Biology
Program Description
The purpose of the bachelor of science degree program in biology is to provide rigorous training to those students desiring careers in the biological, biomedical, and environmental sciences. The program also provides the necessary preparation to those students who wish to pursue graduate training in biology, medicine, or veterinary science. The goal of the program is to produce graduates who, having been trained in the analytical and investigative techniques of the biological sciences, are ready to embark on promising careers in government, industry, and biomedical sciences.
The Biology major at Medaille is designed to introduce students to the broad spectrum of biological knowledge, from the complexities of the single cell to the dynamics of the ecosystem, and to develop an awareness of the achievements, methods, potentials, and limitations of the biological sciences. Consistent with a liberal education, the Biology major includes a combination of required and elective courses. Students may utilize their electives to experience the rich traditions of the liberal arts, to develop significant expertise in a second area of study, such as communications or management, or to acquire an additional degree or certification, i.e., the Associate in Science degree in Veterinary Technology.
The curriculum consists of a 37-credit core of courses designed to allow students to explore, in depth, the analytical procedures and principle tenets of thought in biological science. The core consists of (a) eight required courses in botany, cell biology, ecology, genetics, microbiology, epidemiology and biostatistics, and comparative anatomy and physiology; and (b) a choice of electives from courses that include immunology, animal behavior, advanced vertebrate physiology, herpetology, ichthyology, ornithology, mammalogy, organic evolution, developmental biology, and biochemistry. Students also take courses in general and organic chemistry, and mathematics. The design of the Biology curriculum is such that graduates of Medaille’s Associate in Science degree program in Veterinary Technology may transfer into the Bachelor of Science degree program in Biology without loss of any credits, provided they take the appropriate chemistry and liberal arts sequences.
Credit Distribution
Bachelor of Science
General Education Core (30 credits)
BIO 301 Epidemiology and Biostatistics (3)
ENG 110 College Writing II (3)
ENG 200 Analytical Writing (3)
*GEN 110 Ideas and Experiences: Introduction to Critical Thought and Expression (3)
GEN 220 Colonial N. America: Case Study in Cultural Interaction (3)
GEN 230 Creative Expression (3)
GEN 410 Baccalaureate Capstone I (3)
GEN 411 Baccalaureate Capstone II (3)
**MAT 115 Pre-Calculus (3)
SPE 130 Fundamentals of Public Speaking (3)
Major Requirements (37 Credits)
A. Required Courses (28 credits)
BIO 120 Botany (4)
BIO 170 Comparative Anatomy and Physiology I (5)
BIO 171 Comparative Anatomy and Physiology II (5)
BIO 200 Microbiology (4)
BIO 220 Cell Biology (3)
BIO 320 Ecology (4)
BIO 330 Genetics (3)
B. ***Biology Electives (9)
Liberal Arts and Sciences Courses (19 credits)
A. Required Courses
CHE 200 General Chemistry I (4)
CHE 201 General Chemistry II (4)
CHE 300 Organic Chemistry I (4)
CHE 301 Organic Chemistry II (4)
PHI 300 Ethics (3)
Other (3 credits)
CIS 115 Computer Information Systems 115 or Above (3)
Free Electives (39 Credits)
(May include any college course)
Total 128 credit hours
*Required of first-year students; all other students must substitute a Social Sciences Elective.
**Students who meet the math requirement by placement must substitute a Free Elective.
(*** Students must choose three courses from the following: BIO 303, BIO 310, BIO 340, BIO 370, BIO 371, BIO 421, BIO 422, BIO 423, BIO 424, BIO 430, BIO 470, BIO 498, CHE 400)
Note: Students planning to apply for admission to graduate, medical, or veterinary school are strongly encouraged to take CHE 400 General Biochemistry, PHY 200 Principles of Physics I, PHY 201 Principles of Physics II, and MAT 251 Calculus I and MAT 252 Calculus II or MAT 216 Survey of Introductory Calculus and Its Applications. Students interested in professional careers in medicine are advised to develop a foundation in the humanities and social sciences.
