Core Courses
Bachelor of Arts, Biology Major
Bachelor of Science, Biology Major
Program-Specific Requirements
Teacher Certification in Biology
* Current Undergraduate Catalog (Click on "Undergraduate Catalog 2004-2006 with Fall 2005 Addendum Changes" and scroll down to "College of Science," then "Biology.")
All Biology Major programs require six core courses:
• Functional Biology (1430)
• Organismal Biology (1431)
• Genetics (2450)
• one diversity course chosen from Botany (2410), Zoology (2411), or Microbiology (2400)
• one physiology course chosen from Cell Physiology
(4441), Plant Physiology (3465), or Vertebrate Physiology (3421)
• General Ecology (4416) or Plant Ecology (4454)
Electives chosen to fulfill major requirements must be approved by a student's major department advisor.
Minimum required: 128-136 semester hours
- A teaching certificate is available with this degree but will require extra hours.
- A total of 40 advanced hours is required to graduate. An advanced course is one that is numbered above 3000 and below 5000. The College of Science requires a minimum of 9 Writing Intensive hours.
- * General Education core curriculum courses.
| Freshman Year Hours | |
| Biology 1430, 1431 | 8 |
| Chemistry 1141,1341 | 4 |
| Chemistry 1142, 1342 | 4 |
| English 1310, 1320* | 6 |
| University Seminar 1100* | 1 |
| History 1310, 1320* | 6 |
| Philosophy 1305* | 3 |
| Physical Fitness (2 courses)* | 2 |
| Sophomore Year Hours | |
| Biology 2450, diversity course | 8 |
| Communication 1310* | 3 |
| English (Literature)* | 3 |
| Art, Dance, Music, or Theatre 2313* | 3 |
| Mathematics 2321 | 3 |
| Modern Language 1410, 1420 | 8 |
| Political Science 2310, 2320* | 6 |
| Junior Year Hours | |
| English 3303 | 3 |
| Biology (see majors & note 2) | 12 |
| Minor or Electives (see note 2) | 6-12 |
| Modern Language 2310, 2320 | 6 |
| Social & Behavioral Science* | 3 |
| Senior Year Hours | |
| Biology (see majors & note 2) | 12 |
| Minor or Electives (see note 2) | 10-12 |
| Physics 1410, 1420 | 8 |
Minimum required: 128-140 semester hours
- Recommended minor is chemistry or biochemistry.
- A teaching certificate is available with this degree but will require extra hours.
- A total of 40 advanced hours is required to graduate. An advanced course is one that is numbered above 3000 and below 5000. The College of Science requires a minimum of 9 Writing Intensive hours.
- If two years of the same foreign language were taken in high school, then enough additional hours to total the minimum 128 hours required for the degree will fulfill this requirement. In the absence of such high school language, two semesters of the same modern language must be taken at the college level.
- * General Education core curriculum courses.
| Freshman Year Hours | |
| Biology 1430, 1431 | 8 |
| Chemistry 1141,1341 | 4 |
| Chemistry 1142, 1342 | 4 |
| English 1310, 1320* | 6 |
| University Seminar 1100* | 1 |
| History 1310, 1320* | 6 |
| Philosophy 1305* | 3 |
| Physical Fitness (2 courses)* | 2 |
| Sophomore Year Hours | |
| Biology 2450, diversity course | 8 |
| Chemistry 2141, 2341 | 4 |
| Chemistry 2142, 2342 | 4 |
| Communication 1310* | 3 |
| English (Literature)* | 3 |
| Art, Dance, Music, or Theatre 2313* | 3 |
| Mathematics 2321, 2331 | 6 |
| Political Science 2310, 2320* | 6 |
| Junior Year Hours | |
| English 3303 | 3 |
| Biology (see majors & note 3) | 12 |
| Minor or Electives (see note 3) | 8 |
| Physics 1410, 1420 | 8 |
| Social & Behavioral Science* | 3 |
| Senior Year Hours | |
| Biology (see majors & note 3) | 12 |
| Minor or Electives (see note 3) | 4-12 |
| Modern Language (see note 4) | 8 |
| Electives | 3 |
Note: not all courses are offered every semester or every year. Plan ahead!
Aquatic Biology: In addition to the core; 3460 (Aquatic Biology), 4415 (Ichthyology), 4470 (Limnology), and one advanced Biology elective. Chemistry 3410 (Quantitative Analysis).
Botany: In addition to the core; 2410 (Botany) as the core diversity course; 3465 Plant Physiology as the required physiology course; and General Ecology 4416 (this is a prerequisite for Plant Ecology 4454). In addition, 3410 (Morphology of Non-Vascular Plants); 3461 (Plant Taxonomy); 4411 (Morphology of Vascular Plants) or 4412 (Plant Anatomy); and 4454 (Plant Ecology).
General Biology: In addition to the core, four advanced Biology electives as approved by major department advisor.
Physiology: In addition to the core: 4450 (Physiological Ecology of Animals); 4442 (Experimental Techniques); one other advanced physiology course chosen from 4441 (Cell Physiology), 3465 (Plant Physiology), or 3421 (Vertebrate Physiology); and one advanced Biology elective. Chemistry 3410 (Quantitative Analysis) is also required.
Microbiology: In addition to the core; one advanced Biology elective; and three courses selected from 3442 (Virology), 4426 (Immunology), 4445 (Pathogenic Microbiology), or 4446 (Microbial Ecology). A minor in Biochemistry or Chemistry is required
Wildlife Biology: In addition to the core: 3461 (Plant Taxonomy); 4421 (Ornithology); 4422 (Mammology); 4423 (Wildlife Management); 4435 (Techniques in Wildlife Management); and one course chosen from 4420 (Natural History of Vertebrates) or 4425 (Biometry). Additional coursework is required for certification in Wildlife Biology; see the Wildlife Biology advisor.
Zoology: In addition to the core, 3470 (Invertebrate Zoology); one course chosen from 3480 (Histology) or 3490 (Vertebrate Embryology) or 3495 (Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy); 4420 (Natural History of the Vertebrates); and 4465 (General Entomology).
Students seeking certification to teach biology will follow coursework leading to the BS or BA degree, in addition to taking the necessary courses prescribed by the Texas Education Agency. A minor in chemistry is suggested. Initial or additional certification may be acquired after completing the degree and enrollment in a masters program or as a post-graduate. Students interested in certification are strongly encouraged to see an appropriate advisor in the Biology Department. (Click here for Science Education general information page.)