Mar 29, 2024  
2013-2015 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2013-2015 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Biology Major, BS


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Undergraduate Programs

The program in biology prepares students for admission into graduate and professional programs. The program is designed to enhance performance on standardized entrance exams for graduate or professional programs.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students should be able:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental concepts of Cell Biology, specifically membrane transport, cell structure/ function, and signaling.
  2. Demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental concepts of Genetics, specifically Mendelian, mitosis/ meiosis, mutagenesis, and the central dogma.
  3. Demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental concepts of Biochemistry, specifically protein structure, enzymes, and metabolic energy.
  4. Demonstrate skills in analytical reasoning.
  5. Critically review, synthesize and present-scientific literature and laboratory experiments using written and oral communication skills.
  6. Utilize appropriate laboratory skills, technology, and computational resources to conduct experiments and discuss research data. 

Major Requirements  

For the program in biology, students must successfully complete 34 credit hours of biology courses above BIO 2302 (Principles of Biology II). These courses must include BIO 3137, 3166, 3231, 3232, 3337, 3366, 4164, 4276, 4277 or 3201, 4364, and fourteen credit hours of biology electives. In addition, students must complete 1) the following science courses (12 credit hours): CHE 3126, CHE 3127, CHE 3326, CHE 3327, PHY 2122, and PHY 2322 and 2) one year of a foreign language. For the foreign language requirement, the first semester is a pre-requisite and helps fulfill general education requirements and the second semester counts as a major course.

Students seeking careers in health professions should take the following courses as biology or other electives: BIO 3111, 3143, 3311, 3343, 4123, 4176, 4323, 4352, and 4376.

A minimum grade of C or better in each biology or chemistry course is required. Students are required to complete a minimum of 120 credit hours of course work to qualify for graduation. After fulfilling general education and major requirements, students may take courses from any department to reach the required 120 hours; at least 40 of the 120 total hours must be at the 3000-level or higher. 

Pre-Requisite Courses (26 credit hours)

BIO 2101 Principles of Biology I Laboratory (recommended during freshman year, fall semester only)

BIO 2301 Principles of Biology I (recommended during freshman year, fall semester only)

BIO 2102 Principles of Biology II Laboratory (recommended during freshman year)

BIO 2302 Principles of Biology II (recommended during freshman year)

BIO 2303 Scientific Writing (recommended during sophomore year)

CHE 2111 General Chemistry I Laboratory (recommended during sophomore year)

CHE 2112 General Chemistry II Laboratory (recommended during sophomore year)

CHE 2311 General Chemistry I (recommended during sophomore year)

CHE 2312 General Chemistry II (recommended during sophomore year)

MAT 2317 Calculus I (recommended during freshman year)

PHY 2121 Physics I Laboratory

PHY 2321 Physics I

One semester of foreign language

Major Courses (52 credit hours)

BIO 3137 Biomolecules Laboratory

BIO 3166 Genetics Laboratory (recommended during sophomore year)

BIO 3231 Microbiology (recommended during sophomore year)

BIO 3232 Microbiology Laboratory (recommended during sophomore year)

BIO 3337 Biomolecules

BIO 3366 Genetics (recommended during sophomore year)

BIO 4164 Cell Biology Laboratory

BIO 4276 Biology Seminar

BIO 4277 Investigation and Research III or BIO 3201 Tissue Culture

BIO 4364 Cell Biology

14 credit hours of biology electives (see below)

CHE 3126 Organic Chemistry I Laboratory 

CHE 3127 Organic Chemistry II Laboratory

CHE 3326 Organic Chemistry I

CHE 3327 Organic Chemistry II

PHY 2122 Physics II Laboratory

PHY 2322 Physics II

Second semester of a foreign language

Biology Electives (14 credits hours required)

All courses with biology prefix (BIO) and not part of the core requirements count toward biology electives. Please note that all biotechnology courses also may be used to fulfill biology electives.

BIO 2110 Zoology Laboratory

BIO 2116 Botany Laboratory

BIO 2277 Investigation and Research II

BIO 2310 Zoology

BIO 2316 Botany

BIO 3111 Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory

BIO 3126 Parasitology Laboratory

BIO 3136 Developmental Biology Laboratory

BIO 3143 Histology Laboratory

BIO 3161 Human Physiology Laboratory

BIO 3171 Ecology and Evolution Laboratory

BIO 3277 Investigation and Research II

BIO 3305 Topics in Bioinformatics

BIO 3310 Biology of Aging

BIO 3311 Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology

BIO 3326 Parasitology

BIO 3333 Field Biology

BIO 3336 Developmental Biology

BIO 3343 Histology

BIO 3361 Human Physiology

BIO 3371 Ecology and Evolution

BIO 3647 Research in Microbiology

BIO 4123 Immunology Laboratory

BIO 4146 Plant Physiology Laboratory

BIO 4176 Biochemistry Laboratory

BIO 4281 Mycology and Plant Pathology

BIO 4282 Mycology and Plant Physiology Laboratory

BIO 4308 Virology

BIO 4323 Immunology

BIO 4346 Plant Physiology

BIO 4347 Molecular Genetics

BIO 4352 Introduction to Medical Physiology & Pharmacology I

BIO 4356 Economic Botany

BIO 4373 Toxicology

BIO 4374 Proteomics

BIO 4376 Biochemistry

BIO 4382 Cancer Biology

Course Notes

Students planning on taking the Biology GRE should take BIO 3371 Ecology and Evolution and BIO 3311 Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology as either biology or other electives.

Students planning on taking the Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology GRE should take BIO 4376 Biochemistry and BIO 4347 Molecular Genetics as either biology or other electives.

The following courses are suggested as possible courses for open elective courses, but do not count toward the biology electives. These or other courses may be used to complete the required 120 total credit hours.  Students must meet any prerequisites for these courses prior to enrolling.  

ART 2311 3-D Computer Modeling

CHE 3121/3321 Quantitative Analysis with laboratory

CLS 2102 Medical Terminology

ECO 2310 Concepts of Health Economics

FIN 2356 Personal Finance

HED 2301 Nutrition

HIS 3351 History of Science

JUS 2320 Introduction to Forensic Science

MAT 2326 Elementary Statistics

MIS 1380 Microcomputer Applications

MGT 3321 Principles of Management

PED 2321 Physiological Basis for Human Movement

PED 3321 Exercise Physiology

PED 3411 Kinesiological Basis of Human Movement

PSY 2326 Statistics for Social and Behavioral Science

PSY 3301 Biological Psychology

PSY 3306 Abnormal Psychology

SOC 3315 Medical Sociology

SPH 2343 Voice and Diction

SPH 2346 Professional Presentations

Major Course Sequence

BIO 2101 Principles of Biology I Laboratory

BIO 2301 Principles of Biology I

BIO 2102 Principles of Biology II Laboratory

BIO 2302 Principles of Biology II

MAT 2317 Calculus I

CHE 2111 General Chemistry I Laboratory

CHE 2311 General Chemistry I

BIO 3166 Genetics Laboratory (fall semester only)

BIO 3366 Genetics (fall semester only)

CHE 2112 General Chemistry II Laboratory

CHE 2312 General Chemistry II

BIO 2303 Scientific Writing (spring semester only)

BIO 3231 Microbiology (spring semester only)

BIO 3232 Microbiology Laboratory (spring semester only)

PHY 2121 Physics I Laboratory

PHY 2321 Physics I

CHE 3126 Organic Chemistry I Laboratory

CHE 3326 Organic Chemistry I

BIO 3137 Biomolecules Laboratory (fall semester only)

BIO 3337 Biomolecules (fall semester only)

Foreign Language II

PHY 2122 Physics II Laboratory

PHY 2322 Physics II

CHE 3127 Organic Chemistry II Laboratory

CHE 3327 Organic Chemistry II

BIO Biology Elective I

BIO 4277 or BIO 3201

BIO Biology Elective II Laboratory

BIO Biology Elective II

BIO Biology Elective III

BIO 4276 Biology Seminar

BIO Biology Elective IV Laboratory

BIO Biology Elective IV

BIO 4166 Cell Biology Laboratory (spring semester only)

BIO 4366 Cell Biology (spring semester only)

 

Major Course Sequence with a Neuroscience Minor

* Courses marked with an asterisk (*) are in a different sequence than the B.S. in Biology without the Neuroscience Minor.

WFU = Courses to be taken at Wake Forest University.

BIO 2101 Principles of Biology I Laboratory

BIO 2301 Principles of Biology I

BIO 2102 Principles of Biology II Laboratory

BIO 2302 Principles of Biology II

MAT 2317 Calculus I

CHE 2111 General Chemistry I Laboratory

CHE 2311 General Chemistry I

BIO 3166 Genetics Laboratory (fall semester only)

BIO 3366 Genetics (fall semester only)

*BIO 2311 Anatomy and Physiology I

*BIO 2111 Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory

CHE 2112 General Chemistry II Laboratory

CHE 2312 General Chemistry II

BIO 2303 Scientific Writing (spring semester only)

BIO 3231 Microbiology (spring semester only)

BIO 3232 Microbiology Laboratory (spring semester only)

Foreign Language II

*BIO 2312 Anatomy and Physiology II

*BIO 2112 Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory

PHY 2121 Physics I Laboratory

PHY 2321 Physics I

CHE 3126 Organic Chemistry I Laboratory

CHE 3326 Organic Chemistry I

BIO 3137 Biomolecules Laboratory (fall semester only)

BIO 3337 Biomolecules (fall semester only)

*NEU 200 Intro to Neuroscience (WFU)

*NEU 201 Intro to Neuroscience Laboratory (WFU)

PHY 2122 Physics II Laboratory

PHY 2322 Physics II

CHE 3127 Organic Chemistry II Laboratory

CHE 3327 Organic Chemistry II

*NEU 300 Neuroscience Seminar (WFU)

*NEU 391 Research in Neuroscience (WFU)

*BIO 4176 Biochemistry Laboratory

*BIO 4376 Biochemistry

*NEU Neuroscience Elective (WFU)

Minor Requirements 

Biology Minor

 BIO 2101, BIO 2102, 2302, and a minimum of ten additional semester hours of biology courses at the 3000- or 4000-level. To satisfy this requirement, a C or better must be earned in each biology course taken.

 

Neuroscience Minor 

The Department of Life Sciences offers students a track that allows them to complete a neuroscience minor at Wake Forest University (WFU) in conjunction with their B.S. in Biology at WSSU. In addition to completing the requirements for the biology major, students must complete a total of 18 hours of courses related to physiology and neuroscience. Neuroscience minor students are required to take the following courses at WFU (in sequence): NEU 200 (Introduction to Neuroscience, 3 credit hours); NEU 201 (Neuroscience Laboratory, 1 credit hour; NEU 300 (Neuroscience Seminar, 3 credit hours); NEU 391 (Research in Neuroscience, 2 credit hours, and may be taken concurrently with BIO4277); one WFU Elective Course (3 or 4 credit hours); and two WSSU Elective Courses (4 or 5 credit hours). WFU course credits will be transferred back to WSSU as part of the B.S. in Biology with Neuroscience Minor degree track from the department of Life Sciences.

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Undergraduate Programs