Majoring & Minoring

The Biology Department offers majors and minors for the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees. The Department also supports an Interdisciplinary major in Animal Behavior and provides core natural science laboratory courses for all students.

Each years, several students in our department pursue further education (either a Master's or a Ph.D.) in various graduate school programs.  Others go on to get professional degrees in the medical, dental or veterinary fields.  We strive to support those professional goals through curriculum planning assistance, testing information, and career guidance.

MAJOR

Requirements for a major in Biology for the BS and BA degrees are:

A. Introductory Courses 
50-102 Cell Biology 
50-112 Biodiversity 
50-122 Genetics and Evolution 
50-162 Genes and Molecules 
50-222 Methods in Ecology and Evolution 
50-232 Methods in Cellular and Molecular Biology

NOTE: Biology majors must have completed Biology 50-102, 112, 122, 162, 222 and 232 with a grade of at least C- before enrolling in any additional above-introductory level Biology course.

AND

B. Any five (for BA) or six (for BS) of the following courses, with the additional requirements that: (a) a minimum of four of the courses selected must include a laboratory component and (b) at least one course must be taken from each of the subdisciplines of cellular/molecular, organismal, and population biology.

Cellular and Molecular:
50-474 Cellular Physiology 
50-484 Microbiology 
50-573 General Biochemistry I & Laboratory (571) 
50-583 General Biochemistry II OR 50-583 General Biochemistry II & Laboratory (581) 
50-864 Fundamentals of Immunology 
50-874 Molecular Biology

Organismal:
50-324 Botany 
50-353 Neurobiology 
50-364 Comparative Vertebrate Morphology 
50-394 Endocrinology 
50-424 Organ Physiology 
50-444 Invertebrate Ecology

Population:
50-314 Genetics 
50-333 Evolution 
50-414 Global Change Biology 
50-434 Ecology

C. Upon recommendation of the advisor, up to two of the following courses may be substituted for courses in B above. Four credit hours of Introduction to Research may substitute for only one of the required laboratory courses in B above. These courses do not count under any specific subdiscipline.

50-303, 304 Selected Topics 
50-973 Introduction to Independent Research 
50-983 Honors Biology

D. The capstone experience for the biology major consists of either a research project or internship approved by the Biology Department or a capstone seminar associated with an upper-level biology class (50-931). Consult with members of the department for more details on the capstone experience.

Bachelor of Science

In addition to A, B, and C above, those taking the BS degree must also complete:

• Mathematics: 52-154 (Calculus I) and 52-113 (Statistics)
• Chemistry: First-year sequence (51-153/151 and 51-163/161, or 51-173/171 and 51-213/211)
• Both semester of the Organic Chemistry sequence (now 51-544 and 51-554)
• Along with a year of Physics (53-154, 53-164)

Bachelor of Arts

In addition to A, B, and C above, those taking the BA degree also must complete:

Chemistry: First-year sequence (51-153/151 and 51-163/161, or 51-173/171), and First semester Organic Chemistry 51-553/551

MINOR

A minor in Biology must include: 50-102, 112, 122, 162; and enough courses from "B" above to total 12 semester hours above the introductory level. Methods classes for a particular area (Ecology and Evolution or Cell/Molecular) are required for upper-level courses. At least one of these courses must include a laboratory component.