General College Requirements

General College Requirements (see Curriculum section), including the following requirements to satisfy the major

Course Requirements

Physical Science Courses (12 credit hours)

• CHEM 103: General Chemistry
• CHEM 106: General Chemistry II
• CHEM 311: Organic Chemistry I
• In addition to those three courses, Organic Chemistry II (CHEM 312), College Physics (PHYS 121, 122) or General Physics (PHYS 141, 142) and Calculus I and II (MATH 151, 152) are recommended for all students and are required by most graduate and professional schools.

Biology Core Courses (16 credit hours)

• BIOL 105: Principles of Biology I
• BIOL 106: Principles of Biology II
• BIOL 270: Genetics
• BIOL 271: Ecology and Evolution

Biology Core Laboratories (4 credit hours)

• BIOL 105L: Principles of Biology I Lab
• BIOL 106L: Principles of Biology II Lab
• BIOL 270L: Genetics Lab
• BIOL 271L: Ecology and Evolution Lab

Elective Courses:

• A minimum of 16 credit hours in upper-level biology courses is required, excluding Laboratory Teaching Assistant (BIOL 307), Internship (BIOL 398, 498), and Independent Study (BIOL 399, 499). The second four credit hours of a St. Mary’s Project in biology (BIOL 494) may be counted toward the total 16 credit hours. Of the 16 credit hours, at least eight, not including the St. Mary’s Project, must include a laboratory component. At least eight of the 16 upper-level credits as well as the St. Mary’s Project must be taken at the College.

St. Mary's Project

Every biology major must complete a St. Mary’s Project.

This project may be in biology or in another major discipline or a study area. The guidelines established in the elected area apply. The project must be proposed to a mentor and to the chair of the Department of Biology at least three weeks before the last day of classes of the second semester of the student’s junior year, and it must be approved by the mentor and the department chair.

Minimum Grade and GPA Requirements

Students must earn a grade of C in CHEM103 and a C- or better in all other chemistry courses listed under Physical Science Courses. Students must earn a grade of C or better in each biology course taken to fulfill the major.

At least half of the credits required for the major must be taken at the College.

Upper-Level Biology Courses

A liberal arts education in biology should include both the breadth of the subject and its depth. While students may wish to focus on one particular area of biology, such as aquatic biology or plant biology, we strongly advise them to be sure that their advanced coursework includes at least one course from each of three levels of biological organization: population/community/eco-system, organismal and cellular/biochemical levels. Please note, though, that these categories are somewhat artificial because many of our courses are designed to integrate material from more than one level of organization or taxonomic kingdom. For example, microbiology bridges ecology and molecular biology of bacteria, and genomics discuss the genetics of organisms from several kingdoms along the genetic interactions with the environment and organisms addressing questions at all three levels of organization. Such courses may be especially useful in helping students gain an integrated view of biology that will enable them to pose and solve complex or interdisciplinary questions. In addition, students should expose themselves to biodiversity by taking care not to concentrate solely on one group of organisms: for example, plants or animals.

Sequence of Study

The following sequence of courses is a typical model for the fulfillment of the requirements for the major:

• First Year:
  Core Curriculum requirements, BIOL 105, BIOL 106, CHEM 103 (or satisfactory completion of the Chemistry Placement Exam), CHEM 106
• Sophomore Year:
  Core Curriculum requirements, BIOL 270, BIOL 271, CHEM 311, CHEM 312* MATH 151*, MATH 152*
• Junior Year:
  Core Curriculum requirements, biology electives, PHYS 121*, PHYS 122*
• Senior Year:
  Biology electives, St. Mary’s Projects (BIOL 493 and 494).

*optional but recommended course requirements for teacher certification

Required Core Courses

Core (16 credit hours)

• BIOL 105: Principles of Biology I
• BIOL 106: Principles of Biology II
• BIOL 270: Genetics
• BIOL 271: Ecology and Evolution

Core Labs ( 4 credit hours)

• BIOL 105L: Principles of Biology I Lab
• BIOL 106L: Principles of Biology II Lab
• BIOL 270L: Genetics Lab
• BIOL 271L: Ecology/Evolution Lab

Elective Courses (4 credit hours)

• At least four credit hours in upper division biology (BIOL) courses excluding Laboratory Teaching Assistant (BIOL 307), Internship (BIOL 398, 498), and Independent Study (BIOL 399, 499).

Minimum Grade and GPA Requirements

Students must earn a grade of C or better in each required course taken to fulfill the minor.