biology major consists of 41 semester hours of biology
plus 23 semester hours in other science departments. In the plan of study, the
student must select at least one course from each of the following: (Botanical)
– Biology 230, 234, 235, 236, 248, 249, 341, or 346; (Zoological) – Biology
224, 231, 232, 233, 238, 239, 247, 324, or 342.
Requirements for Major (B.S.)
Forty one semester hours of biology plus 33 semester hours in other science
departments. It requires careful and nearly complete use of a student’s electives
and is intended for those students who need the specific and additional sciences
required for entry into graduate programs leading to technical science careers
or the Ph.D. in a biological field.
The course requirements are the same as listed for the B.A. degree except as follows:
Advanced Placement scores: Students with an advanced placement score of 4 will recieve credit for Biology 110. Students with an advanced placement score of 5 will recieve credit for Biology 2XX (which counts as an Area III course in Biology).
Area I:
Biology 170: Concepts in Biology: Biological Information, Reproduction, and Evolution is to be taken by all majors and minors as a prerequisite to all other Biology courses except those at the 100-level.
Biology 180: Concepts in Biology: Energy and Resources in Biology is to be taken by all majors or minors as a prerequisite to all other Biology courses, except those at the 100-level.
Note: Biology 170 and Biology 180 may be taken in either order. Students with an advanced placement score of 4 will receive credit for Biology 110. Students with an advanced placement score of 5 will receive credit for Biology 250B after consultation with the department chairperson.
Area II:
A minimum of four semester hours from each of the following groups. Note that all courses at the 200-level and above have Biology 170 and 180 as prerequisites.
Group 1: Molecules, Organelles, Cells
Group 2: Tissues, Organs, Systems
Group 3: Organisms
Group 4: Populations, Communities, Ecosystems
Area III:
A minimum of nine semester hours of additional credits from any of the above or Biology 255: Biological Literacy, 4 semester hours; Biology 258: Extended Field Studies, up to 5 semester hours*: Biology 250: Topics (topic varies with offering), up to 5 semester hours; Biology 492: Directed Research, up to 5 semester hours*; Biology 493: Internship, up to 5 semester hours*; and Biology 494 Topic Seminar; 1-4 semester hours (topic varies with offering). Up to five credits of 100-level Biology may count here with Department approval.
*Up to five semester hours of each may count toward the major.
Area IV:
Biology 406: Senior Capstone Seminar, taken during the senior year.
Area V:
Fifteen semester hours of chemistry: Chemistry 121, Chemistry 162, Chemistry 201.
Area VI: Supporting Science
A minimum of eight semester hours from the Departments of Chemistry (beyond Chemistry 201), Computer Science, Environmental Studies, Geology (150 or higher), Mathematics (120 or higher), or Physics (107 or higher). It is not required that all the credits be taken from the same department.
The following courses also satisfy the requirements in the related sciences: