Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology
The minimum number of semester credit hours required for the Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, including the Core Curriculum requirements, is 120. Thirty-nine of the total semester credit hours required for the degree must be at the upper-division level. All major and support work courses must be completed with a grade of “C” or better. Students seeking teacher certification should contact the Teacher Advising and Certification Center in the College of Education and Human Development for information. Undergraduates seeking elementary teacher certification must complete the Interdisciplinary Studies degree.
For students wishing to add focus and expertise to their degree, the Department of Biology also offers a Bachelor of Science Degree with a concentration in one of five areas: Cell and Molecular Biology, Ecology, Microbiology/Immunology, Neurobiology, and Plant Biology. Adding an Area of Concentration does not require additional coursework beyond the normal Bachelor of Science degree program. Students do, however, have to restrict their selection of biology electives to a predefined list of complementary courses and complete this body of coursework with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better. Students are also encouraged to enroll in Laboratory Research: Biology Concentrations (BIO 4923) as part of their program of study. Specific courses required for each concentration are listed under Areas of Concentration below.
All candidates for this degree must fulfill the Core Curriculum requirements and the degree requirements, which are listed below.
Core Curriculum requirements: Students seeking the Bachelor of Science degree in Biology must fulfill University Core Curriculum requirements in the same manner as other students. The courses listed in the table below satisfy both degree requirements and Core Curriculum requirements; however, if these courses are taken to satisfy both requirements, then students will need to take additional courses in order to meet the minimum number of semester credit hours required for this degree. For a complete listing of courses that satisfy the Core Curriculum requirements see pages 5–9 of this catalog.
| Core Curriculum Component Area | Courses that Satisfy Core Curriculum and Degree Requirements |
|---|---|
Communications |
English Rhetoric/Composition (6 semester credit hours) |
Mathematics |
Mathematics (3 semester credit hours) |
Natural Sciences |
Science (6 semester credit hours)
PHY 1603, 1611 Algebra-based Physics I and Laboratory |
Humanities & Visual and Performing Arts |
Literature (3 semester credit hours) |
Social and Behavioral Sciences |
United States History and Diversity (6 semester credit hours) |
World Society and Issues |
(3 semester credit hours) |
Degree Requirements
- 46 semester credit hours in the major, 30 of which must be at the upper-division level:
- 29 semester credit hours in biology are required:
BIO 1122 Laboratory Investigations in Biology BIO 1404 Biosciences I BIO 1413 Biosciences II BIO 2313, 2322 Genetics and Laboratory BIO 3413, 3422 Physiology and Laboratory BIO 3513, 3522 Biochemistry and Laboratory BIO 3813, 3822 Cellular Biology and Laboratory
- 5 semester credit hours of a lecture and accompanying laboratory course are required from the following:
BIO 3283, 3292 Principles of Ecology and Laboratory BIO 3433, 3442 Neurobiology and Laboratory BIO 3713, 3722 Microbiology and Laboratory BIO 4143, 4152 Developmental Biology and Laboratory
(Note: A laboratory section adds a valuable dimension to the understanding of the material presented in a lecture. In general, students are encouraged to add the appropriate laboratory section to any lecture beyond the minimum
5-semester-credit-hour requirement.)
12 additional semester credit hours of biology electives at the upper-division level
- 29 semester credit hours in biology are required:
- 33 semester credit hours of support work:
The support courses listed below are mandatory prerequisites for various biology courses starting in a student’s sophomore year. Students need to complete their support work as soon as possible, in their freshman and sophomore years, to be eligible to register for upper-division biology core courses and electives. Failure to complete the support courses listed below in a timely fashion will significantly delay a student’s progress toward graduation.
- 14 semester credit hours of required chemistry courses:
CHE 1103 General Chemistry I CHE 1113, 1132 General Chemistry II and Laboratory CHE 2604, 2612 Organic Chemistry I and Laboratory - 8 semester credit hours of required mathematics and statistics courses:
MAT 1194 Calculus for the Biosciences STA 1404 Probability and Statistics for the Biosciences
- 8 semester credit hours of required physics courses:
PHY 1603, 1611 Algebra-based Physics I and Laboratory PHY 1623, 1631 Algebra-based Physics II and Laboratory or PHY 1943, 1951 Physics for Scientists I and Laboratory PHY 1963, 1971 Physics for Scientists II and Laboratory
- 3 semester credit hours of computer-based data visualization and analysis:
Computation for Scientists and Engineers
- 14 semester credit hours of required chemistry courses:
- 8 semester credit hours of free electives at the upper-division level
Areas of Concentration
Concentration in Cell and Molecular Biology
All candidates for the Concentration in Cell and Molecular Biology must complete the following:
BIO 3913 Molecular Biology
and three of the following upper-division elective courses:
BIO 3103 Biotechnology BIO 3163 Histology and Cytology BIO 4143 Developmental Biology BIO 4343 Molecular Genetics BIO 4453 Endocrinology BIO 4543 Bioinformatics BIO 4923 Laboratory Research: Biology Concentrations
Concentration in Ecology
All candidates for the Concentration in Ecology must complete the following:
BIO 3283, 3292 Principles of Ecology and Laboratory
and two of the following upper-division elective courses:
BIO 3213 Animal Behavior BIO 3323 Evolution BIO 4033 Conservation Biology BIO 4043 Desert Biology BIO 4053 Wildlife Biology BIO 4063 Ornithology BIO 4083 Entomology BIO 4203 Plant Ecology BIO 4233 Field Biology BIO 4923 Laboratory Research: Biology Concentrations
Concentration in Microbiology/Immunology
All candidates for the Concentration in Microbiology/Immunology must complete the following:
BIO 3713, 3722 Microbiology and Laboratory BIO 4743 Immunology
and two of the following upper-division elective courses:
BIO 3013 Introduction to Clinical Medicine and Pathology BIO 3733 Industrial Microbiology BIO 3743 Bacteriology BIO 4483 Medical Mycology BIO 4573 Molecular Mycology BIO 4723 Virology BIO 4763 Parasitology BIO 4923 Laboratory Research: Biology Concentrations
Concentration in Neurobiology
All candidates for the Concentration in Neurobiology must complete the following:
BIO 3433, 3442 Neurobiology and Laboratory
and two of the following upper-division elective courses:
BIO 3213 Animal Behavior BIO 3623 Neuropsychopharmacology BIO 4573 Sensory Perception BIO 4583 The Computational Brain BIO 4813 Brain and Behavior BIO 4823 Cognitive Neuroscience BIO 4923 Laboratory Research: Biology Concentrations
Concentration in Plant Biology
All candidates for the Concentration in Plant Biology must complete the following:
BIO 3343 Plant Cell Biology
and three of the following upper-division electives. It is highly recommended that one of these electives is BIO 4923 Laboratory Research: Biology Concentrations in a laboratory engaged in plant-based research.
BIO 3263 The Woody Plants BIO 3273 Biology of Flowering Plants BIO 3333 Plants and Society BIO 4203 Plant Ecology BIO 4623 Plant Responses to Biotic Stress BIO 4643 Medicinal Plants BIO 4663 Plant Development BIO 4923 Laboratory Research: Biology Concentrations