Oct 10, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog [Current Academic Year] 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog [Current Academic Year]

Biology [BS]

Location(s): In-person/hybrid


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   

Department Information


Biology 441 Mark Jefferson Science Complex, 734.487.4242 

Natalie Dove, PhD, Department Head 

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.

General Education Requirements:


For specific requirements, see General Education  or view the General Education Worksheet [PDF] .  

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. 

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


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

Microbiology: 45 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**

Physiology: 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.

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


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.