Note(s)

• If students qualify for MATH 201   as their Math requirement under general education, they must complete 3 credits of major electives, to be chosen with program director.
• If students are required to take MATH 116   to meet the general education math requirement, MATH 201   will count towards major requirements.
• To complete the major concentration, corequisite lab courses must be taken.

There is a 15-credit residency requirement in the major concentration of Biology that must be completed with courses numbered BIOL 230 and above. CHEM 354   may also be used to meet this requirement.

Required Courses

*     Fulfills 3 credits of General Education Scientific Perspectives credits
**   Fulfills 15 credits of General Education Liberal Arts electives
*** Fulfills 3 credits of General Education Mathematics credits

• BIOL 105 -  Pathways, Perspectives, and Ethics in Science **

• (waived for transfer students entering with at least 30 credits)

• BIOL 160 -  General Biology I Lecture *
• BIOL 160A -  General Biology I Lab
• BIOL 161 -  General Biology II Lecture **
• BIOL 161A -  General Biology II Lab **
• CHEM 160 -  General Chemistry I Lecture **
• CHEM 160A -  General Chemistry I Lab **
• CHEM 161 -  General Chem II Lecture **
• CHEM 161A -  General Chem II Lab **
• MATH 116 -  College Algebra ***

• (waived if students enter at level of Math 201 or higher) 

• MATH 201 -  Precalculus ***

• (If students enter at level of Math 201, Math 201 will count towards their General Education Math credits and additional 3 credits of major elective courses must be taken in consultation with Program Director)

Additional Required Courses

• BIOL 227 -  Principles of Evolution
• BIOL 230 -  Animal Behavior
• BIOL 244 -  Ecology
• BIOL 275 -  Cell Biology
• BIOL 360 -  Genetics
• BIOL 366 -  Developmental Biology
• BIOL 370 -  Research in Biology I
• BIOL 460 -  Research Capstone in Bio Or
• BIOL 461 -  Literature Capstone in Biology
• CHEM 260 -  Organic Chem I Lecture
• CHEM 260A -  Organic Chem I Lab
• CHEM 261 -  Organic Chem II Lecture
• CHEM 261A -  Organic Chem II Lab
• MATH 122 -  Statistics Or
• PSYN 370 -  Stats Socl/Behv Sciences

Major Electives: Choose 4 courses from the following list*:

• BIOL 252 -  Plant Biology
• BIOL 265 -  Microbiology Lecture
• BIOL 265A -  Microbiology Lab **
• BIOL 295 -  Special Topics Biology
• BIOL 309 -  Human Physiology
• BIOL 310 -  Immunology
• BIOL 317 -  Principles of Neuroscience
• BIOL 355 -  Molecular Biol of the Cell
• BIOL 397 -  Independent Study Biol
• BIOL 424 -  Neurobiology
• BIOL 440 -  Adv Research Neurodegeneration
• BIOL 441 -  Adv Research Molecular Genetics
• CHEM 354 -  Biochemistry
• CHEM 354A -  Biochemistry Laboratory
• PHYS 160 -  Physics for Life Science I
• PHYS 161 -  Physics for Life Science II
• PHYS 180 -  Physics for Bio Sci I
• PHYS 181 -  Physics for Bio Sci II
• VETC 256 -  Anatomy of Dom Animals Lec **
• VETC 256A -  Anatomy Dom Animals Lab **
• VETC 300 -  Physiology Domestic Animals **
• VETC 306 -  Clinical Lab Tech & Analysis **
• VETC 306A -  Clinical Lab Tech Lab **

• 
  * Students who plan to apply to veterinary medical school are strongly encouraged to choose PHYS, 160, PHYS 161 or PHYS 180, PHYS 181, along with CHEM354, and BIOL 265/265A as their major electives to fulfill the prerequisite requirements of most veterinary medical programs.

   

  **VETC 101 pre-requisite requirement for VETC courses will be waived for Animal Sciences majors; students taking VETC electives must meet the VETC progression requirements*** (see below). VETC256/A must be taken concurrently or prior to VETC300; VETC 306/306A can only be taken after successful completion of VET256/A and VETC300.

   

  *** VETC course progression requirements: In order to take VETC courses to fulfill the Animal Sciences major elective requirements students must first earn a grade of B in ENGL 111, grade of B in Math 116, grade of C+ in BIOL 160/160A and minimum grades of C in all Natural Sciences courses. Note, students in the Animal Sciences track can meet their major elective requirements with non-VETC courses (see major elective list from above), in which case, these progression requirements for VETC courses would not apply.

Open Electives

Students who wish to apply to Veterinary Medical School should consider enrolling in MATH 260 (Calculus I) if required for their Veterinary Medical School of interest.

Biology Learning Outcomes

Students who completed this program will be able to:

• Synthesize and apply core scientific concepts to demonstrate a broad and in-depth knowledge of biology
• Critically evaluate and interpret scientific information from a variety of sources
• Effectively communicate scientific concepts through oral and written modes
• Apply the scientific method to formulate hypotheses, design and conduct experiments, and interpret experimental results
• Exhibit proficiency in laboratory techniques in the biological sciences, troubleshoot experiments, and demonstrate safe laboratory practices
• Employ quantitative reasoning to address biology questions and critically evaluate experimental findings and scientific information
• Recognize the ethical dimensions of science and evaluate the implications of unethical scientific conduct
• Critically examine basic, applied and societal problems in the biological sciences and propose problem solving strategies
• Work as effective team members on collaborative projects

Additional Learning Outcomes for the Animal Sciences Track

Students who complete the Animal Sciences track will be able to:

• Evince the tenets of professional behavior and communication, ethical value and culture sensitivity
• Explain disease processes underlying common exotic and small animal diseases and evaluate their clinical implications relative to optimizing treatment
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of mammalian anatomy and the relationship between anatomical structure and function
• Exhibit a foundational knowledge of the physiologic mechanisms, functions and metabolism organ systems of domestic species
• Perform common clinical tests commiserate with the current standard of care of veterinary practice and explain the clinical significance of the tests and their results
• Demonstrate a fundamental knowledge of veterinary pharmacology and the ability to accurately perform dosage calculations

Additional Program Information

The Bachelor of Science degree in Biology provides students with a comprehensive foundation in the Biological sciences and other life sciences. Students in the Biology major achieve competencies in the life sciences through active learning modules designed to deepen critical thinking skills and strengthen quantitative reasoning.
Through inquiry-based laboratory projects and faculty-student authentic research collaborations in areas such as Neuroscience, Cell and Molecular Biology, and Microbiology, students will put classroom theory to practice by engaging in key aspects of the scientific process.

The Animal Sciences track is for students interested in applying to schools of veterinary medicine or graduate programs in animal sciences. The track offers a unique combination of natural sciences and veterinary technology courses that expose students to authentic veterinary practices and provide a foundation in animal medicine and Anatomy and Physiology.