Biology majors survey the origins, maintenance, and conservation of biological diversity, as well as the molecular, genetic, and cellular basis of life. Students have the opportunity to learn about a wide range of topics, which include the complex interactions that exist among organisms and their environments, as well as the biological processes that underlie molecular and organismic evolution, cellular function, and embryonic development.
General Information
The Bachelor of Science (BS) in Biology requires the following:
- A minimum of 41 credit hours of BIOL course work. At least 33 of those hours must be upper division (courses numbered 3000 or higher).
- 32 hours of auxiliary course work.
- A grade of C- or better in courses applied to the major, including the auxiliary courses.
- No more than 60 credit hours of BIOL course work may apply to the bachelor’s degree.
Additional course work is required to complete the Biology, BS degree. Please see the advising guide on the Academic Advising website for more information.
Biology Fees
Students enrolled in BIOL courses will be assessed fees to help defray the cost of supplies. Fees are $25 per credit hour. Check the course schedule for fees, or use the fee estimator at the Student Financial Services website. There is a full refund of the deposit for courses dropped the first two weeks of the term (for full-term courses).
Biology Major Options
The following options, or tracks, may be added to the Biology major. Options may have different course, grade, GPA, or hour requirements. See below for more information.
- Elementary Education
- Secondary Education - UCCSTeach
Learning Outcomes
- Students should be able to apply the scientific method: formulate a testable hypothesis, design and conduct scientific investigation, and interpret study findings.
- Students should understand the fundamental processes of cells that are interwoven within one large biochemical network.
- Students should be able to: 1) Explain from a biochemical perspective how genetic information is stored, expressed and inherited, and 2) Explain the inheritance patterns of traits, and what factors influence the prevalence of traits.
- Students should be able to identify the major classes of macromolecules, to recognize the principal biosynthetic and energy pathways of living organisms, and to understand the connections between biological systems and the molecular structures of their constituent parts.
- Students should be able to identify evidence to support common descent of all living organisms, to understand the factors that contribute to and the consequences of evolutionary change, and to apply “evolutionary thinking” to explain biological phenomena.
NOTE: All upper-division courses should be taken after General Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and General Physics. Failure to take courses in the recommended sequence will result in future scheduling conflicts.
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