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Graduate Catalog 2023-2024

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Biological Education Ph.D.

Program Overview

College of Natural and Health Sciences

Site: Greeley
Mode: In-person
Start terms: Fall, Spring

Director: Mitchell E. McGlaughlin, Ph.D.
Location: Ross Hall 2480
Telephone: 970.351.2921
Website: www.unco.edu/nhs/biology/ 

This program is designed for graduate students interested in specializing in either biology education or an area of the biological sciences that matches current faculty interests and expertise. Areas of emphasis in this program prepare students to conduct and supervise biological or pedagogical research and to instruct biology courses at the college or university level. 

Students are strongly encouraged to review the research areas of the Biology faculty on our website and contact faculty in whose research they are interested. The student must meet with a graduate advisor and graduate committee no later than the second semester of the program to determine a course of study.

Admission

General Doctoral Degree Admission Requirements

Program Requirements:

Before admission to the program, students should have completed at least four courses in biology and a combined total of three courses in the supporting areas of chemistry, calculus or physics. Students entering the program with deficiencies in coursework will be required to complete coursework based on recommendations of the graduate committee, the school director and the advisor. The following application materials should be submitted to the Graduate School:

  • Application form and fee
  • Official transcripts
  • A letter of intent including research/teaching interests and goals
  • Resume or Curriculum Vitae
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Optional - General GRE scores

Degree Requirements — 64 Credits

Pedagogical Credits — 10 hours

BIO 631Teaching College Biology

3
BIO 632College Biology Course Development

3
BIO 792Doctoral Supervised Teaching

1- 6

BIO 792: Take 4 hours

Content Elective Credits — 26 hours

BIO 502Biomedicine and Careers

1
BIO 511Field Techniques in Biology

2
BIO 512TA Development Seminar

1
BIO 521Advanced Genetics

3
BIO 525Molecular Genetics

3
BIO 527Economic Botany

4
BIO 528Developmental Biology

3
BIO 530Plant Systematics

4
BIO 533General Parasitology

4
BIO 534Mammalogy

4
BIO 535Survey of Fishes, Amphibians and Reptiles

4
BIO 536Epigenetics and Disease

3
BIO 537Morphogenesis of Algae and Fungi

4
BIO 538Ornithology

4
BIO 539Molecular Ecology

3
BIO 539LMolecular Ecology Lab

1
BIO 541Advanced Human Anatomy

3
BIO 542Molecular and Cellular Laboratory

2
BIO 544Comparative Vertebrate Adaptations

4
BIO 545Pathogenic Microbiology

3
BIO 546Pathogenic Microbiology Laboratory

1
BIO 547Immunology and Disease

3
BIO 548Virology

3
BIO 549Virology Laboratory

1
BIO 550Cell Physiology

3
BIO 552Advanced Systemic Physiology: Homeostats

3
BIO 553Advanced Systemic Physiology: Control Systems

3
BIO 554General Plant Physiology

4
BIO 555Reproductive Biology

3
BIO 556Current Topics in Biomedical Research

2
BIO 560Behavioral Ecology

3
BIO 561Plant Ecology

3
BIO 562Conservation Biology

3
BIO 563Animal Communication

3
BIO 564Plant Ecology Lab

1
BIO 565Current Topics in Ecology and Evolutionary Research

2
BIO 566Animal Physiological Ecology

3
BIO 568Disturbance Ecology

3
BIO 570Coevolution in Ecological Systems

3
BIO 572Species and Speciation

3
BIO 576Pharmacology

3
BIO 578Pathobiology

3
BIO 580Mammalian Endocrinology

3
BIO 581Neurobiology

3
BIO 582Cancer Biology

3
BIO 584Current Topics in Biological Education Research

2
BIO 585Topics in Field Biology

1-10
BIO 587Advanced Immunology

3
BIO 591Biology Roundtable

1
BIO 596Foundations of Clinical Research

2
BIO 622Directed Studies

1- 4
BIO 693Review of Biological Literature

3
CHEM 581General Biochemistry I

4
CHEM 582General Biochemistry II

4
EDF 685Philosophical Foundations of Education

3
GEOG 507Geographic Information Science

3
GEOG 540Biogeography

3
GEOG 545Landscape Ecology

3
GEOG 549Remote Sensing of the Environment

3
HESA 650College Student Development: Foundational Theory

3
HESA 668College Students: Culture, Characteristics, Campus Life

3
PSY 540Theories and Principles of Learning

3
PSY 575Educational Assessment

3
PSY 640Cultural Issues in Education Psychology

3
PSY 644Motivation in Education

3
PSY 674Measurement I: Classical Test Theory

3
PSY 675Measurement II: Contemporary Test Theory

3
PSY 681Learning and Instruction

3
PSY 682Cognition and Instruction II

3
SCED 678Science Education Seminar

1- 2
SRM 522Introduction to R

1
SRM 603Statistical Methods II

3
SRM 680Introduction to Qualitative Research

3

BIO 591: Limit 2 hours

BIO 622: Limit 6 hours

NOTE: A student can count a maximum of 8 credits from the following list of double numbered courses: BIO 530, BIO 533, BIO 534, BIO 535, BIO 537, BIO 538, BIO 554, BIO 562, BIO 566, BIO 576

NOTE: Students can count no more than 9 credits of non-BIO content elective courses. Courses not on the list above may be used to fulfill this category with advisor approval.

Research Core — 12 hours

BIO 594Foundations of Biological Research

2
BIO 691Seminar in Biological Sciences

1
SRM 700Advanced Research Methods

3

BIO 691: Take 4 hours

Select one of the following courses:

SRM 502Applied Statistics

3
SRM 602Statistical Methods I

3

Research Proposal/Dissertation — 16 hours

BIO 797Doctoral Proposal Research

1- 4
BIO 799Doctoral Dissertation

1-12

BIO 797: Take 4 credits

BIO 799: Take 12 credits

Program Notes

Students must complete a minimum of 50 semester hours in biological science of combined undergraduate and graduate courses.

SRM 502 and SRM 700 may be waived depending on course background of the student.

Students in this program are exempt from the 94 graduate credit hours to Ph.D. minimum policy.

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