Course variations

Course summary

This program is to provide students with an excellent preparation for postgraduate pursuits. Graduates of the program command an understanding of core concepts in biology as well as an ability to design and implement studies of biological questions. The curriculum for a major in biology is divided into three tiers, offering increasing levels of challenge, greater emphasis on independent work, and more extensive use of the primary literature. All biology majors take an introductory series of fourteen credits (BIOL 201, 202, 204 and 206) in the first of these tiers. These core courses cover the central concepts of modern biology and provide a foundation for more specialized study at higher levels of the curriculum. Modern biology encompasses an extraordinary range of disciplines, from molecular genetics at one end of the spectrum to global ecology at the other.

Program modules

Students will have their courses in BIOL 371 Cell Biology (4 credits), BIOL 391, 392 Research (2 credits each), BIOL 415 Plant Physiology and Adaptations to Stress (4 credits), BIOL 430 Evolutionary Ecology (4 credits), BIOL 435 Aquatic Biology (4 credits), BIOL 462 Molecular Biology (4 credits), BIOL 463 Immunology (4 credits), BIOL 471 Evolution (4 credits), BIOL 483, 484 Seminar (2 credits each), BIOL 485, 486 Seminar (4 credits each), BIOL 487, 488 Topics (2 credits each), BIOL 489, 490 Topics (4 credits each), BIOL 491, 492 Research (2 credits each), BIOL 493, 494 Research (4 credits each), BIOL 495, 496 Individual Study (2 credits each), BIOL 497, 498 Individual Study (4 credits each), CHEM 440 Biochemistry I (4 credits).

Entry requirement for international students

Students must have a secondary or higher education from an accredited high school, or the equivalent. The better their secondary higher education school records are, the better the chance that they will secure admission. It is recommended that an applicants high school transcript include four units in English, four units in one foreign language, four units of mathematics (three units required), two units in natural sciences and two units in history or the social sciences. Graduates of accredited high schools are admitted on the basis of their grade point average, academic rank in their graduating class (if applicable), college preparatory course selection, and their scores on one of the following: the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), or the American College Test (ACT). The university’s SAT code number is 6110. The ACT code number is 2102. Students with a Graduate Equivalency Diploma should submit the GED, including scores, in addition to their high school transcript. The minimum acceptable TOEFL score is the iBT total of 80 with subs scores of 20 on speaking and writing. In lieu of the TOEFL test or other English proficiency tests, completion of Level 112 at any ELS Language Centers facility will satisfy the English requirement for admission.

Qualification

Bachelor degree

Awarding body

University Of St Thomas

Department name

College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology