Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology
Our traditional major offers a thorough grounding in the biological sciences and prepares students for a variety of career paths, including graduate studies and employment in areas such as veterinary medicine and animal care, conservation biology and wildlife management.
Requirements
Students must earn 40-42 credit hours in biology, including 27 credit hours of core courses plus 14 credit hours of upper division (junior and senior level) biology courses.
An additional 18-19 credit hours of chemistry and physics courses are required. Because of its flexible design, this major will prepare you for a variety of career paths, including medical studies, graduate studies and secondary science teaching.
Biology (B.S.)
| Major Requirements (Required Biology Hours: 25) | Credit Hours: 59 (60) |
|---|---|
| BIOL 1101 Orientation to Biology | 1 |
| BIOL 1214 Fundamentals of Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 2214 General Botany | 4 |
| BIOL 2414 General Zoology | 4 |
| BIOL 3003 Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 3103 Introductory Biochemistry | 3 |
| BIOL 3114 General Microbiology | 4 |
| BIOL 4052 Analysis of Scientific Literature | 2 |
| BIOL 4502 Biology Capstone | 2 |
Elective Biology hours: 16
Any combination of 3000- and/or 4000-level BIOL-prefix courses. At least 2 credit hours of elective courses must be in directed study (BIOL 3851-6 or 4851-6), and no more than 6 credit hours total may be in BIOL-prefix directed study, research and/or internship courses.
| Required Ancillary Hours | 18 (19) |
|---|---|
| CHEM 1104 General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 1141 General Chemistry I Lab | 1 |
| CHEM 1204 General Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHEM 1241 General Chemistry II Lab | 1 |
| CHEM 3103 Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 3141 Organic Chemistry I Lab | 1 |
| PHYS 1503 General Physics I or | 3 |
| PHYS 2104 University Physics I | (4) |
| PHYS 1541 General Physics I Lab or | 1 |
| PHYS 2141 University Physics I Lab | (1) |
Fall semester: freshman year
Orientation to Biology (BIOL 1101)
Fundamentals of Biology with lab (BIOL 1214)
General Chemistry I + Lab (CHEM 1104, 1141)
English Composition I (ENGL 1113)
Liberal Arts Seminar (LAS 1063)
16 credit hours
Spring semester: freshman year
General Zoology with lab (BIOL 2414) or
General Botany with lab (BIOL 2214)
General Chemistry II + lab (CHEM 1204, 1241)
English Composition II (ENGL 1213)
College Algebra (MATH 1503)
15 credit hours
Fall semester: sophomore year
Genetics (BIOL 3003) or
General Microbiology with lab (BIOL 3114)
Organic Chemistry I + lab (CHEM 3103, 3141)
General Education classes to total 15-16 credit hours
Spring semester: sophomore year
General Zoology with lab (BIOL 2414) or
General Botany with lab (BIOL 2214)
[Optional: Organic Chemistry II + lab (CHEM 3203, 3241)]1
General Education classes to total 15-16 credit hours
Fall semester: junior year
Genetics (BIOL 3003) or General Microbiology with lab (BIOL 3114)
General Physics I + lab (PHYS 1503, 1541)
General Education classes to total 15-16 credit hours
Spring semester: junior year
Introductory Biochemistry (BIOL 3103)
Upper-level Biology Elective2
[Optional: General Physics II+ lab (PHYS 1603, 1641)]1
General Education classes to total 15-16 credit hours
Fall semester: senior year
Biology Capstone (BIOL 4502)
Upper-level Biology Elective(s) credit hours
Spring semester: senior year
Upper-level Biology Elective(s)2
General Education classes to total 15-16 credit hours
124 total credit hours
1Organic Chemistry II + lab, and General Physics II + lab are not required for this degree plan. However, they are necessary courses for some students in order to fulfill prerequisites for certain graduate degree programs.
214 CH of 3000- and/or 4000-level BIOL-prefix courses are required for the degree. No more than six credit hours may be BIOL- prefix Directed Study, Research and/or Internship courses.
You Qualify for Financial Aid
If you have a 3.0 GPA or higher, you may qualify for Academic Scholarships from $8,000–$13,000 per year.