Biology, Teacher Certification, B.S.

Definition of the Major

Students wishing to choose a major in biology should consult with members of the department faculty early in their university career. Because the department includes a number of biological disciplines, no single curriculum can be listed for all majors. All students majoring in biology and pursuing teacher certification are required to take 37 credit hours of courses for the life science teaching field consisting of BIO 130 , BIO 131 /BIO 131L , BIO 133 /BIO 133L , BIO 309 , BIO 313 , BIO 327 , BIO 341 , BIO 342 , BIO 351 , BIO 370 and BIO 470 . Each student is strongly encouraged to work closely with a departmental advisor to design the program best suited to the interests and goals of the student.

A minimum of 37 semester hours of biology, including the core curriculum, with 15 hours in advanced courses is required for a B.S. with a major in biology. Biology majors also must satisfy all the requirements of the B.S. for the College of Sciences and Mathematics outlined earlier in the bulletin.

Students who major in biology must complete the following requirements:

Three hours from: ENG 273
Seven to eight hours from: MTH 220 , MTH 233 /MTH 233L , MTH 234 /MTH 234L
Eight hours from: CHE 133 /CHE 133L , CHE 134 /CHE 134L
Eight hours from: GOL 131 /GOL 131L , GOL 132 /GOL 132L ; PHY 110 /PHY 110L , PHY 131 /PHY 131L , PHY 132 /PHY 132L , PHY 241 /PHY 241L , PHY 242 /PHY 242L ; AST 105 /AST 105L
Biology majors contemplating graduate work are advised to complete CHE 331 , CHE 332 , PHY 131 and PHY 132 .

Each student also is required to complete a minor in secondary education, as described elsewhere in this bulletin.

Certification for High School Life Sciences Teaching

Requirements for certification are listed in the educator certification section of this bulletin. A summary of the biology course requirements for certification is listed below under the emphasis educator certification.

1. University Core Curriculum Requirements

A. Communication

Three hours from:

ENG 131 - Rhetoric and Composition Credit(s): 3
or
ENG 133 - Honors Composition: Analysis, Argument and Research Credit(s): 3

Three hours from:

COM 111 - Public Speaking Credit(s): 3
COM 170 - Interpersonal Communication I Credit(s): 3
COM 215 - Teamwork and Group Communication Credit(s): 3

B. Mathematics

Three hours from:

MTH 233 - Calculus I Credit(s): 3

C. Life and Physical Sciences

Six hours from:

CHE 133 - General Chemistry I Credit(s): 3
CHE 134 - General Chemistry II Credit(s): 3

D. Language, Philosophy and Culture

Three hours from:

ENG 200 - Introduction to Literature Credit(s): 3
ENG 209 - Introduction to Mythology Credit(s): 3
ENG 211 - World Literature to 1650 Credit(s): 3
ENG 212 - World Literature from 1650 Credit(s): 3
ENG 221 - British Literature to 1800 Credit(s): 3
ENG 222 - British Literature from 1800 Credit(s): 3
ENG 229 - American Literature to 1865 Credit(s): 3
ENG 230 - American Literature from 1865 Credit(s): 3
ENG 233H - Literary Genres Credit(s): 3
HIS 151 - Western Civilization to 1500 Credit(s): 3
HIS 152 - Western Civilization Since 1500 Credit(s): 3
HIS 161 - World History to 1500 Credit(s): 3
HIS 162 - World History Since 1500 Credit(s): 3
PHI 153 - Introduction to Philosophy Credit(s): 3
PHI 223 - Introduction to Ethics Credit(s): 3

E. Creative Arts

Three hours from:

ART 280 - Art Appreciation Credit(s): 3
ART 281 - Art History Survey I Credit(s): 3
ART 282 - Art History Survey II Credit(s): 3
DAN 140 - Dance Appreciation Credit(s): 3
MHL 245 - Intro to Music Literature Credit(s): 3
MUS 140 - Music Appreciation Credit(s): 3
THR 161 - Theatre Appreciation Credit(s): 3
THR 163 - Film and Culture Credit(s): 3

F. American History

Six hours from:

HIS 133 - U.S. History Survey, 1000-1877 Credit(s): 3
HIS 134 - U.S. History Survey, 1877-Present Credit(s): 3

G. Government/Political Science

Six hours from:

PSC 141 - Introduction to American Government: Theory and Politics Credit(s): 3
PSC 142 - Introduction to American Government: Structure and Functions Credit(s): 3

H. Social and Behavioral Sciences

Three hours from:

ANT 231 - Cultural Anthropology Credit(s): 3
ECO 231 - Principles of Macroeconomics Credit(s): 3
ECO 232 - Principles of Microeconomics Credit(s): 3
GEO 131 - World Regional Geography Credit(s): 3
PSY 133 - General Psychology Credit(s): 3
SOC 137 - Introduction to Sociology Credit(s): 3

I. Component Area Option

Six hours from:

ENG 132 - Research and Argument Credit(s): 3
ENG 273 - Technical and Scientific Writing Credit(s): 3

Core Requirements (20 hours)

Every biology major will complete a biology core consisting of

BIO 130 - Principles of Cell and Molecular Biology Credit(s): 3
BIO 131 - Principles of Botany Credit(s): 3
BIO 131L - Principles of Botany Lab Credit(s): 1
BIO 133 - Principles of Zoology Credit(s): 3
BIO 133L - Principles of Zoology Lab Credit(s): 1
BIO 309 - Microbiology Credit(s): 4
BIO 313 - General Ecology Credit(s): 3
BIO 327 - Human Physiology Credit(s): 3
BIO 341 - Genetics Credit(s): 4
BIO 342 - Comparative Vertebrate Zoology Credit(s): 4
BIO 351 - Plant Kingdom Credit(s): 4
BIO 370 - Evolution Credit(s): 3
BIO 470 - Seminar in Biology Credit(s): 1

Teacher Certification Curriculum

Refer to the Educator Certification portion of this bulletin in the James I. Perkins College of Education section for specific professional teacher education coursework requirements.

Note:

*Upon approval of the advisor, certain courses required for the B.S. outlined for the College of Sciences and Mathematics elsewhere in this bulletin may be substituted for one or more of the courses shown above.

The Graduate Major and Minor

The biology department offers a graduate program for students who plan to work toward the master’s degree. For detailed information concerning the graduate major and minor programs in the biology department, refer to the Graduate Bulletin.