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Biology Major, B.S.

This program is designed for students wishing to prepare themselves for a variety of entry level professional positions in the biological sciences or who wish to prepare themselves for graduate school in the biological or medical sciences. The program is flexible and the judicious choice of restricted electives, selected in consultation with one's adviser, will allow the student to specialize in areas such as physiology, systematics, environmental biology, natural history, or molecular biology.

Transfer students must take a minimum of 15 quarter hours in the major at Bemidji State University.

I. Required Courses

• BIOL 120 Introductory Biology Laboratory (3 credits)
• BIOL 121, 122, 123 Introductory Biology Lecture (9 credits)
  *Biology 111, 112, 113 may be used with the consent of the Department Chair
• BIOL 205 Classical Genetics (4 credits)
• BIOL 206 Molecular Genetics I (4 credits)
• BIOL 300 Writing Certification (0 credits)
• BIOL 310 Literature of Biology (3 credits)

Subtotal: 23 credits

II. Required Electives

A. Morphology, Taxonomy, and Natural History

• Select at least 3 of the following courses:
  • BIOL 207 Molecular Genetics II (3 credits)
  • BIOL 208 Molecular Genetics Laboratory (4 credits)
  • BIOL 221 Comparative Invertebrate Anatomy (5 credits)
  • BIOL 271 Plant Anatomy and Morphology (5 credits)
  • BIOL 321 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (5 credits)
  • BIOL 331 Entomology (5 credits)
  • BIOL 341 Comparative Embryology (4 credits)
  • BIOL 351 Ornithology (5 credits)
  • BIOL 358 Immunology (5 credits)
  • BIOL 371 Microbiology (5 credits)
  • BIOL 373 Taxonomy of Seed Plants (5 credits)
  • BIOL 375 Medical Microbiology (3 credits)
  • BIOL 378 Introduction to Hematology (2 credits)
  • BIOL 381 Cryptogamic Botany (5 credits)
  • BIOL 383 Freshwater Algae (4 credits)
  • BIOL 384 Aquatic Vascular Plants (4 credits)
  • BIOL 410 History and Philosophy of Science (4 credits)
  • BIOL 420 Freshwater Invertebrates (5 credits)
  • BIOL 421 Parasitology (5 credits)
  • BIOL 422 Histology (5 credits)
  • BIOL 444 Functional Anatomy of the Nervous System (5 credits)
  • BIOL 452 Mammalogy (5 credits)
  • BIOL 453 Fisheries Management (4 credits)
  • BIOL 455 Ichthyology (4 credits)

Subtotal: 9-15 credits

B. Physiology

• Select at least 2 of the following:
  • BIOL 272 Plant Physiology I (5 credits)
  • BIOL 322 Vertebrate Physiology (5 credits)
  • BIOL 342 Comparative Animal Physiology (5 credits)
  • BIOL 366 Radioisotopes (5 credits)
  • BIOL 372 Plant Physiology II (5 credits)
  • BIOL 459 Cell Biology (4 credits)
  • BIOL 463 Biological Techniques (4 credits)
  • BIOL 464 Radiation Biology (4 credits)
  • BIOL 469 Molecular Biology (4 credits)
  • BIOL 472 Plant Physiology III (5 credits)
  • CHEM 341, 342 Biochemistry I, II (6 credits)

Subtotal: 8-11 credits

C. Environmental Biology

• Select at least 2 of the following:
  • BIOL 261 General Ecology (4 credits)
  • BIOL 312 Soils (5 credits)
  • BIOL 336, 337 Limnology I, II (10 credits)
  • BIOL 338 Independent Research in Aquatic Biology & Fisheries (3 credits)
  • BIOL 339 Biology of Polluted Waters (4 credits)
  • BIOL 362 Environmental Conservation (4 credits)
  • BIOL 374 Productivity of Aquatic Environments (4 credits)
  • BIOL 462 Organic Evolution (4 credits)
  • BIOL 465 Plant Ecology (4 credits)

Subtotal: 7-15 credits

III. Required Electives

• Select a minimum of 4 quarter hours of electives from Biology courses numbered 206 and above.

Subtotal: 4 credits

IV. Required Courses in Related Field

• Complete one of the following options:
  • Option A:
    • CHEM 121, 122, 123 Principles of Chemistry I, II, III, and
    • CHEM 124. Fundamental Laboratory Techniques in Chemistry. (12 credits)
  • Option B:
    • CHEM 111, 112, 113 General Chemistry I, II, III,
    • CHEM 115 General Chemistry IV Problem Solving, and
    • CHEM 124 Fundamental Laboratory Techniques in Chemistry (15 credits)

Subtotal: 12-15 credits

• Complete either A. or B:
  • A. At least two courses numbered 210 or above in a modern foreign language. (8 credits)
  • B. At least two of the following courses:
    • CS 114 Introduction to Computers and Programming (4 credits)
    • CS 220 Computer Programming: BASIC (4 credits)
    • CS 221 Computer Programming: FORTRAN (4 credits)
    • CS 228 Computer Programming: PASCAL (4 credits)

Subtotal: 8 credits

• Complete either A. or B:
  • A. PHYS 111, 112, 113 General Physics I, II, III (12 credits)
  • B. GEOL 111, 112, 113 General Geology (12 credits)

Subtotal: 12 credits

• Complete all of the following:
  • CHEM 231, 232, 233 Organic Chemistry (10 credits)
  • CHEM 237, 238 Organic Chemistry Lab (2 credits)
  • MATH 241, 242, 243 Calculus I, II, III (15 credits)
  • MATH 260 Applied Statistics I (4 credits)

Subtotal: 31 credits

TOTAL QUARTER HOURS REQUIRED FOR MAJOR: 113-134 CREDITS

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Suggested Schedule For Biology Major, B.S.

The following is a list of required Biology Major, B.S. courses arranged by year. This schedule is intended to help students plan their courses in an orderly fashion; however, these are only suggestions and this schedule is flexible.

Freshman

• BIOL 120, 121, 122, 123 Introductory Biology, Lecture and Laboratory
  or BIOL 111, 112, 113 General Biology with consent of Department Chair.
• CHEM 121, 122, 123 Principles of Chemistry I, II, III and
  CHEM 124 Fundamental Laboratory Techniques in Chemistry
  or CHEM 111, 112, 113, 115 General Chemistry and
  CHEM 124 Fundamental Laboratory Techniques in Chemistry with consent of Department Chair.
• MATH 141, 142 Pre-calculus Math I, II
  or MATH 145, 146 Accelerated Pre-Calculus Math A, B; depending on the mathematics placement scores.
• Liberal Education requirements

Sophomore

• CHEM 231, 232, 233 Organic Chemistry I, II, III
• CHEM 237, 238 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I, II
• PHYS 111, 112, 113 General Physics I, II, III
  or GEOL 111, 112, 113 General Geology
• MATH 241, 242, 243 Calculus I, II, III
• Electives in Biology numbered 211 or above
• Liberal Education requirements

Junior

• Modern foreign language courses numbered 210 or above
  or two computer science programming/language courses such as BASIC, PASCAL, or FORTRAN.
• BIOL 205 Classical Genetics
• BIOL 206 Molecular Genetics I
• BIOL 300 Writing Certification
• BIOL 310 Literature of Biology
• Electives in Biology numbered 211 or above
• MATH 260 Applied Statistics I
• Liberal Education requirements

Senior

• Electives in Biology numbered 211 or above other electives
• Complete Liberal Education requirements