Bachelors Degree in Biology

An introduction to computer applications including basic computer concepts and terminology. Hands-on experience in using the operating system, word processing, spreadsheets, and telecommunications. All students are required to take this course if they cannot demonstrate proficiency by passing the Computer Skills exam. Course fee may apply.

This course is required of students majoring in biology, environmental science, and medical technology. It is the first half of a two-part fundamentals course that emphasizes atomic and molecular structure, the periodic law, gas laws, mass and energy relationships, and chemical bonding. Three hours of lecture are scheduled each week. This course is offered in fall and spring semesters. All students registered for this course must also be registered for CHE 123L.

This is a laboratory course designed to provide students with hands-on experience in the application of the fundamentals covered in lecture. There is one three-hour laboratory scheduled each week. This course is offered in fall and spring semesters. A course fee may apply. All students registered for this course must also be registered for CHE 123.

A continuation of CHE 123, this course is required for the biology, environmental science, and medical technology programs. Three hours of lecture are scheduled each week. Coverage includes phases of matter, properties of solutions, reaction kinetics, chemical equilibrium, acids and bases, reaction thermodynamics, electrochemistry, and nuclear chemistry. This course is offered in fall and spring semesters. All students registered for this course must also be registered for CHE 124L.

This laboratory course introduces students to fundamental chemical, separation, and spectroscopic techniques. An introduction to qualitative analysis provides students with additional opportunities to work with unknown substances and determine their composition. There is one three-hour laboratory scheduled each week. This course is offered in fall and spring semesters. A course fee may apply. All students registered for this course must also be registered for CHE 124.

This course is required for the biology, environmental science, and medical technology programs. It is the first part of a two-semester sequence that explores the fundamentals of organic chemistry. Coverage topics include evaluation of structure, properties, reactions, and synthesis of saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, an introduction to stereochemistry and spectroscopy. Three lectures are scheduled each week. This course is offered in fall semesters. All students registered for this course must also be registered for CHE 311L.

Students are introduced to fundamental techniques used in the synthesis and characterization of organic compounds. Students gain hands-on experience in the application of processes/reactions discussed in lecture. One three-hour laboratory period is scheduled each week. This course is offered in fall semesters. A course fee may apply. All students registered for this course must also be registered for CHE 311.

A continuation of CHE 311, this course is required for biology, environmental science, and medical technology majors. Coverage includes investigating the structure, properties, reactions, synthesis, and spectroscopy of aromatic hydrocarbons, and the functional groups found in organic chemistry. There are three lectures scheduled each week. This course is offered in spring semesters. All students registered for this course must also be registered for CHE 312L.

Laboratory course further investigates the properties and reactions discussed in lecture. Spectroscopic methods commonly used in organic chemistry are used for characterizing and identifying reaction products. Students are also introduced to an overview of functional group identification using organic qualitative analysis. One three-hour laboratory is scheduled each week. This course is offered in spring semesters. A course fee may apply. All students registered for this course must also be registered for CHE 312.

Topics include limits, derivatives, continuity, applications of derivatives, indeterminate forms, introduction to integrals, and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. Offered every semester.

Development of the fundamental statistical methods, including graphs, measures of central tendency and variation. Inferential statistics includes a basic review of the concepts of probability, binomial probability, normal distribution, CLT, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, regression analysis, and correlation. Use of statistical software packages. Applications to business, social science, education, and environmental science. Offered every semester.

This is a continuation of PHY 221. This portion of the course covers the fundamental concepts and laws of electricity, magnetism, optics, and modern physics. Three hours of lecture are scheduled each week. All students registered for this course must also be registered for PHY 222L.

This laboratory course provides students with experience in the application of the fundamental concepts and laws of electricity, magnetism, optics, and modern physics. One three-hour laboratory period is scheduled each week. A course fee may apply. All students registered for this course must also be registered for PHY 222.

This is a survey course that covers the entire plant kingdom. It is designed to emphasize the structure, life processes, and evolutionary relationships of the major groups of plants. There are three lectures per week. This course is offered in the spring semester. All students registered for this course must also be registered for BIO 223L.

This laboratory course accompanies BIO 223. It is designed to provide students with hands-on experience in taxonomic studies using the local flora. Students can expect to have both indoor and outdoor laboratory experiences. There is one three-hour laboratory period scheduled each week. This course is offered in the spring semester. A course fee may apply. All students registered for this course must also be registered for BIO 223.

This course is designed to familiarize students with cell chemistry, cell structure, cell functions, cell-to-cell communication, cell signaling, cell reproduction, and inheritance. There are three hours of lectures per week. This course is offered in fall and spring semesters. All students registered for this course must also be registered for BIO 125L.

This is a laboratory course that will provide students with extensive hands-on experience in microscopy and in laboratory technologies that may include staining, measuring of enzyme activities, spectrophotometry, electrophoresis, cell fractionation, chromatography, and measuring metabolic activity. There is one three-hour laboratory period scheduled each week. This course is offered in fall and spring semesters. A course fee may apply. All students registered for this course must also be registered for BIO 125.

This course is an in-depth study of the metabolic pathways found in both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. There is particular emphasis on those pathways that involve carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism, although nucleic acid metabolism is addressed. There are three hours of lectures per week. This course is offered in spring semesters. All students registered for this course must also register for BIO 324L.

This is a laboratory course that will provide students with experience in techniques such as chromatography, cell fractionation, electrophoresis, protein purification, spectrophotometry, and Western blot analysis. One three-hour laboratory period is scheduled each week. This course is offered in spring semesters. A course fee may apply. All students registered for this course must also be registered for BIO 324.

This course discusses the principles of ecology and heavily emphasizes community relationships. The major portion of the course will cover the interactions of plants within communities, the interactions of animals within communities, and the interactions of plants and animals within communities. There are three hours of lectures per week. This course is offered in fall semesters. All students registered for this course must also be registered for BIO 325L.

A laboratory course that is based on field and laboratory studies of local plant and animal communities. One three-hour laboratory period is scheduled each week. Offered in fall semesters. Course fee may apply. All students registered for this course must also be registered for BIO 325.

This course explores the evolutionary and biochemical principles of genetics. In particular, the molecular nature of heredity is emphasized. There are three hours of lectures per week. This course is offered in fall and or spring semesters. All students registered for this course must also be registered for BIO 421L.

This laboratory portion of the genetics courses will provide students with hands-on experience with techniques used to explore the molecular nature of heredity. There is one three-hour lecture scheduled per week. This course is offered in fall and or spring semesters. A course fee may apply. All students who are registered for this course must also be registered for BIO 421.

This course is designed for senior biology majors to have the opportunity to write and orally present a research proposal. This will include conducting a literature review and designing an original research project. The student will be working under the supervision of a department biologist who will act as a mentor to the student. This class is a prerequisite for BIO 498, the capstone course in biology. This course is offered only in fall semesters.

This course is designed for senior biology majors to conduct research. Students will carry out a research project of their own design. Specifically, students will conduct experiments, write up the results of those experiments, write up the conclusions based on those results, and present the results and conclusions of the project in both written and oral formats. Students will work under the supervision of a department biologist who will act as a mentor and a guide. This is the capstone course in biology. This course is offered only in spring semesters.