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Curriculum

Student learning outcomes:

• Students will have learned both the fundamental processes of biological systems and advanced knowledge of biology.
• Students will be able to design and conduct biologically meaningful experiments.
• Students will be able to use their knowledge of the interdisciplinary nature of biology to analyze biological problems.
• Students’ verbal and written communication skills will have improved, including scientific writing and professional public speaking.
• Students will be able to apply quantitative reasoning skills to biological problems.
• Students’ critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills will have improved.
• Students will be able to describe how knowledge of Biology is important in addressing and solving societal problems.

Department policies and/or General Education modifications:

•    HBIO 111, 112 and 114 are the three core introductory courses required for all Biology Majors.  Students may start with either HBIO 111 or HBIO 114 and either is a pre-requisite for HBIO 112.
•    A grade of C or better is required for majors to satisfactorily complete all Biology core courses, cognate courses, laboratory courses, and Biology electives.
•    Introductory core courses each have a co-requisite laboratory that must be taken simultaneously with the lecture course.  
•    Double-dipping between required and elective courses in the Major in Biology and other majors and minors is permitted without restriction.
•    Advanced laboratory courses (HBIO 200-level and greater) must be taken concurrently with their associated lecture course.
•    Not more than one Public Health Sciences (HPBH) course may be taken as a Biology elective. 
•    Students must complete the introductory core courses in Biology and their co-requisite laboratories prior to enrolling in upper-level (HBIO 200+) courses.
•    Some advanced courses (200-level or greater) in Chemistry and Psychology at Â黨ÊÓƵ may be accepted as Major in Biology electives with permission of the Chair of Biology.
•    With prior approval of the Chair of Biology, as many as 2 biology elective courses may be taken at other institutions during the academic year or summer.
•    Academic credit awarded for participation in a summer research program or internship will not apply toward the elective credit requirements in the Biology Major.
•    General Education Biology courses (HBIO 101, 105, 106, 111, 112, 113, 114) taken off-campus (with permission of the Chair of Biology) must include an in-person laboratory component.
•    Students planning to pursue advanced professional studies (medical or dental school) or a graduate degree program are strongly advised to consult with their academic advisor, the Office of Health Professions, the Office of Science Training, or directly with the programs they wish to pursue to ensure that appropriate courses are taken beyond the minimum requirements to complete the Major in Biology.

Advanced Placements Credits

A student who has successfully completed an AP Biology course in high school and scored at least four (4) on the Advanced Placement Test in Biology administered by the College Board will, upon consultation with the Chair, be exempted from the first semester of our core introductory courses (Cell and Molecular Biology HBIO 111) and will receive four hours of credit.

Departmental Honors

A student majoring in biology may be recommended for departmental honors by completing the following requirements: eligibility for college honors, an average of B or above in the required biology courses and electives, and successful completion of a research project which is described in a senior thesis and defended before the department faculty in a seminar.  In cases where the thesis adviser is at another institution, students must have a co-sponsor from the Â黨ÊÓƵ Biology faculty. Application deadlines and detailed guidelines are available from the Department Chair. The requirements for honors in biology are subject to change as the faculty reviews these criteria.

Program of study requirements (57 credit hours):

Program Requirements (13 hours)
    HBIO 111 Cell and Molecular Biology and HBIO 111L Laboratory
    HBIO 112 Systems Biology and HBIO 112L Laboratory
    HBIO 114 Populations, Community and Biosphere and HBIO 114L Laboratory
    HBIO 425 Senior Seminar

Additional Biology Laboratories (3 courses, 3 hours)
    HBIO 215L Molecular Genetics Laboratory
HBIO 306L Principles of Microbiology Laboratory
    HBIO 315L Principles of Biochemistry Laboratory
    HBIO 316L Principles of Physiology Laboratory
    HBIO 317L Principles of Neurobiology Laboratory
    HBIO 319L Plant Sciences Laboratory
    HBIO 320L Ecology Laboratory
    HBIO 351L Cell Biology Laboratory
    HBIO 411L Cancer Biology Laboratory
    HBIO 497L Environmental Studies Laboratory
    Or other 200+ laboratory courses approved by the Chair of Biology

Cognate Courses (23 hours)
    HCHE 111 Elementary Inorganic Chemistry
    HCHE 111L Elementary Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory
    HCHE 112 Elementary Inorganic Chemistry
    HCHE 112L Elementary Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory
    HCHE 231 Elementary Organic Chemistry
        HCHE 231L Elementary Organic Chemistry Laboratory
        HMAT 161 Calculus I
        HMAT 162 Calculus II or HMAT 130 Basic Statistics
        HPHY 151 + 151L General Physics I and Laboratory or HPHY 154 + 154L 
                        Mechanics and Laboratory

Biology Electives (6 courses, 18 hours)
    HBIO 215 Molecular Genetics
    HBIO 260 Ethnobotany
    HBIO 306 Principles of Microbiology
    HBIO 315 Principles of Biochemistry
    HBIO 316 Principles of Physiology
    HBIO 317 Principles of Neurobiology
    HBIO 318 Introduction to DNA Microarray Analysis
    HBIO 319 Plant Sciences
    HBIO 320 Ecology
    HBIO 321-322 Special Topics in Biology
    HBIO 350 Principles of Bioinformatics
    HBIO 351 Cell Biology
    HBIO 381-382 Biological Research
    HBIO 391-393 Research Collaboration
    HBIO 411 Cancer Biology
    HBIO 427 Animal Histology
    HBIO 451 Cellular Genetics
    HBIO 461 Advanced Topics in Biochemistry
    HBIO 471 Principles of Animal Development  
    HBIO 477 Invertebrate and Vertebrate Comparative Anatomy
    HBIO 497 Environmental Studies
    Or other 200+ courses approved by the Chair of Biology