Department of Biological Sciences

Justin Anderson, Department Head

The Department of Biological Sciences offers a four-year curriculum in Biological Sciences with concentrations in Integrative Biology; Microbiology/Molecular Biology; Ecology, Environmental, and Evolutionary Biology; Biology Education; Plant Science; and Business. Pre-professional programs in medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, veterinary medicine, optometry, and pharmacy are also offered.

Students in Medicine and Dentistry are urged to complete the requirements for the degree before entering a medical or dentistry school. Those who do not plan to obtain a degree before seeking admission to a School of Medicine, Dentistry, or Pharmacy should confer with the Department Head or their advisors before scheduling their course work.

Major in Biological Sciences

Students wishing to major in Biological Sciences must complete 41 semester hours of biology. The required courses are listed within the various concentration options.

Selection and Retention Policies

Students who propose to major in the Biological Sciences must successfully complete BIOL 1510 and BIOL 1530 , MATH 1610 or MATH 1750 or MATH 2000 , and CHEM 1210 , all with a grade of “C” or better. Exceptions can be made with the permission of the Department Head. In order to progress as a Major in the Department of Biological Sciences, students must receive a grade of “C” or better in all Biology courses and concentration electives. If the student receives a grade of less than “C” in any of these courses, the course may be repeated no more than twice. In addition, students majoring in the Biological Sciences must maintain an overall minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or better for all course work. Failure to meet these requirements will result in the student’s no longer being eligible to register as a Major in Biological Sciences.

Honors Diploma in the Discipline

For information on earning Sophomore Honors Distinction, Senior Honors Distinction, or the Honors Diploma, please consult The University Honors Program section of this catalog, the Director of the Honors Program, and/or your Department Head.

Minor

Eighteen semester hours are required for a minor. These must include BIOL 1510 -BIOL 1520 , BIOL 1530 -BIOL 1540 , and BIOL 2050 -BIOL 2070 or BIOL 2230 -BIOL 2240 , and six-hours of 3000/4000-level biology courses. Students must receive a grade of “C” or better for all Biology courses to complete the Minor in Biology.

Electives

The curricula leading to the bachelor’s degree provide a sufficient number of electives to permit a student to elect a minor in any one of several fields. Students should confer with their faculty advisors so that together they may consider courses that will benefit the student most in the specialized field.