Towson University - Biological Sciences |
| ___________Original Biology Curriculum |
| 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. |
| Also very helpful is Student Requirements and Recommendations. |
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Original Curriculum |
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| Biology Major> The Biology curriculum is designed to provide a solid background of basic information as well as flexibility to accommodate each student's individual goals. All majors must complete 39 biology credits (20 in required courses and 19 in electives) and 21-30 credits in ancillary courses. Core Courses (21 credits Required) BIOL 201 (Biology I: Cellular Biology and Genetics) 4 credits* BIOL 202 (Biology II: Intro to Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior) 4 credits BIOL 205 (General Botany) 4 credits BIOL 207 (General Zoology) 4 credits BIOL 309 (Genetics) 4 credits BIOL 486 (Biology Majors Seminar) 1 credit Ancillary Courses (21-30 credits Required) Students must take General Chemistry during their first year, Organic Chemistry during the sophomore year, and Physics as soon as their schedule permits. Chemistry: CHEM 110 and 111 (General Chemistry I and II) 4 credits each CHEM 330 (Essentials of Organic Chemistry) 5 credits** or CHEM 331-332 (Organic Chemistry I and II) 5 credits each Physics: PHYS 203 (Topics in Physics for Biology Majors) 5 credits** PHYS 211 and 212 (General Physics I and II) 4 credits each*** Mathematics; One of the following:**** MATH 211 (Calculus for Applications) 3 credits MATH 237 (Elementary Biostatistics) 4 credits MATH 273 (Calculus) 4 credits PSYC 212 (Behavioral Statistics) 4 credits Furthermore, it is strongly recommended that a computer science course be taken as well. Elective Courses (19 credits Required) Prior to enrolling in any 300- or 400-level elective course, biology majors are required to complete a minimum of 12 credit hours in lower-level biology courses with a grade of C or better. In addition, for any elective course, students must have completed all prerequisites with a grade of C or better and have an overall QPA of at least 2.00. Students who do not meet these basic requirements may not be allowed to enroll in upper-level electives. Biology majors may fulfill elective requirements through one of two options. Students who choose Option I may select their own electives from those offered within the department. Those who choose Option II will select a concentration which will allow them to further specialize in a field. Then, according to that concentration, the student will fulfill its specific elective requirements. Completion of a concentration will be noted on the transcript upon student request. The concentrations are listed below. Concentrations Anatomy and Physiology Botany Ecology Marine Biology Microbiology Pre-Medicine/Pre-Dental Secondary School Biology and General Science Teaching Zoology *BIOL 110 or BIOL 112 can be used to fulfill the BIOL 201 requirement with a grade of B or better. **Graduate schools often require a total of two semester courses in these subjects. ***PHYS 241-242 may be substituted for PHYS 211-212. ****Because material covered in MATH 115 (Basic Mathematics for the Sciences) is a 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 Mathematics courses listed above. |
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| 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) |
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| For more information regarding either curriculum, contact Dr. Richard A. Seigel (Biology Chairperson) or the TU Office of Admissions. | |