Undergraduate programs
The biology program is designed to prepare students for careers in biological research, teaching, health sciences, biotechnology, conservation biology and wildlife management, forestry, and other applied fields. It also provides the necessary background for advanced study leading to graduate degrees in the more specialized fields of the biological sciences.
A student planning to enter medicine, dentistry, or other professional fields should consult the catalog of the professional school to which the student intends to apply following pre-professional work in biology and other sciences at Portland State. Biology is also a teaching endorsement area in the program of secondary education.
Secondary Education
Adviser: Dr. Sarah Eppley
Students who wish to teach biology in secondary schools should complete one of the two programs shown, but may also want to consider pursuing a Master’s of Education dependent upon overall career goals as it includes additional preparatory coursework generally required for most secondary school teaching positions. Courses for the Biology MAT/MST are to be taken for differentiated grades, except for those offered for pass/no pass only. Students must have at least a 3.00 GPA in the recommended science courses and must earn at least a C in each course of the endorsement area. Students should also take Psy 311. If you are interested in pursuing teaching in secondary schools please also review the Master’s of Education with science endorsement program as it may be a better fit for your career aspirations and is more widely accepted for employment in secondary education in Oregon. For more information on the Master in Education (M.Ed.) program for secondary educators please see:
https://www.pdx.edu/ci/gtep
Requirements
Biology majors
Students must complete a biology major's program as outlined above, and include an upper-division course each in microbiology, ecology, genetics, cell biology, and evolution. (See adviser.)
Non Biology majors
| | One year-long sequence in introductory biology | 12-15 |
| Bi 234 | Elementary Microbiology | 4 |
| Bi 235 | Microbiology Laboratory | 2 |
| | Two upper-division courses in anatomy and/or physiology | 8 |
| Bi 341 | Introduction to Genetics | 4 |
| Bi 357 | General Ecology | 4 |
| Bi 358 | Evolution | 4 |
| | Upper-division biology elective in botany or field oriented course 4 | 4 |
| | Physical science electives as approved by adviser | 18 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 64-67 |