Biology B.A. with an Area of Concentration in Field and Organismal

Degree Requirements

A major in Biology with an Area of Concentration in Field and Organismal Biology is achieved by completion of the following requirements, in addition to the General Education and electives required for a degree:

Required Core Courses

BIO 110Modern Biology

1 Course Credit

BIO 113Experimental Zoology

1 Course Credit

BIO 114Botany

1 Course Credit

BIO 330Genetics

1 Course Credit

One (1) approved 300- or 400-level field course (i.e. Field Botany, Dendrology and Forest Ecology, Parasitology, Invertebrate Zoology, Herpetology, or an approved field or field-station course)

Required Capstone Course

BIO 494Evolution

1 Course Credit

Required Concentration Courses

Four (4) course credits approved within the Field and Organismal Concentration, chosen from

BIO 220Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy

1 Course Credit

BIO 324Parasitology

1 Course Credit

BIO 326Invertebrate Zoology

1 Course Credit

BIO 327Herpetology

1 Course Credit

BIO 332Mammalogy

1 Course Credit

BIO 342Field Botany

1 Course Credit

BIO 344Dendrology & Forest Ecology

1 Course Credit

An approved BIO 386/BIO 486 field-station/special-topics course, or an approved Field and Organismal course.

NOTE: Courses within the Field and Organismal Concentration are taken in addition to the core field-course requirement.

Courses within the concentration may include approved courses from any term, but at least three of the four selected concentration courses must be full Fall, Spring, or Summer term courses.

Required Collateral courses

MAT 115College Algebra with Modeling

1 Course Credit

CHM 131Accelerated General Chemistry

1 Course Credit

or

CHM 134Accelerated Environmental Chem

1 Course Credit

MAT 115: or waiver

Pre-medical/dental/veterinary students should enroll in

CHM 131Accelerated General Chemistry

1 Course Credit

CHM 221Organic Chemistry I

1 Course Credit

CHM 222Organic Chemistry II

1 Course Credit

In addition, two terms of the same modern foreign language are required.

CHM 131: if possible

Exploring the Major— Students considering a major in Biology should waive or completed MAT 012 and enroll in BIO 110 and CHM 131 or CHM 134. (Students should complete CHM 101 prior to enrolling in CHM 131/CHM 134 if they have a limited high-school chemistry background.) BIO 100, BIO 101, BIO 102, and BIO 207 cannot be used toward the Biology major. These courses are general access courses or are service courses for other programs. Students interested in pursuing a pre-medical/dental/veterinary curriculum are encouraged strongly to pursue the General Biology Concentration option.

Admission to the Major— Completion or waiver of MAT 012 is a prerequisite for all major Biology courses. To be admitted to the Biology major, students must complete BIO 110, BIO 113, and BIO 114 with a combined GPA of 2.37 (two B- grades and one C- grade are the minimum requirement; grades below a C- are not acceptable). NOTE: This GPA requirement applies to entrance into the Biology major; it is not a graduation requirement.

Course Sequencing Considerations (in order to complete degree requirements within eight terms)— Students considering a major in Biology should waive or complete MAT 115 during their first year. If possible, students should complete BIO 110, BIO 113, and BIO 114 by the second term of their sophomore year. Students also are advised to complete their collateral Chemistry courses by sophomore year, whenever possible. BIO 494 should be taken in the Spring of senior year.

Other Considerations and Recommendations— Students preparing for graduate or professional school are strongly encouraged to complete CHM 311, CHM 345, MAT 135 (or waiver), and PHY 217 & PHY 218.