Biology Major Requirements
Entry-level requirements and co-requisites:
BIO 1001, BIO 1002: are prerequisites for all biology courses above the 2000 level. NOTE: If a C - or below is received in either of these foundational classes, it must be retaken and passed with a minimum grade of C before students can progress to 3000-level electives.
CHM 1001, CHM 1003, CHM 1002, CHM 1004: completed with a minimum grade of C-. Note: these classes are prerequisites for some biology courses above the 2000 level.
Prospective majors and students interested in enrolling in Principles of Biology I (BIO 1001) or Principles of Biology II (BIO 1002) need to complete the Biology Placement Exam, which is an online exam located on Blackboard. Without passing the placement exam, students should start with Intro to Biology (BIO 1000)
It is strongly recommended that students majoring in Biology take Principles of Biology and Principles of Chemistry in the freshman year. Students who begin the program as General Biology majors and plan to pursue graduate study or a career in the health professions must complete the appropriate co-requisites before applying (see pre-health and graduate school preparation). Sample schedules for advising are available in the biology department.
Upper Level Biology Requirements:
Five elective courses above the 1000 level. Three of these must be laboratory courses (4 credits), and Two 3-credit electives (may be an independent study or internship).
For the General Biology Program, no more than two of the major courses may be at the 2000 level. Students preparing for the health professions or graduate school (see below) should not take more than one 2000 course as part of their five course electives. Biology majors should seek an advisor from the Biology faculty no later than the beginning of their sophomore year to guide their choice of program and electives.
Biology Senior Research Program
Every undergraduate major must complete a research project that begins in the fall semester of their 3rd or 4th year. Each senior works closely with a mentor from the biology faculty to develop a group or independent original research project that culminates in a senior paper and presentation at the end of the year.
In addition to the entry-level requirements and co-requisites, and the seven electives, as outlined above, biology majors must complete the following two-course research sequence (see course descriptions below for further details):
BIO 3996 Team Biology Research or- BIO 3997 Independent Biology Research (3 credits)
BIO 3998 Senior Evaluation (3 credits)
Note: All upper level major courses must be completed with a minimum grade of C-.
All of the biology faculty members have on-going and short-term research projects, and this required research sequence allows for scholarship development for both faculty and students. Students often have the opportunity to present their undergraduate research projects at local, regional and national conferences, and some projects are ultimately published in peer-reviewed journals.
All students in Senior Research are required to attend the senior presentations, and all majors are encouraged to attend.