Towson University - Biological Sciences

___________Biology Major and Minor

The Department of Biological Sciences has recently improved its undergraduate curriculum. As a result, there are now two curricula in practice; the original and the new. However, in an effort to phase it out, the original curriculum will not be readily available to students after the start of the 2004 fall semester. Those students who enroll prior to fall 2004 will be able to choose between the two curricula and current students will have the option of changing to the new curriculum. Those students who choose the original curriculum before the cut-off date will be allowed to finish the requirements of that curriculum.

Students enrolled prior to Fall 2004 or those who wish to view the original curriculum may do so at this site:

Original Biology Curriculum

Also very helpful is Student Requirements and Recommendations.

New Biology Curriculum

Biology Major>
The Biology major requires a minimum of eleven courses within the biological sciences with a range of 36-50 credits depending upon the concentration and configuration of electives selected. A typical student will complete a minimum of 38-40 credits in biology. A core of fours courses and seven elective courses are selected from within the department to complete a concentration. In addition, six to seven ancillary courses (24-30 credits) must be completed with a minimum grade equivalent of 2.00 in all coursework.
Selection of appropriate electives allows students to fulfill the requirements of any of the four areas of concentration (listed below). Completion of one of these concentrations is required for major in biology. Students are strongly encouraged to plan their programs in consultation with an advisor who is a member of the Biology faculty. Don't have an advisor? Contact the Department of Biological Sciences.

Quick guide to the new curriculum

Core Courses (13 credits Required)
   BIOL 201 (Biology I)
   BIOL 202 (Biology II)
   BIOL 309 (Genetics)
   BIOL 486 (Seminar)
Breadth Courses (10-20 credits Required)
One of the following:
   BIOL 205 (General Zoology) and BIOL 207 (General Botany) 4 credits each or
   BIOL 208 (Biodiversity) 3 credits
One of the following:
   BIOL 408 (Cell Biology) 4 credits or
   BIOL 409 (Molecular Biology) 3 credits
One of the following:
   BIOL 213 and BIOL 214 (Human Anatomy & Physiology I and II) 4 credits each or
   BIOL 325 (Animal Physiology) 4 credits or
   BIOL 436 (Plant Physiology) 4 credits
Ancillary Courses (24-30 credits Required)
The following courses are required for all Biology majors unless indicated differently within their concentration.
Chemistry (13-18 credits)*
    CHEM 110 and CHEM 111 (General Chemistry I and II) 4 credits each
    CHEM 330 (Essential of Organic Chemistry) 5 credits or
    CHEM 331 and CHEM 332 (Organic Chemistry I and II) 5 credits each
Physics (8 credits)*
    One of the following:
    PHYS 211 and 212 (General Physics I and II) 4 credits each or
    PHYS 241 and 242 (General Physics I and II, Calculus-based) 4 credits each
Mathematics (3-4 credits)**
    One of the following:
    MATH 211 (Calculus for Applications) 3 credits
    MATH 237 (Elementary Biostatistics) 4 credits
    MATH 273 (Calculus I) 4 credits
    PSYC 212 (Behavioral Statistics) 4 credits

*Chemistry I and II should be taken during the freshman year, Organic Chemistry I and II during sophomore year, and Physics as soon as possible.
**Because material covered in Basic Mathematics for the Sciences (MATH 115) is prerequisite for chemistry and physics, students who have not completed high school trigonometry and two years of high school algebra in good standing should take MATH 115 in addition to one of the options listed under the Mathematics category.

Depth Courses/Concentrations (At least one pathway Required)
The Depth courses are also known as Concentrations. Here, students are given a choice of several areas of interest. Whichever Depth you choose will determine the emphasis of your Biology major, or in other words, your specialty. More info regarding Depth coursework can be found by reading Student Requirements and Recommendations and Concentrations in the New Curriculum.
There are four concentrations, or pathways, to choose from. They are as follows:
    1) Organismal Biology and Ecology***
     2) Cell and Molecular Biology
     3) Functional Biology of Animals***
     4) Secondary School Biology and General Science Teaching

***These concentrations are further broken down into tracks. Fulfilling a track is optional, but allows a student to further specialize. The two tracks available in Concentration 1 are Botany and Zoology. For Concentration 3, there are pre-professional specialties including Pre-med, Pre-vet, and Pre-dental.

4Students also have the option of completing an Animal Behavior Track through the Interdisciplinary Studies Program; Animal Behavior.

Biology Minor>
To fulfill the requirements for a Biology minor, students must complete the following courses with a QPA of 2.00 or higher. A minimum of 12 hours of biology credits applied toward the minor must be earned at Towson University, with at least 6 of those credits at the upper level (300- to 400- plus).

Core Courses (24 credits)
BIOL 201 (Biology I: Intro to Cell & Genetics) 4 credits
BIOL 202 (Biology II: Intro to Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior) 4 credits
One of the following:
BIOL 205 (Zoology) 4 credits
BIOL 207 (Botany) 4 credits
BIOL 208 (Biodiversity) 4 credits
Select remaining courses from list of electives approved for the Biology Major to bring the total number of credits to 24.
Ancillary Courses (8 credits)
CHEM 110 and 111 (General Chemistry I and II) 4 credits each

For more information regarding either curriculum, contact Dr. Richard A. Seigel (Biology Chairperson) or the TU Office of Admissions.

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