Biology (BS)

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Federal CIP: 26.0101 Biology/Biological Sciences, General

The Biology Major is designed to allow students flexibility in their choice of courses while providing a solid foundation in the basics of the biological sciences. Biology graduates enter a variety of professions including health care, laboratory and research fields, or field biology. This major allows students to be eligible for the Enhanced LIFE Scholarship and the Enhanced Palmetto Fellows Scholarship.

Learning Outcomes

Students completing the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Biology degree are expected to be able to:

express and support, orally and in-writing, an integration of faith and biology and a knowledge of current biomedical and environmental issues, including their ethical implications;
exhibit competence in the following subdisciplines of biology: cell biology, molecular biology & genetics, organismal biology, and population biology/ecology/evolution;
locate, comprehend, and communicate about scientific literature, and present literature and laboratory findings in oral and written form; and
utilize mathematics and statistics and apply these concepts to biological phenomena.

Biology BS Requirements

Specified Core Curriculum

Students earning a bachelor’s degree must complete all Core Curriculum requirements. The following specific core curriculum courses are required.

BIOL 1114 General Biology - Molecular 4 credits
MATH 1064 Algebra and Trigonometry 4 credits
Or higher as approved by the Department Coordinator of Life Sciences

Major Courses

Completion of major courses requires a minimum grade of C-.

BIOL 1124 General Biology - Organismal 4 credits
BIOL 3104 Microbiology 4 credits
BIOL 3313 Bioethics 3 credits
BIOL 3504 Genetics 4 credits
CHEM 1114 General Chemistry I 4 credits
CHEM 1124 General Chemistry II 4 credits
SEMR 2021 Natural Science Cornerstone Seminar 1 credit
SEMR 2051 Scientific Literacy 1 credit
SEMR 4501 Natural Science Capstone Seminar 1 credit
Choose 13-16 additional hours of biology or approved life science courses 2000-level or above

Choose at least one (1) course from each of the following:

Environmental

BIOL 2074 Environmental Science 4 credits
BIOL 2254 Ecology 4 credits
BIOL 2653 The Ecology of South Carolina-Mountains to the Sea 3 credits
BIOL 2884 Biological Studies of the United States 4 hours
BIOL 2894 International Studies in Biology 4 hours
BIOL 3074 Field Biology 4 credits

Organismal

BIOL 2024 Botany 4 credits
BIOL 2034 Zoology 4 credits
BIOL 3054 Mammalogy 4 hours
BIOL 3874 Herpetology 4 credits
BIOL 2454 Introduction to Animal Science 4 credits
Other Organismal course as approved by the Department Coordinator of Life Sciences

Physiology

BIOL 3204 Anatomy and Physiology I 4 credits
BIOL 3214 Anatomy and Physiology II 4 credits
BIOL 4353 Comparative and Environmental Physiology 3 credits

Electives

In addition to core curriculum (40-44 credit hours) and major course requirements, students must complete elective coursework appropriate to their degree. A minimum of 120 credit hours is required for the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Biology, including elective coursework. Students are strongly encouraged to work with their advisor to identify courses that complement their program area.

Summary


Core Curriculum Requirements	40-44 hrs.

Major Requirements	39-42 hrs.

Electives	34-41 hrs.

	Total: 120 hrs.

Note:

Depending on various graduate programs, students may need to take other specific courses and faculty advisors will help students make appropriate decisions.