Biology, Biotechnology, BS

General Education Requirements

Competencies

Competencies must be completed within the student’s first 30 credits.

♣ General Education Categories (34-35 credits total)

FYS, W-I, and OC courses must be completed within the student’s first 30 credits. Courses used to satisfy the general education requirements of the university must be taken from a minimum of six different academic disciplines. First Year Seminar and Level I Written Communications courses are exempt from this restriction.  Courses may not be used to fulfill both major discipline and general education requirements. 

 ‡ Written Communication (Level II and Level III) and Diversity, Power Dynamics and Social Justice

Courses taken for Written Communication Level II, Level III and Diversity, Power Dynamics and Social Justice may be used to satisfy requirements anywhere else in a student’s program of study where they may apply.  Credits will be counted in the area where they apply.

♥       Students may choose to use support courses to satisfy general education categories, but may not be required to do so.  Note:  If a course is used to satisfy two or more requirements (for example, a support course and Scientific Reasoning requirement), the credits are counted in only one place.  Using a course to satisfy more than one requirement does not reduce the credit total required for graduation.  

♣       Courses used to satisfy the general education requirements of the university must be taken from a minimum of six different academic disciplines.  First Year Seminar and Level I Written Communications courses are exempt from this restriction.  Courses may not be used to fulfill both major discipline and general education requirements.

#       These Scientific Reasoning General Education Category courses do not have to be a sequence or be from the same discipline.

‡        Level II and Level III Written Communications courses and Diversity, Power Dynamics and Social Justice may be used to satisfy requirements anywhere else in a student’s program of study where they may apply.  The credits are counted only in one area.

♦        Exceptions in the timing of these courses will be made for transfer students.

Courses in Major (47-45 credits total)

♥ Required Support Courses (11-12 credits total)

• MAT 150 Precalculus

• or

• MAT 220 Calculus I
• ◊  PHS 211A College Physics I

• OR

• PHS 221 General Physics I with Calculus
• ◊  PHS 212A College Physics II

• or

• PHS 222 General Physics II with Calculus

Required Minor: Chemistry (16 credits total)

• CHE 130 General Chemistry I
• CHE 131 General Chemistry II
• CHE 212 Organic Chemistry I
• CHE 213 Organic Chemistry II

Free Electives (12 credit minimum)

May be necessary to take additional credits to attain the minimum 120 credits required for graduation depending on choices made for general education or minor selection.

• ____ ____ _________________________________ __
• ____ ____ _________________________________ __
• ____ ____ _________________________________ __
• ____ ____ _________________________________ __
• ____ ____ _________________________________ __

Additional Information and Notes

†         This elective must be chosen from the following courses: BIO 312, 314, 316, 340, 400, 406, 407, 408, 409, 411, 412, and 416. A maximum of 4 credits from BIO 407, 408, 416, 418, 420, or 422 may be used to fulfill one Biology elective; additional credits will count as Free Electives.

¶         For the Advanced Laboratory Elective, students are strongly encouraged to complete a Biology internship (BIO 416). Internship placements are not made by the University. Interested students should speak with their academic advisor and Career Services for coaching in the internship search process, starting in fall of the sophomore year. Note: some internship programs have a minimum GPA requirement.

◊         The sequence can be either PHS 211A and 212A, or PHS 221 and 222.

Total credits for graduation: 120