Biology Degree Requirements

This program is designed for students interested in obtaining a broad background in biology, with maximum flexibility in program design.  Students should consult with their adviser to develop an appropriate course of study.  For example, students anticipating a career in biotechnology or biomedical science research may emphasize coursework in molecular, cellular and developmental biology.  Students anticipating careers  with ecological and evolutionary applications may emphasize coursework that explores animal behavior, biodiversity, evolutionary history and interactions of organisms and their environments.

Required 120 credits (36 of which must be numbered 300 or above, and 30 of which must be from UND) including:

I. Essential Studies requirements (See University ES listing, minimum 39 total credits.) The following courses must be taken as part of the Essential Studies requirement:

II. 44 major hours including:

A. Core requirements (24 hours), all courses below:

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Students who take BIOL 111 Concepts of Biologyand BIOL 111L Concepts of Biology Laboratoryand earn a grade of "B" or higher in both of those courses prior to becoming a Biology major may complete the General Biology sequence by taking BIOL 150 General Biology Iand BIOL 150L General Biology I Laboratory.

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Three credits for an accepted BIOL 489 Senior Honors Thesis can be substituted for the BIOL 480 Senior Capstone Seminar with prior approval of the thesis topic by the Chair of Biology.

We strongly advise mastery of materials in all core courses except BIOL 480 Senior Capstone Seminar prior to enrolling in other 300 or 400 level Biology courses.

At least 15 of the total 44 credits required for the BS degree must be taken in the UND Biology department, exclusive of the credits earned in other departments and institutions.

B. Advanced requirements (minimum 20 credit hours):

1. Electives. All 300 or 400 level Biology courses will count toward the 20 elective credit hours needed. Certain science courses in other departments may also qualify as electives (see examples below).

Students may include no more than ten combined credit hours from BIOL 494 Directed Studies; BIOL 492 Research; BIOL 491 Seminar, and BIOL 489 Senior Honors Thesis towards the total 44 credit hours required for this Biology major.

Up to two of the following courses from UND departments outside Biology can be applied toward the 20 elective credits required for a BS in Biology degree (lecture + lab = 1 course). Other courses will be considered on a case by case basis. To have a course considered, the student should provide a syllabus to the Department Chair.

 * Either BIMD 220/220L or BIMD 221/221L can count as an elective, but not both courses

• BIMD 301 Biochemistry will not be allowed to fulfill elective requirements
• BIMD 202 Introduction to Medical Microbiology Lecture/BIMD 202L Introduction to Medical Microbiology Laboratory will only be allowed with special permission of the Biology department Chair

2. Laboratory Requirement.  At least four upper-division Biology courses with laboratories must be included in the 44 hour major. The following labs or courses satisfy this requirement:

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BIOL 494 Directed Studies or BIOL 492 Research may be counted as one upper-division laboratory requirement with appropriate documentation of the laboratory experience and approval by the supervising faculty member and the Biology Department Chairperson prior to taking the research credits.

III. Cognate requirements in other departments (29-32 credit hours):

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Students with a particular aptitude for mathematics should consider taking both MATH 165 Calculus I and MATH 166 Calculus II and should consult with their advisor regarding this potential option.

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Pre-requisites for either course are the responsibility of the student.

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The chemistry sequence CHEM 221, CHEM 221L, CHEM 254, and CHEM 254L is intended for students with a strong background and interest in chemistry and presumes some exposure to calculus

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The sequence of CHEM 341 Organic Chemistry I and CHEM 342 Organic Chemistry II AND BIMD 301 Biochemistry is highly recommended for pre-medicine students because some medical schools require or prefer this combination.

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Students planning to go to graduate or medical schools are strongly encouraged to take PHYS 211 College Physics I and PHYS 212 College Physics II or PHYS 251 University Physics I and PHYS 252 University Physics II for their Physical Sciences requirement.

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Students may take BIOL 470 and have those credits count toward biology electives AND satisfy the statistics requirement.

Teacher Certification

Students seeking secondary teacher certification in Biology must complete the Department of Teaching and Learning requirements in Secondary Education (see Secondary Education listing).

These students must complete the B.S. with Major in Biology, the B.S. in Molecular and Integrative Biology, the B.S. with Major in Biology (Professional Health Sciences Emphasis), or the B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology and include the following five courses:

These students must also complete at least four credit hours of earth science from the following:

Other choices of courses in Biology should be made with the aid of a Biology adviser. Among the other requirements for the major, students seeking teacher certification must complete the following option.

Students interested in certification in both Biology and Physics should take

Formal admission to Teacher Education is required and is normally sought while enrolled in T&L 250 Introduction to Education(see Department of Teaching and Learning listing). Biology majors seeking secondary certification must have an adviser both in the Biology Department and in the Department of Teaching and Learning.