Majors and Minors
Degrees Offered
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Science
Two degrees are offered in biology (B.S. and B.A.). The B.S. is more stringent in biology and supporting field requirements than the B.A. Both degrees prepare students for a variety of health career fields (including chiropractic medicine, dentistry, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant, and veterinary medicine) as well as non-health careers and graduate studies in ecology, animal behavior, evoluntionary biology, immunology, reproductive biology, parasitology, botany, plant pathology, genetics, systematics, conservation biology, physiology, molecular biology, and biotechnology.
Preprofessional Preparation
Students interested in medicine, dentistry, osteopathic medicine, veterinary medicine, and allied health professions should consult with the department chair for preprofessional requirements and a suggested program of study. Preprofessional programs are available in optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, podiatry, and physician assistant. Students can also gain preparation for numerous graduate school programs in ecology, animal behavior, evolutionary biology, immunology, microbiology, reproductive biology, parasitology, botany, plant pathology, genetics, systematics, conservation biology, physiology, molecular biology, and biotechnology. Students who wish to meet Nebraska certification regulations for secondary teaching of biology should consult the current handbook of the education department.
Majors
| Courses | |
|---|---|
| Bio 50 General Biology of Plants | 4 hrs. |
| Bio 60 General Biology of Animals | 4 hrs. |
| Bio 160 Cell Biology | 4 hrs. |
| Bio 170 Genetics | 4 hrs. |
| Senior Comprehensive | |
|---|---|
| Bio 298 Senior Thesis or Bio 299 Senior Research | 2 hrs. |
| Bio electives Two lab courses drawn from at least two areas (A, B, C); additional hours from any areas (A, B, C, D, E). |
12 hrs. |
Biology 8, 9, and 10 may not be taken by biology majors to fulfill biology degree requirements.
An approved supporting area of 20 hours is also required, normally composed of courses from the Natural Sciences Division.
| Courses | |
|---|---|
| Bio 50 General Biology of Plants | 4 hrs. |
| Bio 60 General Biology of Animals | 4 hrs. |
| Bio 160 Cell Biology | 4 hrs. |
| Bio 170 Genetics | 4 hrs. |
| Senior Comprehensive | |
|---|---|
| Bio 298 Senior Thesis or Bio 299 Senior Research | 2 hrs. |
| Bio electives One course in each of areas A, B, and C. Three lab courses drawn from at least two areas (A, B, C); additional hours from any areas (A, B, C, D, E). |
16 hrs. |
Biology 8, 9, and 10 may not be taken by biology majors to fulfill biology degree requirements.
An approved supporting area of 28 hours in the Natural Sciences Division is also required. This will include Chemistry 51/51L, 120/120L, 121/121L, 122/122L; Physics 101 or 111, 102 or 112; and Math 105, 65 or 60. Competency in a modern language other than English is strongly encouraged.
| Senior Comprehensive | |
|---|---|
| Bio 299 Senior Research or Chem 295 Independent Study | 1 hr. |
Math 106 is strongly recommended.
| Area D. Global Experience in Biology | |
|---|---|
| 251 Tropical Biology of Costa Rica | 3 hrs. |
| 252 Tropical Biology of Belize | 3 hrs. |
| 253 Principles of Marine Biology | 1 hrs. |
| 254. Applied Marine Biology | 3 hrs. |
| Area E. Additional Courses | |
|---|---|
| 190 Selected Topics | 1–4 hrs. |
| 200 Biomedical Ethics | 2 hrs. |
| 290 Selected Topics | 1–4 hrs. |
| 291 Directed Readings | 1 hrs. |
| 295 Independent Study | 1–2 hrs. |
