The major in Biology consists of a minimum of 37 semester hours in biology, and a minimum of 17 semester hours in related fields, plus a three-semester-hour calculus course, and a three-semester-hour statistics course. One upper-division PLB or MIC course is also required. A minimum grade of “C” (2.00) is required for all course work in the major and related fields. Required major courses are

The remaining hours to bring the total to 37 are selected from among upper-division courses, approved for major credit, in BIO, MIC, PLB, and approved BCH courses, in consultation with an advisor. The major must include at least three upper-division laboratory courses. Required courses in related fields plus math proficiency are

The major in Biology with a concentration in biology and society is intended for students with a strong interest in life sciences and in the interaction between life sciences and the society within which science is done. This option consists of a minimum of 44 semester hours in life sciences and societal interface courses, and 11 hours in related fields, plus a three-semester-hour mathematics proficiency. A minimum grade of “C” (2.00) is required in all course work in the major or related fields. Required courses are as follows:

The remaining courses to complete the major are determined by the student in consultation with an advisor and must be distributed in the following areas:

The Clinical Laboratory Sciences degree program prepares individuals to practice in the field of clinical laboratory sciences, which includes the major disciplines of clinical chemistry, hematology, immunohematology, immunology, and microbiology. Employment opportunities exist in hospital, private, physician, and research laboratories and in government, sales, management, and education. After obtaining a BS degree in Clinical Laboratory Sciences, the graduate is eligible for national certification by examination.

A major in Clinical Laboratory Sciences consists of 40 semester hours in clinical laboratory sciences courses. A minimum grade of “C” (2.00) is required in all course work in the major or related fields. Also required are the following courses:

Equivalent courses may be substituted upon approval of an advisor. Students must consult with the clinical laboratory sciences advisor to select general electives courses. Completion of the degree is dependent upon acceptance of the student into the accredited professional study program, which consists of 40 hours of clinical laboratory sciences courses. The university does not guarantee all students to be accepted into the professional study program due to space limitations at the clinical affiliates and restrictions of program accreditation. For more information on acceptance procedures and program standards, contact the school for a program brochure. For proper course planning, students must meet with a clinical laboratory sciences advisor.

The major in Conservation Biology consists of a minimum of 41 semester hours in the required major courses and a minimum of 16 hours in related fields, plus a three-semester-hour calculus course and a three-semester-hour statistics course. A minimum grade of “C” (2.00) is required for all course work in the major and related fields. Required courses are as follows:

The remaining hours to bring the total to 41 are selected from among relevant upper-division courses in BIO and PLB courses or in related departments, in consultation with an advisor. Required courses in related fields plus math proficiency are as follows:

The BS degree in Microbiology consists of a minimum of 41 semester hours in microbiology and 17 hours in approved related fields. A minimum grade of “C” (2.00) is required for all course work in the major and related fields. Required courses are as follows:

A minimum of 11 semester hours of upper-division electives in microbiology or approved life science fields must be taken. These elective hours must include two courses chosen from the following:

In addition, students are required to fulfill the university mathematical studies requirements with MAT 210 (or 251, 270) as their MA course and BIO 406, STP 226, STP 294 (or any CSE course that meets the CS requirement). The required supplemental courses are as follows:

The BS degree in Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology is designed to prepare students for productive careers in rapidly expanding areas within the life sciences, such as biotechnology, medicine, and biomedical research or any area of biology at the molecular and cellular level. Courses and faculty are drawn primarily from the School of Life Sciences and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

The major in Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology consists of a minimum of 59 semester hours of course work plus two courses in mathematics specifically designed for this program. A minimum grade of “C” (2.00) is required for all course work in the major. The required major courses (30 total semester hours) are as follows:

Choose at least one of the following courses (or combinations) for a minimum of three to four semester hours. Although only one advanced lab course is required, students are encouraged to take two:

Required supplemental courses in biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics (28 total semester hours) are as follows (a minimum grade of “C” (2.00) is required for all course work):

Satisfaction of the university computer/statistics/quantitative applications requirement is met with MAT 351 Mathematical Methods for Genetic Analysis (3), in which a minimum grade of “C” (2.00) is required.

Additional courses are available in the life or physical sciences for elective credit.

The School of Life Sciences offers three options to meet the needs of students whose interests are in the rapidly expanding areas within plant biology. Students may choose the general program option, which allows the opportunity to develop strength in one area or discipline. Others may choose to design a more specific, but interdisciplinary, program in one of the following two optional concentrations: environmental science and ecology; plant biochemistry and molecular biology.

Each concentration promotes interaction between diverse groups and captures the growing interdisciplinary nature of scientific investigations. When one of these options is chosen, the title will appear on transcripts and other university documents.

The three curricular options prepare students for careers in technical, industrial, and educational fields as well as professional degree programs in medicine or research and post-graduate education in the life sciences.

The BS degree in Plant Biology consists of a minimum of 38 semester hours in plant biology and approved life science and physical science courses. A minimum grade of “C” (2.00) is required for all course work in the major and related fields. Required courses are as follows:

The remaining hours to bring the total to 38 are selected from among relevant courses in plant biology, other life sciences, and physical sciences.

Required supplemental courses in chemistry and mathematics are as follows (a minimum grade of “C” [2.00] is required for all course work):

One of the following courses is also required:

Two special concentration programs are optional. Students who wish to pursue the general program in Plant Biology are not obligated to choose one of these specific programs. Each special concentration program is expected to be interdisciplinary and contain course work outside both Plant Biology and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Each concentration includes hands-on technical training.

Environmental Science and Ecology. The BS degree in Plant Biology with a concentration in environmental science and ecology consists of a minimum of 44 semester hours in plant biology and approved life science and physical science courses. A minimum grade of “C” (2.00) is required for all course work in the major and related fields. Required courses are as follows:

The remaining hours to bring the total to 44 are selected from among relevant courses in plant biology, other life sciences, and physical sciences.

One of the following courses is also required:

Plant Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The BS degree in Plant Biology with a concentration in biochemistry and molecular biology consists of 56 semester hours. A minimum grade of “C” (2.00) is required for all course work in the major and related fields.

The required major courses are as follows:

Required supplemental courses in biochemistry, chemistry, mathematics, and physics are as follows (a minimum grade of “C” (2.00) is required for all course work):

The remaining hours to bring the total to 56 are selected from among relevant courses in plant biology, other life sciences, and physical sciences.

One of the following courses is also required:

The School of Life Science offers an undergraduate History and Philosophy of Science Certificate. The certificate program is designed to give students an understanding of both traditional philosophic issues surrounding science and the historical development of concrete scientific theories and ideas. The philosophic questions, of the belief-worthiness and interpretation of scientific claims as well as norms within or about science, both enrich and are enriched by their combination with historical study. Such philosophic and historical study will also often include the examination of contemporary sciences and their place within the larger society.

The certificate requires 18 semester hours bearing a HPS or PHI prefix of which 12 semester hours must be upper-division. Included with the 18 semester hours, at least nine must bear the HPS prefix. HPS 314 or PHI 314 Philosophy of Science is also required. All courses counting toward the certificate must be approved for this purpose by a School of Life Sciences academic advisor and passed with a grade of “C” (2.00) or higher.

The Biological Sciences minor is designed to provide students interested in biology with a flexible curriculum that can be tailored to their interests. The minor consists of 24 semester hours, including BIO 187 General Biology I and BIO 188 General Biology II. PLB 200 Biology of Plants and PLB 201 Biology of Plants Laboratory or MIC 206 Microbiology Laboratory and MIC 220 Biology of Microorganisms may together be substituted for BIO 187 or 188. Alternatively, MBB 245 Cellular and Molecular Biology and MBB 246 Cellular and Molecular Biology Laboratory may be substituted for BIO 188. The remaining 16 hours are selected by the student with the approval of an advisor. At least 12 of these 16 hours must be in upper-division courses in the life sciences. Courses not available for credit in the Life Science majors cannot be used for the minor (e.g., BIO 100 The Living World and BIO 201 Human Anatomy and Physiology I). This minor is not available to students majoring in the life sciences.

Any one of these combinations may be used:

Concentrations in biology, history and philosophy of science, microbiology, molecular biosciences and technology, or plant biology are available under the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) degree, a program intended for the student who has academic interests that might not be satisfied with existing majors. Building on two academic concentrations (or one double concentration) and an interdisciplinary core, students in the BIS program take active roles in creating their educational plans and defining their career goals. For more information, see School of Interdisciplinary Studies.

This degree is offered through the Initial Teacher Certification (ITC) program in the College of Education. Students pursuing a major in Secondary Education (Biological Sciences) have an advisor in the College of Education and an advisor within the School of Life Sciences.

See College of Education, for information on admission eligibility requirements, admission deadlines, field experiences, and student teaching. For more information, or to schedule an appointment with an advisor, call the Office of Student Services in the College of Education at 480/965-5555.

Academic Specialization ITC Admission Requirements. The following courses must be completed with a grade of “C” (2.00) or higher before applying to the ITC professional program:

In addition, at least 12 hours of biology course work from the major teaching field may be in progress when applying to the ITC but must be completed before starting the program.

Biological Sciences. The academic specialization requires 61 hours, and six hours in teaching methods. A minimum grade of “C” (2.00) is required for all course work in the major and related fields. Required major courses are as follows:

Required supporting courses are as follows:

The School of Life Sciences offers programs leading to the degrees of Master of Natural Sciences, MS, and PhD See the Graduate Catalog for requirements. A combined BS-MS degree in Biology is also available.

The school participates in the interdisciplinary program for the MS and PhD degrees in Molecular and Cellular Biology as well.

The interdisciplinary MS and PhD degrees with a major in Molecular and Cellular Biology are administered by the Interdisciplinary Committee on Molecular and Cellular Biology. The participating faculty are drawn primarily from the School of Life Sciences and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, with additional faculty from the Departments of Anthropology and Physics and Astronomy.

For more information, contact the director or see the Graduate Catalog.