Biology, B.A.

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The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Biology can serve as preparation for graduate study in the biological sciences, graduate training in health professions, teaching, or employment in a laboratory or conservation-related job. This major allows students to explore the wide range of topics in biology while also providing a strong foundation in the core subject areas of cell biology, ecology, evolution, and genetics. The Biology B.A. degree contains the same core classes as the Biology B.S. degree, but it requires fewer cognates, so it is ideal for students who wish to combine a major in biology with another major offered by the College.

Program Student Learning Outcomes:

Biology B.A. students will be able to:

   • demonstrate basic knowledge of history, theories, concepts, and methods in the fields of cell and molecular biology, ecology, evolution, and genetics.
   • write effectively about biological phenomena.
   • speak effectively about biological phenomena.
   • evaluate information from scholarly peer-reviewed literature.

Program Requirements

Required Courses: 24 Credits

*Note: Students must take at least one laboratory component with BIOL 300 or BIOL 311 , but may choose to take both.

BIOL 151 - Gen Bio Cells and Genetics 4 Credit(s)
BIOL 152 - Gen Bio Organisms and Ecology 4 Credit(s)
BIOL 300 - Ecology 3-4 Credit(s) *
BIOL 301 - Communicating in Biology 3 Credit(s)
BIOL 307 - Cell Biology 3 Credit(s)
BIOL 311 - Genetics 3-4 Credit(s) *
BIOL 319 - Evolutionary Biology 3 Credit(s)

Elective Courses: 15 Credits

Under advisement, students must choose a minimum of 14-15 additional credit hours from the department’s upper-division elective offerings. Student taking only one of the 1-credit labs for BIOL 300 and BIOL 311 will need a minimum of 15 credits of electives. Students taking both labs will need 14 credits of electives. Students may focus their interests to increase their depth of knowledge or pick a variety of coursework to increase their breadth of knowledge.

Cognate Requirements: 12 Credits

All cognate courses must be completed with a 2.0/S or higher.

CHEM 105 - General Chemistry 1 1-3 Credit(s) (taken for 4 total credits: lecture and lab)
CHEM 106 - General Chemistry 2 1-3 Credit(s) (taken for 4 total credits: lecture and lab)
CHEM 341 - Organic Chemistry 1 1-3 Credit(s) (taken for 4 total credits: lecture and lab)

Note(s)

With approval of adviser and Department of Biology chair, no more than four credit hours from the combination of BIOL 475 , BIOL 485 , and biologically-based internships may be used as part of the departmental semester-hour requirement. This restriction is not intended to discourage students from taking any of these courses, but to ensure adequate diversity and breadth in pursuit of the biology major.
Students graduating with a Biology major (B.A.) must complete the major requirements with at least a 2.0/S grade in each course.
Students may elect to take the laboratory component of only one of the two following required courses: BIOL 300 or BIOL 311 .
At least six credit hours of the elective courses must contain a laboratory (minimum of two courses).