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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 academic advisor in Biology, will allow the student to specialize in areas such as morphology, physiology, systematics, environmental biology, natural history, or molecular biology.

Note: Transfer students must take a minimum of 10 semester credits in the major at Bemidji State University.

I. Required Biology Core Courses

Note: BIOL 1117 and BIOL 1118 may be substituted for BIOL 1211 and BIOL 1212 with the consent of the Department Chair. Students may not receive credit for both BIOL 1117/BIOL 1118 and BIOL 1211/BIOL 1212.

BIOL 1211 Introductory Biology I (4 credits)
BIOL 1212 Introductory Biology II (4 credits)
BIOL 2360 Genetics (4 credits)
BIOL 3130 Scientific Communication in Biology (2 credits)
BIOL 3140 Biology Writing Certification (0 credits)

Subtotal 14 Credits

II. Required Biology Electives

A. Suborganismal

Select one of the following courses:

Updated:
BIOL 2375 Molecular Genetics (4 credits)
BIOL 2385 Molecular Genetics Laboratory (3 credits)
BIOL 2720 Plant Physiology I (4 credits)
BIOL 3260 Vertebrate Physiology (4 credits)
BIOL 3580 Immunology (4 credits)
BIOL 3660 Radiation Biology (4 credits)
BIOL 4220 Histology (4 credits)
BIOL 4590 Cellular and Molecular Biology (4 credits)

B. Organismal

Select one of the following courses:

BIOL 2310 Comparative Invertebrate Anatomy (4 credits)
BIOL 2710 Plant Anatomy and Morphology (4 credits)
BIOL 3250 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (4 credits)
BIOL 3310 Entomology (4 credits)
BIOL 3510 Ornithology (4 credits)
BIOL 3710 Microbiology (4 credits)
BIOL 3730 Taxonomy of Seed Plants (3 credits)
BIOL 3810 Introduction to Mycology (3 credits)
BIOL 3830 Aquatic Plants (4 credits)
BIOL 4210 Parasitology (4 credits)
BIOL 4410 Comparative Embryology (3 credits)
BIOL 4520 Mammalogy (4 credits)
BIOL 4534 Ichthyology (4 credits)

C. Community

Select one of the following courses:

BIOL 2614 General Ecology (3 credits)
BIOL/GEOL 3120 Soils (4 credits)
BIOL 3361 Limnology I (4 credits)
BIOL/GEOG 3630 Conservation Biology (3 credits)
BIOL 4545 Fisheries Management (4 credits)
BIOL 4620 Organic Evolution (3 credits)

*Updated Subtotal 9-12 credits

III. Required General Biology Electives

Select electives from Biology courses numbered 2300 and above to achieve a minimum of 77 semester credits for the major.

*Updated Subtotal 11-18 credits

IV. Required Courses in Related Fields

Note: Students planning to pursue graduate school in the biological and/or medical sciences should take CHEM 1211, CHEM 1212, either PHYS 2101, PHYS 2102 or PHYS 1101, PHYS 1102 (consult your Biology academic advisor), and MATH 2471, MATH 2472 instead of CHEM 1111, CHEM 1112, GEOL 1110, GEOL 1120, and MATH 2171, MATH 2172.

A.

CHEM 1211 Principles of Chemistry I (3 credits)
CHEM 1212 Principles of Chemistry II (3 credits)
CHEM 1240 Fundamental Techniques Laboratory (2 credits)
or
CHEM 1111 General Chemistry I (3 credits)
CHEM 1112 General Chemistry II (3 credits)
CHEM 1240 Fundamental Techniques Laboratory (2 credits)

B. Note: MATH 2171, MATH 2172, MATH 2471, and MATH 2472 have prerequisites not included in this major. Please check the course descriptions and consult with the instructors.

MATH 2471 Calculus I (5 credits)
MATH 2472 Calculus II (5 credits)
MATH 2610 Applied Statistics (4 credits)
or
MATH 2171 Concepts of Calculus I (5 credits)
MATH 2172 Concepts of Calculus II (3 credits)
MATH 2610 Applied Statistics (4 credits)

C.

PHYS 2101 Physics I (5 credits)
PHYS 2102 Physics II (5 credits)
or
PHYS 1101 General Physics I (4 credits)
PHYS 1102 General Physics II (4 credits)
or
GEOL 1110 Physical Geology (4 credits)
GEOL 1120 Historical Geology (4 credits)

D.

CHEM 2311 Organic Chemistry I (3 credits)
CHEM 2312 Organic Chemistry II (3 credits)
CHEM 2371 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I (1 credit)
CHEM 2372 Organic Chemistry Laboratory II (1 credit)

Subtotal 36-40 Credits

Total Semester Credits Required for Major 77 Credits

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SUGGESTED SEMESTER 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 assist students in planning their courses in an orderly fashion. There is some flexibility in this schedule, but graduation within four years will require close adherence to the specified sequence of courses. Always consult your Biology academic advisor as to the proper courses and sequence of courses needed for graduation.

Freshman

BIOL 1211 Introductory Biology I
BIOL 1212 Introductory Biology II
*CHEM 1211 Principles of Chemistry I
or CHEM 1111 General Chemistry I
*CHEM 1212 Principles of Chemistry II
or CHEM 1112 General Chemistry II
CHEM 1240 Fundamental Laboratory Techniques
MATH 1470 Precalculus
MATH 2471 Calculus I
or depending on mathematics placement score
MATH 2471 Calculus I
MATH 2472 Calculus II
Liberal Education requirements

Sophomore

BIOL 2360 Genetics
BIOL 3130 Scientific Communication in Biology
BIOL 3140 Biology Writing Certification
CHEM 2311 Organic Chemistry I
CHEM 2312 Organic Chemistry II
CHEM 2371 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I
CHEM 2372 Organic Chemistry Laboratory II
*PHYS 2101 Physics I
or PHYS 1101 General Physics I
or GEOL 1110 Physical Geology
*PHYS 2102 Physics II
or PHYS 1102 General Physics II
or GEOL 1120 Historical Geology
MATH 2472 Calculus II
Biology Electives numbered 2300 or above
Liberal Education requirements

Junior

MATH 2610 Applied Statistics
Biology Electives numbered 2300 or above
Liberal Education requirements

Senior

Complete Biology Electives numbered 2300 or above
Complete Liberal Education requirements
*Consult your Biology advisor.