2024-2025 Academic Catalog
Biology Major
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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 begin the major by obtaining a broad foundation in biology before choosing an area of focus (e.g., cell and molecular biology, ecology and evolution, among others), or the pre-health careers track. In consultation with your faculty adviser, you’ll select courses appropriate to your area of specialization. You should include one course that develops research techniques in biology, a seminar course, and a capstone experience, which can be an upper-level research course, internship, or directed research (on or off campus).
The Biology minor provides a pathway for students to expand their knowledge in Biology to augment another major. The Biology minor may be of interest to students considering careers in education, healthcare, or natural resource management as well as students exploring their own personal interests. In consultation with their faculty advisor, students can select courses in Biology that cover a wide range of topics or develop expertise in a sub-discipline following the guidelines below.
For more information, please visit the Biology Department’s website.
Major Requirements
A minimum of ten courses in Biology are required for the major. The two-semester Introduction to Biology sequence (BIOL 101 and 102) is a prerequisite for all other courses in Biology that meet the requirements for the major. In addition, Evolution (BIOL 105) and Genetics (BIOL 118) are required, as well as one course with a focus on organismal diversity; students should speak with a faculty member to identify current courses that meet this requirement. In selecting the remaining courses, biology majors should include at least (1) one course that develops research techniques in biology, (2) one seminar course, and (3) one capstone experience. The capstone requirement can be met by an upper level research or seminar course, an internship, or directed research (on- or off-campus); the student’s faculty adviser should be consulted to ensure the experience meets the capstone designation.
At least four of the ten required biology courses must be at the 200-level or above, and no courses below the 100-level may be used to satisfy major requirements. A maximum of two units of independent study [Directed Research/Reading (BIOL 299), Honors in Biology (BIOL 297), Internship (BIOL 298)] may count toward the major. Biology courses used to fulfill the requirements for the major in Biology may not be taken with the pass/fail option.
There are additional requirements for students interested in the accelerated BA/MS program in Biology. For more information visit http://www.clarku.edu/graduate/prospective/fifthyear/biology.cfm. Students are encouraged to attend the information sessions presented by Academic Advising and to carefully review to program requirements and application deadlines for the accelerated degree program.
Requirements for the Biology Major
1. Ten Courses in Biology:
a. Two semesters of introductory biology:
b. Two additional core courses in biology:
c. One course in Biological Diversity:
d. Five additional courses:
- At least four of these courses must be at the 200-level, at least one must be a capstone.
2. One or two semesters of chemistry to include:
3. Two courses in mathematics to include the following options. Discuss your plan with your advisor before registration.
One calculus course e.g. BIOL 121 Mathematical Principles in Biology, MATH 120 Calculus I, MATH 124 Honors Calculus I, or MBB 110 Biology-Enriched Calculus (no longer offered).
AND
One statistics course e.g. BIOL 106 Introductory Biostatistics
- Note: If Biol 106 Introductory Biostatistics is used to meet this requirement, it will not count toward the ten required Biology courses. Equivalent courses in statistics will also meet this requirement. Currently these include: ECON 160 Introduction to Statistical Analysis, GEOG 110 Introduction to Quantitative Methods, or PSYC 105 Statistics.
OR
Two calculus courses: MATH 120 or MATH 124 AND MATH 121 or MATH 125
- Note: Biol 121 Mathematical Principles in Biology is not a prerequisite for Math 121 or Math 125, so if you plan to take 2 semesters of calculus, start with either Math 120 or Math 124.
4. Two additional courses outside biology that are in the natural sciences, mathematics, or computer science:
- These courses must be at 100-level or above and must be approved by the student’s faculty adviser.
- To be drawn from offerings in computer science, chemistry, physics, GIS or earth system science.
- Courses in mathematics above calculus (MATH 125 and above) can fulfill this requirement.
5. A capstone experience is required.
Completion of a capstone during the student’s junior or senior year is required for the major. Capstone experiences must involve completion of a research project in the broad sense, may be completed individually or in small groups, and must have either a formal presentation component or a substantial written component. Capstone experiences can serve as one of the ten Biology courses that count towards the major.
The capstone requirement may be fulfilled in one of three specific ways:
- completing a minimum of one unit of Directed research (BIOL 299 or BIOL 297 )
- completing a course designated as a capstone course
- completing one unit of an Academic internship for credit (BIOL 298 )
Before beginning the qualified activity, the student must obtain on the Capstone Form their advisor’s signed approval of the intended capstone experience, and then deliver the form to the Undergraduate Program Coordinator. It is also the student’s responsibility to coordinate any requirements necessary outside of the department (i.e. internship registration, any other Clark forms that may be needed, etc.).
The following courses can currently be counted as capstones after a discussion and a signature from your advisor prior to the start of the semester:
- BIOL 297 /BIOL 299 - Honors/Directed Study
- BIOL 298 - Internship
- To count as a capstone, a BIOL 297/298/299 unit must meet the criterion of having either a substantive written component or a formal presentation.
- Research courses - these have hands-on components that involve data collection/processing and components that provide a broad research experience, including interpreting results, writing, and presentations. Examples include:
- BIOL 209 - The Genome Project
- BIOL 219 - Physiological Ecology of Marine Algae
- BIOL 233 - Animal Locomotion
- Seminar courses - these require students to produce substantial written work that synthesizes a substantial body of primary literature, such as literature reviews or grant proposals, and/or have a formal presentation component. Examples include:
Honors
Qualified, upper-division students majoring in Biology may choose to carry out independent research in the Honors Program, under the direction of a faculty member in the Department. Success in the program will result in notation on the student’s diploma.
Prospective Honors candidates should apply in writing to the Chair of the Department for admission to the Honors Program by April 15 of their junior year.
The application should include:
- a list of courses taken and those the student plans to take in the major and related fields,
- the name of their prospective faculty advisor, and
- a brief description of the proposed Honors project.
- An unofficial transcript
Requirements for the Honors program:
- The candidate must maintain a “B” (3.0) average and grades of “B” or better in all biology courses during their junior and senior years.
- The candidate must complete Clark University and Biology major requirements.
- The candidate must work with a faculty adviser. Together they will select two other faculty members to serve on the student’s advisory committee.
- The candidate must complete one semester of Honors Research in Biology (BIOL 297), and at least one semester of Directed Research (BIOL 299); the research project must also be summarized in an acceptable thesis.
- The candidate must present his/her work in a public presentation and pass a comprehensive oral defense-of-thesis exam given by the advisory committee. This exam will test the student on the specific area of investigation and can also include general knowledge of biology. The candidate must provide each advisory committee member a copy of their thesis at least one week before the scheduled comprehensive defense.
- The candidate must complete a final draft of the thesis to the satisfaction of the committee and may be awarded Honors, High Honors, or Highest Honors, based on the quality of the research and presentation.
Biology Faculty
Program
Nathan Ahlgren, Ph.D.
Philip J. Bergmann, Ph.D.
Elizabeth Bone, Ph.D.
Jackie Dresch, Ph.D.
Robert Drewell, Ph.D.
David Hibbett, Ph.D.
Chandra Jack, Ph.D.
Denis Larochelle, Ph.D.
Kaitlyn Mathis, Ph.D.
Erin McCullough, Ph.D
Néva Meyer, Ph.D.
Deborah Robertson, Ph.D.
Javier Tabima, Ph.D.
Justin Thackeray, Ph.D.
Adjunct
Dominik Kulakowski, Ph.D.
Noel Lazo, Ph.D.
John Rogan, Ph.D.
Donald Spratt, Ph.D.
Christopher A. Williams, Ph.D.
Research
Todd Livdahl, Ph.D.
Emeriti
Halina Brown, Ph.D.
Frederick Greenaway, Ph.D.
Thomas Leonard, Ph.D.
Timothy Lyerla, Ph.D.
Biology Courses
Courses offered within the last 2 Academic Years
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