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Nov 25, 2024
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2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog This is not the most recent catalog version; be sure you are viewing the appropriate catalog year.
Biology [BS]
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The Bachelor of Science in Biology provides a foundation in principles important to all living things and builds on this foundation toward many opportunities to gain cutting-edge skills while closely interacting with faculty and fellow students. Students begin with a core sequence in introductory biology, genetics, evolution, and general chemistry and may specialize in a sub-discipline of biology by choosing one of the following concentrations: cellular and molecular biology; ecology, organismal diversity, and evolution; microbiology; physiology; or general biology. This is a STEM-designated program (see OPT Extension).
Learn
Students majoring in biology learn the science of life, from molecules to ecosystems, through an in-depth exploration of the biological sciences via classroom, field, and research laboratory experiences. Students learn to critically evaluate and effectively communicate information for a life of continued learning and informed participation in society. In addition to being ready for careers in the life sciences, conservation, and education, this program prepares students for graduate biology programs and professional programs in the medical and veterinary fields.
Opportunities
Opportunities include small class sizes in upper-level courses, summer courses at the Fish Lake Environmental Education Center, off-campus/international courses (Florida, Bahamas, Ecuador), research experiences with faculty mentors, Departmental Honors in Biology, leadership positions in student organizations (BBB, Pre-med Club, etc.), and Biology Department scholarships.
Additional Information
Transfer Agreements
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Advisor Information
A faculty advisor will help you determine which courses to take and what sequence to take them to ensure that you satisfy your degree requirements as efficiently as possible. For a list of faculty advisors for specific interest areas, please follow this link.
If you have not already seen a Biology faculty advisor, you should make an appointment as soon as possible and schedule yearly appointments after that. Students are strongly encouraged to make annual appointments with a departmental advisor by contacting the Biology Department Office, 734.487.4242.
Major Requirements: 70 hours
If a student pursues a minor or a second major in addition to the Biology major, any credits of Chemistry (CHEM), Computer Science (COSC), Earth Systems Science (ESSC), Geography (GEOG), Mathematics (MATH), Neuroscience (NSCI), Physics (PHY), or Statistics (STAT), are considered, upon successful completion, as “competency met” for the Biology major and may be used towards the minor or second major. Credit is only earned once and only applies to graduation requirements once.
Required Core Courses: 25 hours
Concentration: 45 hours
Select one of the following concentrations. Each concentration requires a minimum of 45 credit hours. See below for a description of the requirements for each concentration.
No course can count toward the major as both a required and elective course or as an elective in two different categories.
Cellular & Molecular Biology: 45 hours
Required Courses: 18-23 hours
Concentration Electives: 22-27 hours
To meet the concentration’s 45 credit hour requirement, select an additional 22-27 elective credit hours from among the following areas.
Biology Electives: 14-25 hours
Select a minimum of 14 credit hours of electives in Anatomy, Cellular & Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Physiology, Research*
Cognate Electives: 2-13 hours
Select a minimum of 2 credit hours of electives in Biochemistry, Computer Science, Neuroscience, Organic Chemistry, Quantitative/Analytical Cognate Courses
Other Biology Electives: 0-6 hours
Select 0-6 additional hours of electives in Ecology, Field Experience, Organismal Diversity & Evolution, Topics**
Ecology, Organismal Diversity & Evolution: 45 hours
Required Courses: 10 hours
Concentration Electives: 23 hours
To meet the concentration’s 45 credit hour requirement, select an additional 23 elective credit hours from among the following areas.
Ecology Electives 7-15 hours
Select a minimum of 7 hours of electives in Ecology
Organismal Diversity & Evolution Electives: 8-16 hours
Select a minimum of 8 hours of electives in Organismal Diversity & Evolution
Other Biology Electives: 0-8 hours
Select 0-8 additional hours of electives in Anatomy, Cellular & Molecular Biology, Field Experience, Microbiology, Physiology, Research*, Topics**
Cognate Electives: 12 hours
Select 12 cognate elective hours from the following lists:
Geographic Information Systems or Quantitative/Analytical Cognate Electives: 3-12 hours
Select a minimum of 3 hours of electives in Geographic Information Systems, Quantitative/Analytical Cognate Courses
Other Cognate Electives: 0-9 hours
Select 0-9 additional hours of electives in Biochemistry, Computer Science, Earth Science & Environmental Science, Neuroscience, Organic Chemistry
Required Courses: 23-28 hours
Concentration Electives: 17-22 hours
To meet the concentration’s 45 credit hour requirement, select an additional 17-22 elective credit hours from among the following areas.
Microbiology Electives: 9-20 hours
Select a minimum of 9 hours of electives in Microbiology
Cognate Electives: 2-8 hours
Select a minimum of 2 credit hours of electives in Biochemistry, Computer Science, Neuroscience, Organic Chemistry, Quantitative/Analytical Cognates, Statistic
Other Biology Electives: 0-6 hours
Select 0-6 hours of electives in Anatomy, Cellular & Molecular Biology, Ecology, Field Experience, Organismal Diversity & Evolution, Physiology, Research*, Topics**
Required Courses: 18-23 hours
Concentration Electives: 22-27 hours
To meet the concentration’s 45 credit hour requirement, select an additional 22-27 elective credit hours from among the following areas.
Anatomy Electives: 4-8 hours
Select a minimum of 4 credit hours of electives in Anatomy
Physiology Electives: 12-21 hours
Select a minimum of 12 credit hours of electives in Physiology
Biology Electives: 4-13 hours
Select a minimum of 4 credit hours of electives in Anatomy, Cellular & Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Physiology, Research*
Other Biology Electives: 0-6 hours
Select 0-6 hours of electives in Ecology, Field Experience, Organismal Diversity & Evolution, Topics**
Cognate Electives: 2-11 hours
Select a minimum of 2 hours of electives in Biochemistry, Computer Science, Neuroscience, Organic Chemistry, Quantitative/Analytical Cognates, Statistics
General Biology: 45 hours
Required Courses: 13-14 hours
Concentration Electives: 31-32 hours
To meet the concentration’s 45 credit hour requirement, select an additional 31-32 elective credit hours from among the following areas.
Biology Electives: 14-20 hours
Select a minimum of 14 credit hours of electives in Anatomy, Cellular & Molecular Biology, Ecology, Field Experience, Microbiology, Organismal Diversity & Evolution, Physiology, Research*, Topics**
Cognate Electives: 12-18 hours
Select a minimum of 12 credit hours of electives in Biochemistry, Computer Science, Earth Science & Environmental Science, Geographic Information Systems, Neuroscience, Organic Chemistry, Quantitative/Analytical Cognates, Statistics
Restricted Elective Courses
No course or course sequence can count as both a required course(s) and an elective course(s) on the major or in two different elective categories.
Minor Requirement:
This major does not require a minor.
Program Total:
Students must earn a minimum total of 120 credits at the 100-level or above.
Critical Graduation Information
Each undergraduate student will be responsible for fulfilling the requirements (or their equivalents) of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration at a college or university or a subsequent catalog, including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.
In the event an undergraduate student does not complete the degree requirements within seven years of the date of their original registration at a college or university, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their major/minor in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.
Minimum requirements for all bachelor’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University
Some majors and minors require more than the minimum in one or more of the areas below; students are urged to consult this catalog for the requirements of their particular programs.
- Earn a minimum total of 120 credit hours at the 100-level and above.
- Courses numbered below 100 are not counted toward this degree requirement.
- At most, eight credit hours of physical education (PEGN) activity courses are counted toward this requirement.
- Meet the requirements of the General Education program (see information below), including completing a Writing Intensive (GEWI) course in the student’s major.
- Earn a minimum of 60 credits from a four-year college or university; courses taken at community colleges cannot be used to meet this requirement (Some formal program-to-program articulation agreements modify this requirement. See specific agreements for details).
- Earn a minimum of 30 credits from courses taken at EMU.
- Complete 10 of the last 30 hours for the degree from courses taken at EMU.
- Have a minimum of 30 unique credit hours in their major and 20 unique credit hours in their minor for a total of at least 50 unique credit hours between them. Some majors that require 50 or more hours themselves do not require a minor. A double major automatically satisfies the need for a minor unless one of the two majors requires a specific minor. Students should check the requirements of the selected major in the undergraduate catalog to see if a minor is required.
- Earn no more than 60 credit hours in one subject area (prefix). Credits over the 60 maximum will not be counted toward the minimum of 120 credits required for a bachelor’s degree.
- Earn the minimum number of credits in 300-level and above courses in each major and minor as specified below - these credits must be earned in distinct courses; that is, no course can be used to fulfill this requirement in more than one major or minor.
- Earn a minimum of 6 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each minor
- Earn a minimum of 9 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that requires a minor.
- Earn a minimum of 15 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that does not require a minor
- Transfer credit will be awarded for courses taken at colleges and universities that are accredited by one of the recognized regional accrediting bodies only if the courses are college-level (equated to 100-level or above at EMU) and the student earned a “C” (or 2.0 on a 4 point scale) or better. Transfer credit may be awarded on a case-by-case basis for college-level courses in which a “C” (2.0) or better was earned at institutions outside the U.S. or at non-accredited U.S. institutions; individual departments/schools conduct the internal review of such courses within EMU, and additional documentation may be required. Please note: EMU awards only credit for transferred courses; grades are not used to calculate an EMU GPA.
- Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken at EMU to graduate. In addition, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be reached in each major and minor. Only courses a student takes at EMU and those applied to their major or minor are used to calculate their major and minor cumulative GPAs. (Note: some programs may require a higher GPA - check with your program advisor.)
General Education Requirements - EMU’s General Education Program requires students to choose from a menu of approved courses in several different areas; do not assume that other courses in the same department or similar names will fulfill these requirements. A detailed description of General Education requirements is available in the General Education section of the catalog.
Students who transferred to EMU may have modified general education requirements based on Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) or articulation agreements; consult your academic advisor for additional information.
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