Objectives and Outcomes

The curriculum in Biology is planned for preparation for professions requiring competence in biological science or for gaining an understanding of the world of living things. The professional group includes students who intend to secure advanced degrees through graduate study, students who are interested in work with various governmental agencies or industries having biological responsibilities, and students who want to prepare for careers in medicine or other health-related professions. Students whose interests are not professional select the curriculum because its broad approach can result in an educated view of the structure and function of living things.

The major in Biology requires coursework in chemistry, physics, and mathematics, as well as a minimum of 18 credits of biology at the advanced level. The biology curriculum is further supported by the university-wide requirements for general education, and particularly requirements for communication and quantification skills. Moreover, through completion of general education requirements in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, biology majors gain the cultural context in while to place their technical education and training.

1. Students will acquire a broad overview of the principal disciplines of biology at all levels, from the molecular to the evolutionary.
2. Students will appreciate how the scientific method, as exemplified in the natural sciences constitutes a “way of knowing,” by which principles and knowledge are discovered.
3. Students will focus on one of several knowledge domains, and come to understand its underpinning principles of that domain, and its relationship to other knowledge domains.
4. Students will develop the ability to analyze, interpret and summarize, and communicate scientific results by solving problems through the classical research experience. Students will learn these skills both in individual and group settings.
5. Students will shape their own education to create dynamic and flexible academic platform to support future career paths.
6. Students will grow in intellectual independence, scientific literacy, and gain an appreciation for the connections between natural science and society.