Biological Sciences, B.S.
Contact
Dr. Steven Travis
Director, School of Biological Sciences
stravis@une.edu
Dr. Kristin Burkholder
Assistant Director, School of Biological Sciences
kburkholder@une.edu
Mission
At the heart of our mission lies a dedication to nurturing a vibrant learning environment where students are active participants and collaborators. We believe in the transformative power of experiential learning, in guiding students through hands-on experiences that bridge the gap between theory and practice, and in preparing them to navigate real-world challenges with confidence and insight. We strive to create welcoming spaces where every voice is heard and valued. Grounded in academic rigor and scientific integrity, we equip students with the tools and knowledge to critically engage with complex biological concepts and global issues. As stewards of both knowledge and the environment, we inspire a sense of responsibility and encourage innovation for a healthier planet.
Our Core Values
Student Centeredness: Every decision we make is predicated by the question, “What is best for our students?”
Community and Belonging: We celebrate the many backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences within our community. By promoting a culture of belonging and mutual respect, we strive to create a supportive and welcoming environment where all individuals can thrive and contribute.
Experiential Learning: Students learn best by doing. We value hands-on experiences and reflection so students can connect theories and knowledge learned in the classroom to real-world situations.
Information Literacy: We strive to instill students with knowledge and skills needed to develop a data-driven understanding of biological processes and their global implications.
Academic Rigor: We embrace uncompromising standards of academic rigor and strive for excellence in all facets of teaching and research.
Scientific Integrity: We adhere to the highest professional and ethical standards when teaching, conducting, and reporting research.
Environmental Stewards: We promote environmental stewardship by fostering an understanding of biological systems and their susceptibility to human impacts, and by recognizing our shared responsibility for planetary health.
Collaboration: Scientific progress thrives when minds come together. We strive to create a collaborative environment where students and instructors come together to engage in teamwork through shared learning experiences and joint research projects.
Major Description
The Biological Sciences major provides a broad background for students interested in biology. The core program is flexible, thereby permitting the student latitude in the area of emphasis. However, students who wish to narrow their focus can elect a concentration in either Cellular and Molecular Biology or Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. A goal of the major is to provide students with the necessary background for entry-level career positions and graduate study.
The school also offers Biological Sciences majors the opportunity to select all of the EDU secondary education certification courses (listed below) as their electives to become middle or high school teachers (grades 7–12) in life science.
The Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee
The Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee (PHPAC) consists of professional staff and faculty members of the College of Arts and Sciences. The major function of this committee is to draft letters of evaluation for students applying to health professions programs such as medical, dental, and veterinary schools. Interested students should view our web page for information regarding the protocol for obtaining a PHPAC letter of evaluation.
Graduation Requirements
A minimum grade of C- must be achieved in all BIO, CHE, PHY, and MAT courses used to fulfill the requirements of the Biological Sciences major. A 2.00 cumulative average in sciences is a requirement for graduation in any of the programs in the School of Biological Sciences.
Students in this major can participate in the pre-health graduate school preparation tracks
Honors Program
We offer qualified students the option of graduating with Honors. This includes significant research, scholarship or creative activity under the direction of a faculty member. Interested students should consult with their advisor.
Transfer Credit
See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.
Admissions
See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.
Financial Information
Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more tuition and fee information, please consult this catalog’s Financial Information section.
Curricular Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Nor'easter Core Requirements | 40 | |
| Nor'easter Core Requirements | 40 | |
| Program Required Courses | ||
| BIO 105 & 105L | Biology I: Ecology/Evolution and Bio I: Ecology/Evolution Lab | 4 |
| BIO 106 & 106L | Biology II: Cellular/Molecular and Bio II:Cellular/Molecular Lab | 4 |
| BIO 214 & 214L | Genetics and Genetics Lab | 4 |
| BIO 400-level capstone 1 | 3-4 | |
| CHE 110 & 110L | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Lab | 4 |
| or CHE 150 | University General Chemistry I | |
| CHE 111 & 111L | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Lab | 4 |
| or CHE 151 | University General Chemistry II | |
| CHE 201 & 201L | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry I Lab | 4-5 |
| or CHE 250 & 250L & 250S | University Organic Chemistry I and University Organic Chemistry I Lab and University Organic Chemistry I Lab Lecture | |
| CHE 202 & 202L | Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry II Lab | 4-5 |
| or CHE 251 & 251L & 251S | University Organic Chemistry II and University Organic Chemistry II Lab and University Organic Chemistry II Lab Lecture | |
| or CHE 310 & 310L | Fundamentals of Biochemistry and Biochemistry Lab | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Statistics for Life Sciences (Biological Sciences Core Program and Cellular and Molecular Biology concentration) | ||
| Statistics for Environmental Sciences (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology concentration) | ||
| MAT 190 | Calculus I | 4 |
| PHY 110 | General Physics I w/Lab | 4 |
| or PHY 210 | University Physics I | |
| PHY 111 | General Physics II w/Lab | 4 |
| or PHY 211 | University Physics II | |
| Select one course from each topic area below: 2 | ||
Cellular & Molecular Area Courses | ||
BIO 203 & BIO 203L | and (Histology w/Lab) | |
| Immunology | ||
| Cell & Molecular Biology | ||
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Area Courses | ||
| Conservation Genetics | ||
| Human Evolution | ||
| Disease Ecology | ||
| Evolution | ||
| Ecology and Ecology Lab | ||
| Animal Behavior and Behavioral Ecology and Animal Behav/Behav Ecology Lab | ||
Organismal Biology Area Courses 2 | ||
| Parasitology and Parasitology Lab | ||
| Microbiology and Microbiology Lab | ||
| Environmental Microbiology and Environmental Microbiology Lab | ||
| Winter Natural History and Winter Natural History Lab | ||
| Medicinal Plant Biology | ||
| Mammalogy and Mammalogy Lab | ||
| Virology | ||
| Herpetology and Herpetology Lab | ||
| Ornithology and Ornithology Lab | ||
| Invertebrate Zoology and Invertebrate Zoology Lab | ||
| Biology of Fishes and Biology of Fishes Lab | ||
| Open Elective Courses (Students complete open elective credits as necessary to meet the University’s 120-credit minimum for graduation. The total number of elective credits required will depend on the student’s completed program, core, and other degree requirements.) | ||
| Total Hours | 126-129 | |
- 1
Course is to be selected in consultation with your faculty advisor. Not satisfied by BIO 410 Biological Sciences Research, BIO 495 Adv Biological Sci Internship or Internship/Research Courses.
- 2
Topic Area courses are to be selected in consultation with your faculty advisor.
Please note: While some courses can fulfill both core and program requirements, the credits earned do not count twice towards the minimum total required credits for the degree.
BIO 290 Biological Topics may fulfill biology area requirements depending on the subject matter and advisor permission.
Additional Guidelines
Students wishing to pursue teacher certification in Life Science can complete a double major with Biological Sciences and Middle and Secondary Education or a major in Middle and Secondary Education and a concentration in Biological Sciences. For more information, see the Middle and Secondary Education catalog page.
Concentrations
Biological Sciences students who wish to narrow their focus beyond the core program can elect a concentration in either Cellular and Molecular Biology or Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Please see the Curricular Requirements section for details.
Concentration Options
Optional Concentration in Cellular and Molecular Biology Required Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 105 & 105L | Biology I: Ecology/Evolution and Bio I: Ecology/Evolution Lab | 4 |
| BIO 106 & 106L | Biology II: Cellular/Molecular and Bio II:Cellular/Molecular Lab | 4 |
| BIO 214 & 214L | Genetics and Genetics Lab | 4 |
| BIO 370 | Cell & Molecular Biology | 3 |
| BIO 407 | Developmental Biology | 3 |
| BIO 400-level capstone course 1 | 3-4 | |
| Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Area Course 2 | 3-4 | |
| Organismal Biology Area Course 2 | 3-4 | |
| Cognate Chemistry, Physics, and Math Courses (same as above program requirements) | 31-33 | |
| Total Hours | 58-63 | |
- 1
Course is to be selected in consultation with your faculty advisor. Not satisfied by BIO 410 Biological Sciences Research, BIO 495 Adv Biological Sci Internship or Internship/Research Courses.
- 2
Topic Area courses are to be selected in consultation with your faculty advisor and can be found in the Curricular Requirements section.
Optional Concentration in Ecology and Evalutionary Biology Required Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 105 & 105L | Biology I: Ecology/Evolution and Bio I: Ecology/Evolution Lab | 4 |
| BIO 106 & 106L | Biology II: Cellular/Molecular and Bio II:Cellular/Molecular Lab | 4 |
| BIO 214 & 214L | Genetics and Genetics Lab | 3-4 |
| or BIO 322 | Comparative Animal Physiology | |
| BIO 333 | Evolution | 3 |
| BIO 350 & 350L | Ecology and Ecology Lab | 4 |
| BIO 400-level capstone course 1 | 3-4 | |
| Organismal Biology Topic Area 2 | 3-4 | |
| Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Area Course or a second Organismal Biology Area Course 2 | 3-4 | |
| Cognate Chemistry, Physics, and Math Courses (same as above program requirements) | 31-33 | |
| Total Hours | 58-64 | |
- 1
Course is to be selected in consultation with your faculty advisor. Not satisfied by BIO 410 Biological Sciences Research, BIO 495 Adv Biological Sci Internship or Internship/Research Courses.
- 2
Topic Area courses are to be selected in consultation with your faculty advisor and can be found in the Curricular Requirements section.
Please note: While some courses can fulfill both core and program requirements, the credits earned do not count twice towards the minimum total required credits for the degree.
Learning Outcomes
The expected learning outcomes for students graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Biological Sciences include:
- Process of Science: Scientific Thinking and Information Literacy
- Explain how science generates knowledge of the natural world, and locate, interpret, and evaluate scientific information.
- Apply science process skills to address a research question in a course-based or independent research experience, which includes being able to: pose testable questions and hypotheses to address gaps in knowledge, plan, evaluate, and implement scientific investigations, and interpret, evaluate, and draw conclusions from data to make evidence-based arguments about the natural world.
- Recognize the important roles that scientific models and simulations of many different types (conceptual, mathematical, physical, etc.) play in predicting and communicating biological phenomena, making inferences, and solving problems.
- Interdisciplinary and Communicative Nature of Science
- Connect scientific knowledge by integrating concepts across multiple fields of biology (e.g., cell and molecular biology, ecology and evolution, anatomy, physiology) and other STEM disciplines (e.g., chemistry, physics) in order to generate interdisciplinary solutions to real-world problems.
- Communicate ideas, data, and findings clearly and accurately with others to enable productive teamwork among people of diverse backgrounds, skill sets, and perspectives, which includes being able to:
- Provide and respond to constructive feedback to improve individual and team-based work while reflecting on your learning, performance, and achievements.
- Critically analyze ethical issues in the conduct of science while considering the potential impacts of outside influences (historical, cultural, political, technological, etc.) on how science is practiced.