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Undergraduate 2019-2020

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Biological Sciences B.S. –Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Emphasis

College of Natural and Health Sciences

Contact: Susan M. Keenan, Ph.D., School Director

Location: Ross Hall 2480

Telephone: 970.351.2921

Website: www.unco.edu/nhs/biology

Advising Information:

Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.

Assigned advisor is available through the Ursa login; ursa.unco.edu; under Student tab Academic Profile channel and is term specific. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.

In accordance with University Policies, coursework earned more than 10 years prior to the date of matriculation to UNC may not be used to satisfy any major or minor requirements. Any exception to this policy is at the discretion of the academic program. The school's transfer advisor can be reached at 970.351.2921.

The program consists of three parts:

  1. Liberal Arts Core (LAC) Credits
  2. Required Major Credits
  3. University-Wide Credits

Program Description:

This emphasis focuses on organismal biology and on field courses. Students completing the program will acquire a background in taxonomy, the diversity of species, and life histories. Students should have an interest in working with plants and animals in a field setting. Undergraduates entering this program should have a strong science and mathematics background in high school or be prepared to do additional remedial work. Students will be prepared to work for public or private sector environmental agencies such as state or federal wildlife agencies, the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, various parks and recreation programs or private consulting agencies.

They can also continue their education in graduate programs in the pure or applied biological sciences (botany, zoology, ecology, forestry, wildlife biology).

Program Admission Requirements:

Academic Good Standing

Program Requirements:

  • The State of Colorado has mandated that institutions of higher education assess student outcomes resulting from their college education. The School of Biological Sciences requires that all undergraduate students entering under this Catalog meet the following conditions in addition to meeting the graduation requirements of the University:
  • In the senior year of study all undergraduates will take the Educational Testing Service's nationally standardized exam in Biology.
  • All Biology majors are required to earn a minimum of a 2.0 grade in all BIO prefix courses taken to meet their major requirements. Students receiving a grade of less than 2.0 in BIO courses taken to meet their major requirements must repeat the courses.

  • NOTE: Students completing a major in Biological Sciences and a minor in Chemistry are exempt from the university policy that a maximum of 12 credit hours can be shared between a major and minor. A student must still complete a minimum of 6 upper-division UNC credits (300-400) or UNC approved Study Abroad credits in the minor.

Degree Requirements — 120 Credits

Degree Requirements

1. Required Specified LAC — 24 credits

LAC area 1.b. — Intermediate Composition

SCI 291Scientific Writing

3

LAC area 2 — Mathematics

MATH 171Calculus I for Life Sciences

4
STAT 150Introduction to Statistical Analysis

3

LAC area 6 — Physical and Life Sciences

BIO 110Principles of Biology

4
CHEM 111Principles of Chemistry I

4
CHEM 111LPrinciples of Chemistry I Laboratory

1
PHYS 220Introductory Physics I

5

Remaining LAC — 18 credits

See “Liberal Arts Core”.

NOTE: Students need to select courses from areas 7 and 8 that also count for areas 3, 4, or 5.

2. Required Major — 71 credits

Take all of the following courses:

BIO 111Survey of Organismal Biology

4
BIO 210Cell Biology

3
BIO 220Genetics

4
BIO 351Microbiology

4
BIO 360Ecology

4
BIO 465Evolution

3
CHEM 112Principles of Chemistry II

4
CHEM 112LPrinciples of Chemistry II Laboratory

1

Organic Chemistry (3-5 credits)

Choose one of the following options:

CHEM 231Principles of Organic Chemistry

3
Or, complete both:
CHEM 331Organic Chemistry I

4
CHEM 331LOrganic Chemistry I Laboratory

1

Physiology (4-6 credits)

Choose one of the following courses:

BIO 350Human Physiology

4
BIO 354General Plant Physiology

4

Or complete two of the following courses:
BIO 450Cell Physiology

3
BIO 466Animal Physiological Ecology

3
BIO 552Advanced Systemic Physiology: Homeostats

3
BIO 553Advanced Systemic Physiology: Control Systems

3

Biological Science Advanced Study (11-21 credits)

Choose from BIO-prefix courses at the 300 level or higher to bring your Required Major Credits to 71 total.

Plant Organismal Biology (3-4 Credits)

Choose one of the following courses:
BIO 329Field Botany

3
BIO 330Plant Systematics

4
BIO 337Morphogenesis of Algae and Fungi

4
BIO 440Anatomy and Morphogenesis of Plants

4

Animal Organismal Biology (3-4 credits)

Choose one of the following courses:
BIO 331General Entomology

4
BIO 333General Parasitology

4
BIO 334Mammalogy

4
BIO 335Survey of Fishes, Amphibians and Reptiles

4
BIO 345Comparative Vertebrate Morphogenesis

4
BIO 362Principles of Animal Behavior

4
BIO 438Ornithology

4
BIO 466Animal Physiological Ecology

3

Supporting courses (10-13 credits)

Choose three of the following courses, at least one must have a lab:
ANT 332Modern Human Variation

3
ANT 335Primate Behavior

3
ANT 430Human Evolutionary Anatomy

3
ENST 205Environment, Politics and Law

3
ENST 265Conservation of Natural Resources

3
ENST 315Nature & Society

3
or
GEOG 315Nature and Society

3
ENST 321Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment

3
ENST 335Environmental and Resource Economics

3
or
ECON 335Environmental and Resource Economics

3
ENST 345Environmental Geography: Earth at Risk

3
or
GEOG 345Environmental Geography: Earth at Risk

3
ENST 440Biogeography

3
or
GEOG 440Biogeography

3
GEOG 210Introduction to GIS an GPS

3
GEOG 220Climate and Vegetation

3
GEOG 307Geographic Information Science

3
GEOG 391Western Colorado Rivers

3
GEOG 445Landscape Ecology

3
GEOG 449Remote Sensing of the Environment

3
GEOL 201Physical Geology

4
GEOL 202Historical Geology

4
GEOL 340Paleontology

4
GEOL 445Vertebrate Paleontology

3
MET 205General Meteorology

4
MET 336Biometeorology

3
MET 452Paleoclimatology

3
OCN 301Physical and Chemical Oceanography

4
OCN 302Geological and Biological Oceanography

4
PHYS 221Introductory Physics II

5
Please see course listings in the graduate catalog for additional course options (must be a junior with a minimum 3.0 GPA to take graduate level courses). Consult with faculty advisor to match career goals.

NOTE: A maximum of 3 credits total of BIO 422, BIO 492, BIO 493, BIO 494, BIO 585 and BIO 592 can count towards the fulfillment of this category.

Capstone Professional Experience (1 credit)

Take one credit (chosen in consultation with faculty advisor to help match career goals) from:

BIO 422Directed Studies

1-3
BIO 492Internship in Biological Sciences

1-3
BIO 493Clinical Internship in Biological Sciences

1-3
BIO 494Practicum in College Biological Science Instruction

1-2

3. University-Wide Credits — 7 credits

Complete additional credits to achieve the minimum credits needed for this degree at UNC; for this degree, that will typically be 7 credits.