2022-2023 Academic Catalog 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
2022-2023 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Biology, leading to a B.S. degree


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Major Requirements


To declare and be retained as a biology major, a student must maintain a 2.00 grade point average based on the courses attempted which satisfy the biology major’s requirements.  No courses numbered below 204 except BIO 160 Foundations of Biological Inquiry , BIO 165 From Ecosystems to Organisms , and BIO 175 From Organisms to Molecules  can be used to fulfill the biology major requirements.

Required Courses:


Biology majors must complete nine biology courses and four cognate courses.

Biology courses


Three introductory courses:

Three introductory courses should be completed before end of the third year.

At least six biology electives:

Six biology electives numbered between 204 and 900, which may include ESC 312 - CUE: Toxicology , NSC 311 - Neurons & Networks , SUS 350 - Community Sustainability in Costa Rica , and up to one credit (one full course unit or two half course units) of BIO 970 Biology Independent Study/Research .  At least one course must be from each of list A, B, and C and at least one course must be a 400-level CUE course.

List A

Courses studying populations through ecosystems, including a lab or field component:

List B

Courses studying organisms and tissue systems, including a lab or field component:

List C

Courses studying cells and molecules, including a lab component:

Culminating Undergraduate Experience (CUE):

  • At least one of the biology courses numbered between 400 and 499.  These are advanced, seminar style course that incorporate inquiry-oriented student projects.

Note:


Students are strongly encouraged to complete CHM 202 - Organic Chemistry II  or CHM 204, 206 - Organic Chemistry IIA  and PHY 122 - General Physics II  because a full year of each are required by many graduate programs in the biological sciences and health professions.

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