Biology Curriculum

The Biology Department is currently revising it's curriculum - the curriculum for the 2006-2007 year is described below.

Biology Major

The Biology Department offers majors a solid foundation in modern biology and the opportunity for advanced and independent research within the framework of a liberal arts curriculum. Biology is a very diverse discipline and a strong foundation requires study in all three of the general areas of biology: cell and molecular biology, organismal biology, and population biology. Accordingly, majors must complete a course in each of these three areas.

The Biology Department offers two disciplinary majors, a B.A. and a B.S., and a disciplinary minor. Only departmental and cognate courses completed with a grade of C- or better, may count toward the major or minor.

The B.A. in biology requires 12 courses: a 160-level Biology course, BIOL 212, BIOL 220, BIOL 236, two 300-level courses (an independent study may substitute for one 300-level biology course) plus six additional courses including

• an advanced seminar course (Biol. 460 or Honors)
• Math 130
• and two chemistry courses, one of which must be Chem  240 (organic chemistry I).
  

The B.S. in biology requires all of the requirements for the B.A., plus one additional course from biology, and three more courses from chemistry, computer science, geoscience, mathematics, physics or psychology.

The minor in biology is 6 courses and must include a 160-level BIOL course, BIOL 212, BIOL 220, BIOL 236 and two additional biology courses.