Biology Major (B.S.)
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
Requirements for the biology major consist of 34 semester hours in biology and 19 additional hours in chemistry and mathematics to include the following courses:
Biology
BIOL 101, 102 General Biology
BIOL 350 Genetics
BIOL 360 Ecology
BIOL 491, 492 Senior Seminar
(BIOL 384 Research Methods and BIOL 496 Senior Thesis may each be substituted for one Senior Seminar.)
Plus an additional 16 hours of upper-division biology courses.
An upper-division botany course is highly recommended.
Chemistry
CHEM 211, 212 General Chemistry
CHEM 325 Organic Chemistry
Plus one of the following:
CHEM 326 Organic Chemistry
CHEM 310 Analytical Chemistry
Mathematics
MATH 190 Precalculus or above is required, with MATH 201, 202 Calculus I, II highly recommended.
Physics
PHYS 201, 202 General Physics or PHYS 211, 212 General Physics With Calculus is also recommended.
The chemistry, mathematics, and physics courses also fulfill up to 12 hours of the sciences requirement for general education.
A minimum grade of C- must be obtained in all biology and chemistry courses for graduation.
Thesis Option
Students can petition the department thesis committee by the end of the fall semester of their junior year for permission to do original research as part of their degree requirement. Students allowed to pursue the thesis option must:
1. Complete an acceptable research proposal and the Research Methods course (BIOL 384) by the end of the spring semester of the junior year.
2. Take up to 4 hours of Biological Research (BIOL 495) between the spring semester of their junior year and graduation, and Senior Thesis (BIOL 496) during the spring semester of their senior year.
3. Complete a written thesis acceptable to the thesis committee by April 1 of their senior year.
4. Prepare a poster and give an oral presentation of their research prior to graduation.
The department considers this an honor to be noted on the student’s transcript. The thesis is designed to enhance a student’s preparation for graduate or professional school.
