Biology, B.S.

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The Bachelor of Science degree in Biology (B.S.) is the best option for students who plan to enter graduate studies in biology or the health professions. PreMed students will complete all of the requirements for medical school in addition to receiving excellent preparation for professional exams (e.g. MCAT). This option is also best for students planning careers in Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Veterinary Sciences and postgraduate research in the life sciences (M.S. or Ph.D.). In addition to concentrations in Pre-med and Pre-health Sciences, students have the option to pursue concentrations in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology, Anatomy and Physiology and Marine Biology.

Program Student Learning Outcomes:

Biology B.S. 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.

Special Notes for Biology Majors (B.A. and B.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 must earn at least a 2.0/S grade for all courses to be counted for the biology major. This does not assume a 2.0 average, but a 2.0 in each course.

No student may enroll more than two times in any course offered by the Department of Biology without written permission of the instructor, the Department Chair and the Dean.

Students may elect to take the laboratory component of only one of the two following required courses: BIOL 300 - Ecology or BIOL 311 - Genetics .

At least six credit hours of the elective (B.A.) or concentration (B.S.) courses must contain a laboratory (minimum of two courses).

Consult with a departmental adviser for recommended coursework outside the major.

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 Requirements: 17 Credits

Student taking only one of the 1-credit labs for BIOL 300 and BIOL 311 will need a minimum of 17 credits of electives. Students taking both labs will need a minimum of 16 credits of electives.

The Marine Biology Concentration is completed by taking summer courses through an affiliation with the University of Southern Mississippi’s College of Marine Science. Potsdam students travel to the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Students pay in-state tuition and benefit from a reduced cost for room and board. Biology students who do not elect the concentration may also take any course offered at GCRL at a reduced rate and with preferred levels of acceptance. Courses include Marine Science I - Marine Biology (prerequisite for most other courses), Shark Biology, Marine Mammals, Marine Ecology, and Marine Invertebrate Zoology. Courses such as Coastal Ecology for Teachers may be of interest to students who are not biology majors.

For more information, please contact Dr. Walter Conley or visit the GCRL website: https://www.usm.edu/ocean-science-engineering/summer-field-program.php.

Cognate Requirements: 27 Credits

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

MATH 151 - Calculus I 4 Credit(s)
CHEM 105 - General Chemistry 1 1-3 Credit(s) (taken for 4 total credits: lecture & lab)
CHEM 106 - General Chemistry 2 1-3 Credit(s) (taken for 4 total credits: lecture & lab)
CHEM 341 - Organic Chemistry 1 1-3 Credit(s) (taken for 4 total credits: lecture & lab)

Plus One of the Following:

STAT 100 - Statistics 3 Credit(s)
MATH 125 - Probability and Statistics I 3 Credit(s)
CIS 125 - Statistics 3 Credit(s)

Plus Physics, Geology, or Computer Science Sequence of:

PHYS 101 - College Physics I 4 Credit(s) and
PHYS 202 - College Physics II 4 Credit(s)
or
PHYS 103 - University Physics I 4 Credit(s) and
PHYS 104 - University Physics II 4 Credit(s)
or
GEOL 101 - Environmental Geology 1 and 3 Credit(s) and
GEOL 200 - Historical Geology 1 and 3 Credit(s)
or
CIS 201 - Computer Science I 4 Credit(s) and
CIS 203 - Computer Science II 4 Credit(s)

Note(s)

Completion of both MATH 141 & MATH 142 may be substituted for MATH 151 .
CHEM 342 - Organic Chemistry 2 is highly recommended for most biology majors; CHEM 342 and CHEM 425 - Biochemistry 1 are highly recommended for the pre-med and pre-health sciences concentration.
College Physics is preferred to University Physics for most majors. Please consult with your adviser.
MATH 151 - Calculus I and MATH 152 - Calculus II are corequisites for the University Physics sequence.