Course Program For Biology Majors
The major in Biology is designed to educate students in both the breadth of subject matter encompassed by the biological sciences and the rapidly advancing knowledge at the forefront of this discipline.
The major in Biology was redesigned (May of 2001) to give students more flexibility in designing a program to fit their needs. The new curriculum gives students more choices to meet degree requirements; as such, this program is effective immediately to all students (rising seniors to entering freshmen), with the exception that the First Year Seminar Course is required only of entering students (freshmen and transfer students).
Program for majors
The program is described in detail below in the following sections:
Biology Courses (required and elective), Additional Science Courses, Comprehensive Exam and Senior Thesis. Completion of all requirements is necessary to obtain the major.
AP-credit in Biology
- Students who receive a score of 5 on the AP Biology Exam will receive 2 credits of upper division electives that will count towards the 44 credits of biology courses and will receive the equivalent of a 4-credit nonmajors course (this is recorded as a College elective course).
- Students with a score of 4 on the AP Biology Exam will receive 1 credit of upper division elective that will count towards the 44 credits of biology courses and will receive the equivalent of a 3-credit nonmajors course (this is recorded as a College elective course).
Courses in the first year
Normally, the first year includes biology, chemistry, mathematics and general education courses:
Fall term: We recommend 4 courses and seminar:
Spring term: 5 courses is the normal load:
- Introductory Biology II with laboratory (BIOL-104)
- General Chemistry with laboratory (CHEM-002, -010)
- Mathematics (unless requirement is completed)
- General Education (two courses): language, English, Philosophy or Theology
Program for Majors
1. Biology Courses Required
Required core courses
(16 or 17 credits, the difference is dependent upon BIOL-101):
- BIOL-101 First-year seminar (1 credit). This course is required for first year students and is recommended for transfer students and those students who enter the program after the first-year (contact the department chair or your advisor).
- BIOL-103 Introductory Biology I (4 credits)
- BIOL-104 Introductory Biology II (4 credits)
- BIOL-152 Genetics (4 credits)
- Senior Thesis - choose one of these (4 credits total)
Elective courses
(28 credits [no BIOL-101] or 27 credits [with BIOL-101] AND no AP-Biology credit):
- See undergraduate bulletin for course descriptions or pre-registration information for a list of upper division courses offered each term. Plan ahead to ensure that prerequisites are met. Pay particular attention that Biochemistry (BIOL-151) is a pre-requisite for several upper division courses.
Concentrations of study
- Students interested in concentrating in a particular area of study may choose one of the following concentrations (students are not required to choose a concentration). A concentration requires (1) selecting five of the upper division electives from one of the two lists, and (2) performing the Senior Thesis project within that study area. We also recommend that a student choose at least one course from the other area of study for breadth of knowledge.
One-credit option
To enable students to have an opportunity to explore the interface between biological sciences and other disciplines, biology majors can apply 1 credit (max) towards the degree requirements for selected courses. The Committee on Undergraduate Students and Studies must approve each course in advance and must approve applying the credit towards the major. See your advisor for additional details.
Total credit requirements: 44 credits of Biology courses
2. Additional Science Courses Required
- CHEM-001/-009 and -002/-010 General Chemistry with laboratory (10 credits total)
- MATH-035 Calculus I and either -036 Calculus II or -040 Probability and Statistics (8 credit total)
- Science electives, 8 credits selected from (in consultation with a faculty advisor):
3. Comprehensive Examination
Each Biology major is required to pass a comprehensive examination in the Fall of the senior year. This examination consists of either the Biology section or Biochemistry and Molecular Biology section of the Graduate Record Examination.
4. Senior Thesis
A senior thesis is a departmental degree requirement. Each Biology major conducts an independent laboratory research project or an intensive library investigation of a specific area of biology. The thesis is conducted over two semesters in the senior year and is awarded a total of four credits. However, students may begin research earlier, generally in the third year and in the summer between the third and fourth years.
