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Bachelor of Science in Biology
Students who complete an undergraduate degree in biology will be able to:

1.  Identify fundamental concepts in the biological sciences, including
a.  the relationship between structure and function at all levels of biological organization,
b.  evolution and the role of natural selection in the process,
c.  ecological relationships between organisms and their environment.
2.  Describe cellular structure and explain the major biochemical processes that occur in cells.

3.  Describe and explain the mechanisms of heredity and the flow of genetic information.

4.  Apply knowledge in basic mathematics, chemistry, and physics to solve biological problems.

5.  Employ techniques and procedures commonly used in modern biology laboratories.

6.  Analyze and critically evaluate scientific data.

7.  Write clearly about topics in the biological sciences for a peer or professional audience.





The B.S. degree program is a rigorous curriculum designed for students interested in preparing for graduate studies or a professional school, or pursuing entry level employment in a science-related field.

Requirements

In addition to the general education requirements, students pursuing the B.S. degree in biology must meet the following requirements:

A. Biology Course Requirements

1. The following core courses (17 credit hours) are required.

                                               Hours
BIOLOGY 108 General Biology I 3
BIOLOGY 108L General Biology I Laboratory 1
BIOLOGY 109 General Biology II 3
BIOLOGY 109L General Biology II Laboratory 1
BIOLOGY 202 Cell Biology 3
BIOLOGY 206 Genetics 3
LS-BIOC 341 Basic Biochemistry 3


2. Two of the following laboratory courses are required for a minimum of 5 credit hours. One of these courses must be a Writing Intensive (WI) course. The second may be taken using the non-WI option.

                                                  Hours
BIOLOGY 302L Ecology Laboratory 2
BIOLOGY 312WL Laboratory in Developmental
Biology, Genetics and
  Cell Biology (WI)     3
LS-MCRB 313L or Laboratory in Microbiology(WI)    
LS-MCRB 313WL 3
BIOLOGY 328L or Laboratory in Histology and
BIOLOGY 328WL Cellular Ultrastructure (WI)    3
LS-BIOC 360L or Laboratory in Biochemistry
LS-BIOC 360WL and Molecular Biology (WI)   3
LS-ANATO 118L Introductory Anatomy Laboratory 2

3. The Biology Synthesis requirement may be met by a total of 3 credit hours chosen from the following:

                                                Hours
BIOLOGY 498WI Critical Analysis of
   Biological Issues (WI) 3
LIFE-SCI 490WI Senior Seminar (WI) 3
LIFE-SCI 499 Undergraduate Research 1-3
LIFE-SCI 497 Special Topics 1-3

4.  Students must complete additional biology majors coursework for a total of 42 credit hours of biology courses with grades of C- or better.  26 of these hours must be junior/senior level.  A minimum of 21 credit hours of biology courses must be taken from the School of Biological Sciences.  

B. Physical Sciences and Mathematics Course Requirements

The following courses must be completed with grades of C- or better.

                                                Hours
MATH 216 or MATH 210 Biomath I or Calculus I 4
MATH 226 or MATH 220 Biomath II or Calculus II
or STAT 235 or Elementary Statistics 3-4
 PHYSICS 210 or Gen. Physics I or Physics
PHYSICS 240 for Science and Engineering I 4-5
PHYSICS 220 or Gen. Physics II or Physics for
PHYSICS 250* Science and Engineering II* 4-5
CHEM 211 General Chemistry I 4
CHEM 211L Experimental General
   Chemistry I 1
CHEM 212R General Chemistry II 4
CHEM 212LR Experimental General
   Chemistry II 1
CHEM 321 Organic Chemistry I 3
CHEM 321L Organic Chemistry
   Laboratory I 1
CHEM 322R Organic Chemistry II 3
CHEM 322L Organic Chemistry Laboratory II 1

* Students may choose LIFE-SCI 401 Biophysical Principles
(3 credit hours) as an alternative to PHYSICS 250.
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