Biology (BS)

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. The curriculum in Biology is designed around the recommendations of the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Vision and Change in biology education. 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:

• Demonstrate both a theoretical and practical mastery of general biology topics, aligning with the recommendation of Vision & Change (AAAS 2010).
• Apply and evaluate the effectiveness of laboratory and field techniques in addressing a research question or problem in a real-world scenario.
• Interpret, evaluate, and draw conclusions from data in order to make evidence-based arguments about the natural world.
• Integrate concepts across other STEM disciplines (e.g., chemistry, physics) and multiple fields of biology (e.g., cell biology, ecology).

Note: Students planning to attend graduate or professional programs following completion of their BS degree should regularly review the needed prerequisites for their desired programs and work with their advisors to incorporate these classes into their program of study.