Undergraduate Catalog

Bachelor’s Degree in Biology General Biology Emphasis

Expected Outcomes:

  • Students will demonstrate an understanding of laboratory skills relevant to the life sciences. They will understand how to formulate rational hypotheses, test them experimentally, gather and analyze data, and present their results professionally.
  • Students will be able to explain how the structure and function of DNA underlies heredity, and how genetic information flows according to the Central Dogma of Molecular Biology.
  • Students will understand both cell structure and the fundamentals of metabolism, and explain how all life shares a common molecular basis.
  • Students will demonstrate an understanding of ecological principles, ecosystem structures, and human impact on ecosystems.
  • Students will be able to describe how evolutionary processes lead to organismal diversity, and also explain the phylogenetic relationships between major groups of organisms.

Degree Requirements (Semester Hours)

General Education Core

Note: The Core should include

REL 241Introduction to Philosophy

3

MAT 141Precalculus

5

Or

MAT 231Statistics

3

CHE 111General Chemistry I

4

CHE 112General Chemistry II

4

Required Chemistry Courses (8)

CHE 211Organic Chemistry I

4

CHE 212Organic Chemistry II

4

Required Biology Courses (14)

BIO 111General Biology I

4

Or

BIO 115General Biology I for Majors

4

BIO 112General Biology II

4

Or

BIO 116General Biology II for Majors

4

BIO 301Genetics

4

BIO 310Biology Seminar

2

General Biology Courses (12)

BIO 261Microbiology

4

BIO 331Cell Biology

4

BIO 341Ecology

4

Biology Electives (Choose from the following) (12)

BIO 201Human Anatomy & Physiology I

4

BIO 202Human Anatomy & Physiology II

4

BIO 312Topics in Biology

3

BIO 313Topics in Biology Lab

1

BIO 317Marine Biology

4

BIO 318Conservation Biology

3

BIO 321Parasitology

3

BIO 322Parasitology Lab

1

BIO 350Botanical Diversity

4

BIO 399Bioethics

3

BIO 411Immunology

3

BIO 426Embryology

4

BIO 440Invertebrate Zoology

4

BIO 441Vertebrate Zoology

4

BIO 444Independent Research

3

CHE 411Biochemistry

3

PSY 424Neuropsychology

3

For the Bachelor of Arts Degree a Foreign Language is Required (intermediate level) (6)

For the Bachelor of Science Degree Additional Math, Science or Social Science is Required (3-4)

Approved Electives (18-26)