Curriculum: Biological Sciences

Concentration:

Degree earned: Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences

Effective: 07/2009
Updated:

FRESHMAN YEAR
Fall Semester Credit   Spring Semester Credit

BIO 181 Intro Bio: Ecol, Evol, Biodiversity
CH 101 Chemistry-A Molecular Science
CH 102 General Chemistry Lab
ENG 101 Academic Writing & Research*
MA 1311 Calculus Life & Mgmt Sci. A
ALS 103 Intro. Agri. & Life Sciences

4
3
1
4
3
1

16

 

BIO 183 Intro Bio: Cellular & Molecular
CH 221 Organic Chemistry I
CH 222 Organic Chemistry I Lab
GEP Humanities Requirement*
MA 2311 Calculus Life & Mgmt Sci. B
GEP PE/Healthy Living Requirement*

4
3
1
3
3
1

15

 
SOPHOMORE YEAR
Fall Semester Credit   Spring Semester Credit

Physiology Requirement2
CH 223 Organic Chemistry II
CH 224 Organic Chemistry II Lab
Free Elective3
GEP Social Sciences Requirement*
GEP PE/Healthy Living Requirement*

3
3
1
3
3
1

14

 

GN 311 Principles of Genetics
GN 312 Elementary Genetics Lab
CH 201 Chemistry-A Quantitative Sci.
CH 202 Quantitative Chemistry Lab
GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives Reqt*
GEP Humanities Requirement*

4
1
3
1
3
3

15

 
JUNIOR YEAR
Fall Semester Credit   Spring Semester Credit

PY 2114 College Physics I
MB 351 General Microbiology
MB 352 General Microbiology Lab
Advanced Writing Requirement5
Learning Experience Elective6

4
3
1
3
3

14

 

PY 2124 College Physics II
BCH 451 Principles of Biochemistry
Life Science Elective7
GEP Social Sciences Requirement*

4
4
4
3

15

 
SENIOR YEAR
Fall Semester Credit   Spring Semester Credit

Life Science Elective7
Life Science Elective7
Restricted Elective8
Restricted Elective8
Free Elective3

3
3
4
3
3

16

 

Life Science Elective7
Restricted Elective8
Free Elective3
GEP Additional Breadth Requirement*
GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives Reqt*

4
3
3
3
2-3

15-16

 
Minimum Credit Hours Required for Graduation: 120
 
Footnotes:        
 

Major/Program Footnotes:
A grade of C- or better is required in the following courses or in courses substituted for them:
     BIO 181 Introductory Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity
     BIO 183 Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology
     Physiology Requirement2
     GN 311 Principles of Genetics       
     CH 101 Chemistry – A Molecular Science
     ENG 101 Academic Writing & Research
     MA 131 Calculus for Life and Management Sciences A

Students should check with their adviser before electing to take any course that normally is graded A-F as an S/U course.

1 Mathematics Alternatives
MA 141 and MA 241 is a suitable substitute for MA 131 and MA 231. 

2 Physiology Requirement (take one of the following options)
      BIO 212 Basic Human Anatomy & Physiology
      BIO 250 Animal Anatomy & Physiology
      BIO 301 -and- BIO 302 Human Anatomy & Physiology I and II
      PB 321 Introduction to Whole Plant Physiology
      PB 421 Plant Physiology

3 Free Electives (take 9 credit hours)
These electives cannot be remedial nor can they be taken at an elementary level after you have taken comparable coursework at a more advanced level. ST 311 is recommended as a Free Elective.  Students interested in graduate school or professional school should check the courses required for admission to the programs to which they plan to apply.

4 Physics Alternatives
PY 205 and PY 208 is a suitable substitute for PY 211 and PY 212.  PY 205 and PY 208 are calculus-based and require that you take the 40 series of Mathematics1 (MA 141 and MA 241).  PY 201 and PY 202 would also be a suitable substitute for PY 211 and PY 212.  PY 201 and PY 202 are calculus-based, require the 40 series of Mathematics, and are restricted to students in PAMS.

5 Advanced Writing Requirement (take one course)
Cannot be double-counted for a GEP requirement.
      COM 211 Argumentation and Advocacy
      ENG 201 Writing Literary Analysis
      ENG 214 Introduction to Editing
      ENG 215 Principles of News and Article Writing
      ENG 232 Literature and Medicine
      ENG 233 The Literature of Agriculture
      ENG 272 Writing About Film
      ENG 287 Explorations in Creative Writing
      ENG 288 Fiction Writing
      ENG 289 Poetry Writing
      ENG 315 Advanced News and Article Writing (ENG 215 required)
      ENG 323 Writing in the Rhetorical Tradition
      ENG 331 Communication for Engineering and Technology (Junior standing)
      ENG 332 Communication for Business and Management (Junior standing)
      ENG 333 Communication for Science and Research (Junior standing)
      ENG 381 Creative Nonfiction Writing Workshop (ENG 215, 287, 288, or 289 required)
      ENG 388 Intermediate Fiction Writing Workshop (a "B" or better in ENG 288 required)
      ENG 389 Intermediate Poetry Writing Workshop (a "B" or better in ENG 289 required)
      ENG 417 Editorial and Opinion Writing (ENG 214 and 215 required)
      ENG 422 Writing Theory and the Writing Process
      ENG 425 Analysis of Scientific and Technical Writing (ENG 314, 331, 332 or 333 required)
      ENG 426 Analyzing Style

6 Learning Experience Elective (take one course for 3 credit hours)
Learning experience in an appropriate area, with prior approval by faculty adviser, prospective supervisor, and departmental undergraduate coordinator. Contact and arrangements with prospective supervisors is the responsibility of the student.
      ALS 499 Honors Research or Teaching II (ALS 498 required)
      BIO 492 External Learning Experience
      BIO 493 Special Problems in Biological Sciences

7 Life Science Electives (take 14 credit hours)
Select one option from each of the following four Groups for a total of at least 14 credit hours.
Group I – Animals (take one of the following options)
      BIO 315 General Parasitology
      BIO 333 Captive Animal Biology
      BIO 350 Animal Phylogeny and Diversity                     
      BIO 361 Developmental Biology
      BIO 370 -and- BIO 375 Developmental Anatomy of the Vertebrates and Dev. Anatomy Lab
      BIO 402 -and- BIO 403 Invertebrate Zoology and Invertebrate Zoology Lab
      BIO 441 -and- BIO 441L Biology of Fishes and Biology of Fishes Lab
      ENT 402 Forest Entomology
      ENT 425 General Entomology
      ZO 501 Ornithology
      ZO 542 Herpetology
      ZO 544 Mammalogy
Group II – Plants (take one course)
      PB 200 Plant Life
      PB 250 Plant Biology
      PB 400 Plant Structure and Diversity
      PB 403 Systematic Botany (Junior standing required)
Group III – Organismal Function (take one of the following options)
      BIO 212 Basic Human Anatomy & Physiology
      BIO 250 Animal Anatomy & Physiology
      BIO 412 Human Anatomy
      BIO/PB 414 Cell Biology
      BIO 421 Advanced Human Anatomy & Physiology
      BIO 422 Biological Clocks
      BIO 424 Endocrinology
      BIO 426 Advanced Human Anatomy & Physiology
      BIO 488 Neurobiology
      BIO/PO 524 Comparative Endocrinology
      BIT 410 Manipulation of Recombinant DNA
      MB 441 Immunology
      NTR 419 Human Nutrition in Health and Disease
      NTR/ANS/PO 415 -or- ANS 225 -or- ANS 230 Comparative or Animal Nutrition
      PB 321 Introduction to Whole Plant Physiology
      PB 421 Plant Physiology
      PB 480 Introduction to Plant Biotechnology
      PB/BIT 481 Plant Tissue Culture and Transformation
      PO 405 Avian Physiology
Group IV – Ecology and Evolution (take one of the following options)
      BIO 260 Evolution, Behavior, and Ecology
      BIO/PB 330 or BIO 450 Evolutionary Biology
      BIO/PB 360 Ecology
      BIO 450 Evolutionary Biology
      BIO 460 Field Ecology and Methods
      CS 230 Introduction to Agroecology
      FOR 260 Forest Ecology
      MEA 250 -and- MEA 251 Introduction to Coastal Environments and Intro Coast Env Lab
      PB 360 -and- PB 365 Introduction to Ecology and Ecology Lab

8 Restricted Electives (take 10 credit hours)
Courses may be selected from CALS Group A (Biological and Physical Sciences).  Students also can use up to 3 hours of BIO 492 or BIO 493 or ALS 498/499 (both must be completed) toward Restricted Electives.  Students interested in graduate school or professional school should check the courses required for admission to the programs to which they plan to apply.

 

*General Education Program (GEP) requirements and GEP Footnotes:
To complete the requirements for graduation and the General Education Program, the following category credit hours and co-requisites must be satisfied. University approved GEP course lists for each of the following categories can be found at http://www.ncsu.edu/uap/academic-standards/gep/courselists/index.html.

Introduction to Writing: ENG 101 (4 credit hours with a C- or better)
Some students will be enrolled in ENG 101 in the fall semester of Freshman year and others will be enrolled in ENG 101 in the spring semester of Freshman year.  During the semester that does not include ENG 101, students are encouraged to take a GEP Humanities or Social Science Elective and a PE/Healthy Living course.
Mathematical Sciences (6 credit hours – one course with MA or ST prefix)
In BLS, this GEP requirement is met through the Major course requirements.
Natural Sciences (7 credit hours – include one laboratory course or course with a lab)
In BLS, this GEP requirement is met through the Major course requirements.
Humanities (6 credit hours selected from two different disciplines/course prefixes)
Choose from the University approved GEP Humanities course list.  Some courses on this list will also meet the U.S. Diversity or Global Knowledge co-requisites.
Social Sciences (6 credit hours selected from two different disciplines/course prefixes)
Choose from the University approved GEP Social Sciences course list. Some courses on this list will also meet the U.S. Diversity or Global Knowledge co-requisites.
Physical Education/Healthy Living (2 credit hours – at least one 100-level Fitness and Wellness Course)
Choose from the University approved GEP Physical Education/Healthy Living course list.
Additional Breadth  - (3 credit hours)
Choose from the University approved GEP Humanities course list or the GEP Social Sciences course list or the GEP Visual & Performing Arts course list. Some courses on this list will also meet the U.S. Diversity or Global Knowledge co-requisites.
Interdisciplinary Perspectives (5 credit hours)
Choose from the University approved GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives course list. Some courses on this list will also meet the U.S. Diversity or Global Knowledge co-requisites.

The following Co-Requisites must be satisfied to complete the General Education Program requirements:
U.S. Diversity (USD)
Choose from the University approved GEP U.S. Diversity course list or choose a course identified on the approved GEP course lists as meeting the U.S. Diversity (USD) co-requisite.

Global Knowledge (GK)
Choose from the University approved GEP Global Knowledge course list or choose a course identified on the approved GEP course lists as meeting the Global Knowledge (GK) co-requisite.

Foreign Language proficiency - Proficiency at the FL_102 level is required for graduation.