Dec 10, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog

Biology, B.S.


About the Biology Bachelor’s Program


Students majoring in biology must complete a total of 120 credit hours for graduation, including a minimum of 39 hours taken from this department.

Requirements


Requirements for the B.S. in Biology are as follows:

Additional Hours


Additional hours of 3000-4000 level biological sciences courses (prefixes BIOL, MBIO, and ZOOL) as needed to bring the total biological sciences hours to the 39-hour minimum. This does not include MBIO 3400 . Students may apply one 3-hour PHIL credit from PHIL 3322 , PHIL 3325 , or PHIL 3334  as an upper-level elective. Honors students may take HONS 4332  as an approved biology elective. No more than 6 hours of undergraduate research may apply to the degree.

Ecology and Environmental Biology Concentration Requirements


Students majoring in biology for the B.S. degree may gain a concentration in ecology and environmental biology by completing a minimum of 39 semester hours from this department. Requirements for this concentration are as follows:

Group I


At least one course from:

Group II


At least one course from:

Group III


At least four courses from:

Group IV


Additional hours of 3000-4000 level biological sciences courses (prefixes BIOL, MBIO, and ZOOL) as needed to bring the total biological sciences hours to the 39-hour minimum. This does not include MBIO 3400 . Students may apply one 3-hour PHIL credit from PHIL 3322 , PHIL 3325 , or PHIL 3334  as an upper-level elective. Honors students may take HONS 4332  as an approved biology elective. No more than 6 hours of undergraduate research may apply to the degree.

Premedical Health Sciences Concentration Requirements


Students majoring in Biology for the B.S. degree may gain a concentration in Premedical Health Sciences by completing a total of 120 credit hours for graduation, including a minimum of 39 hours taken from this department. Requirements for this concentration are as follows:

Group I


(at least one from):

Group II


(at least two from):

Group III


(at least one from):

Group IV


Additional hours of 3000-4000 level biological sciences courses (prefixes BIOL, MBIO, and ZOOL) as needed to bring the total biological sciences hours to the 39-hour minimum. Students may apply one 3-hour PHIL credit from PHIL 3322  (Biomedical Ethics) or PHIL 3334  (Philosophy of Biology) as an upper-level elective. Students may apply up to 3 hours from the following as upper-level electives: NS 4220  (Medical Terminology), ENTX 4325  (Principles of Toxicology), ENTX 4326  (Principles of Toxicology II). Honors students may take HONS 4332  as an approved biology elective. No more than 6 hours of undergraduate research may apply.

Recommended Sample Curriculum


NOTE: Students in all three undergraduate majors (biology, cell and molecular biology, and microbiology) should take identical courses during the first two years. For the third and fourth years, students should consult with departmental advisors about the appropriate 3000- and 4000-level biological sciences course requirements for their majors. All three majors require 39 total hours of biological science classes. Non-science courses required for all three majors are identical. The sample curriculum below assumes a chemistry minor.

First Year


Fall


Total: 15

Spring


Total: 14

Second Year


Fall


Total: 14

Spring


Total: 14

Third Year


Fall


Total: 16

Spring


Total: 17

Fourth Year


Fall


  • Oral Communication Elective 3 Semester Credit Hours
  • Creative Arts Elective 3 Semester Credit Hours
  • Foreign Language 3 Semester Credit Hours
  • Advanced BIOL Elective 3 Semester Credit Hours
  • Multicultural Elective 3 Semester Credit Hours
Total: 15

Spring


  • Advanced BIOL Electives 14 Semester Credit Hours
    (Students should check with their academic advisor for complete listing of approved electives.)

  • Additional elective to meet 120-hour minimum 1 Semester Credit Hours

Total: 15

Total Hours: 120


The teacher education program includes a full year of student teaching. See Teacher Education .

* Students may have to take CHEM 1301  the first semester if they do not pass the Chemistry Placement Exam.
Because cell and molecular biology majors are required to take calculus, some students may want to substitute MATH 1550 , Precalculus.

College of Arts & Sciences General Degree Requirements


Select from College of Arts & Sciences General Degree Requirements . When choosing a Creative Arts or a Social and Behavioral Sciences elective, choose a course that also fulfills the multicultural requirement of the university.

Foreign Language


A student must complete 3 hours at the sophomore level or above in a single language. The prerequisite for all sophomore language courses is credit for the freshman level. This credit can be determined through a credit by examination. The score attained on the exam will determine whether the student is placed in a second-year course, a 5-hour review course, or in some cases the first or second semester of a beginning (first-year) language course. See Arts & Sciences General Degree Requirements  for further explanation.