2019-2020 Academic Catalog

Dec 11, 2024

2019-2020 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Biology Minor

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Biology Overview

Undergraduate Program
The Department of Biology offers both a major and a minor that prepare students for careers in the biological and biomedical sciences. The Department provides support for other programs within the University that require students to obtain a background in one or more subfields of biology and meets the needs of non-science majors who wish to integrate the science of biology into a liberal-arts curriculum. The major in Biology is suitable for students who intend to go on to professional schools in the health sciences (such as medical, dental, or veterinary school) or graduate studies in the biological sciences and for those planning careers in biomedical research, biotechnology, education, environmental sciences, or conservation biology.

The Department encourages students to obtain a broad foundation in biology and then to identify an area of emphasis within the biological sciences. In consultation with their faculty adviser, students select courses that provide depth of exposure to topics in their area of specialization, which can include research experiences. Two general curricular plans are offered on the Department of Biology web pages: one in cell and molecular biology and one in ecology and evolution; however, these are just two of many possible ways of focusing within the discipline. Curricular plans are also provided for pre-health students interested in majoring in biology. Early consultation with a faculty member in biology is strongly recommended to enable students to acquire the necessary background to participate in specially-designed research courses, internships, or research in faculty laboratories.

For more information, please visit the Biology Department’s website.

Minor Requirements

The requirements for a minor in Biology are:

1. Two introductory courses in Biology

2. Four additional courses in biology to include:

Courses from two of these three categories

Genetics ( BIOL 118 )
Evolution (BIOL 105 )
A course in organismal diversity, which currently includes the following: BIOL 110 - Botanical Diversity, BIOL 111 - Comparative and Human Anatomy, BIOL 114 - Marine Biology, BIOL 119 - Herpetology, BIOL 180 - Fungal Biology, BIOL 239 - Evolutionary Developmental Biology

3. At least one of the four courses must be at the 200-level or higher

4. Courses may not be taken with the pass/fail option. Courses to be used for the minor must be approved by a faculty member in Biology. The minor must be declared by the end of the junior year, although earlier is recommended.

Biology Faculty

Program

Nathan Ahlgren, Ph.D.

Philip J. Bergmann, Ph.D.

Robert Drewell, Ph.D.

Susan Foster, Ph.D.

David Hibbett, Ph.D.

Denis Larochelle, Ph.D.

Kaitlyn Mathis, Ph.D.

Néva Meyer, Ph.D.

Deborah Robertson, Ph.D.

Justin Thackeray, Ph.D.

Adjunct

Halina Brown, Ph.D.
Frederick Greenaway, Ph.D.
Dominik Kulakowski, Ph.D.
Noel Lazo, Ph.D.
John Rogan, Ph.D.
Donald Spratt, Ph.D.
David Thurlow, Ph.D.
Christopher A. Williams, Ph.D.

Research

John Baker, Ph.D.

Emeriti

John Brink, Ph.D.

Thomas Leonard, Ph.D.

Todd Livdahl, Ph.D.

Timothy Lyerla, Ph.D.

John Reynolds, Ph.D.

Biology Courses

Courses offered within the last 2 Academic Years