Biological Sciences Major (BS)
College: College of Natural & Health Sciences
Program Level Objectives for Biological Sciences
- Biological complexity and evolution: students demonstrate expertise regarding the nature of living organisms and biological processes.
- Inquiry and research methods: students develop analytical and critical thinking skills, including hypothesis generation and testing, and engage in the practice of biology.
- Scholarship and communication: students develop the capacity to engage in current thinking, discoveries and methodologies via reading the scientific literature and communicating (discussion, writing, presentation).
Requirements for the Biological Sciences Major
The major in biological sciences consists of a minimum of 43 credits in biological sciences with additional courses in mathematics, chemistry, and physics. Within the major, a minimum of 15 credits in courses numbered 300 or above must be completed at UW-Parkside.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| College of Natural and Health Sciences requirement | ||
| New entering students, and transfer students with less than 30 college credits, choosing a major in the College of Natural and Health Sciences are required to take this course. | ||
| UWP 101 | First Year Seminar: Natural and Health Sciences | 1 |
| Required Core Courses 1 | ||
| BIOS 101 | Bioscience | 4 |
| BIOS 102 | Organismal Biology | 4 |
| BIOS 210 | Biostatistics | 4 |
| BIOS 260 | General Genetics | 4 |
| BIOS 435 | Experimental Methods/Biochemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| BIOS 495 | Senior Seminar | 1 |
| Required Core Courses Subtotal | 20 | |
| Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics Courses | ||
| Mathematics Courses | ||
| MATH 221 | Calculus and Analytic Geometry I | 5 |
| Chemistry Courses 2 | ||
| CHEM 101 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 102 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHEM 103 | General Chemistry Lab I | 1 |
| CHEM 104 | General Chemistry Lab II | 1 |
| CHEM 321 | Organic Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 322 | Organic Chemistry II | 4 |
| Physics Courses | ||
| Select one of the following: | 10 | |
| College Physics I and College Physics II | ||
| General Physics I and General Physics II | ||
| Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics Courses Subtotal | 33 | |
| Elective Options | ||
| Complete twenty four credits with at least three credits from each of the following options: | 24 | |
Cell and Molecular Biology | ||
Organismal Structure and Function | ||
Biological Diversity | ||
Population Biology | ||
| Elective Options Subtotal | 24 | |
| Total Credits | 77 | |
- 1
Students must complete core courses numbered in the 200s and below before they enroll in 400-level biological sciences courses. Exception from this prerequisite requires approval from the program faculty. Students should consult with their academic advisor before registration if such a situation arises.
- 2
CHEM 323 Organic Chemistry Lab is strongly recommended, but not required. Most graduate and professional schools require an organic chemistry course with a laboratory component. Students who plan to do graduate work are also advised to take MATH 222 Calculus and Analytic Geometry II.
Elective Options
Each student must complete a minimum of 24 elective credits selected from 200-400 level biological sciences courses. At least 3-credit hours must be obtained from each of the four designated areas listed below. BIOS 494 Internship, and BIOS 499 Independent Study, cannot be used to satisfy the requirement within these areas. Students are required to check with their advisors concerning biological sciences special topics courses (BIOS 290 Special Topics in Biological Sciences, BIOS 390 Special Topics in Bioiological Sciences, BIOS 490 Advanced Topics in Biological Sciences:) counting toward the topic areas listed below.
Cell and Molecular Biology
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOS 301 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| BIOS 307 | Biochemical Metabolism | 3 |
| BIOS 309 | Molecular Biology | 3 |
| BIOS 355 | Biology of Cancer | 3 |
Organismal Structure and Function
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOS 300 | Human Functional Anatomy (L) | 4 |
| BIOS 317 | Developmental Biology | 3 |
| BIOS 341 | Mammalian Physiology | 3 |
| BIOS 344 | Plant Physiology | 3 |
Biological Diversity
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOS 303 | Microbiology (L) | 4 |
| BIOS 311 | Parasitology (L) | 4 |
| BIOS 313 | Invertebrate Zoology (L) | 4 |
| BIOS 318 | Vertebrate Zoology (L) | 4 |
| BIOS 324 | Botany (L) | 4 |
| BIOS 329 | Paleontology (L) | 3 |
| BIOS 351 | Virology | 3 |
Population Biology
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOS 305 | Principles of Ecology (L) | 4 |
| BIOS 314 | Evolutionary Biology | 3 |
| BIOS 330 | Topics in Field Biology: (L) | 3 |
| BIOS 333 | Restoration Ecology (L) | 4 |
| BIOS 336 | Conservation Biology | 3 |
| BIOS 340 | Animal Behavior (L) | 4 |
| BIOS 414 | Molecular Evolution | 3 |
A course in each of the four areas is required. Students can select among any of the remaining 200-400 level biological sciences courses to complete the remaining 12 elective credits, which may include up to three credits each of BIOS 494 Internship and BIOS 499 Independent Study.
To complete the requirement of 24 elective credits, at least one 300 level or higher elective class must include a laboratory. Classes that meet this requirement are marked with an (L) in the list above as well as BIOS 453 Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics of Nucleic Acids and BIOS 455 Protein Biochemistry and Bioinformatics. BIOS 435 Experimental Methods/Biochemistry Laboratory Experimental Methods/Biochemistry Lab and BIOS 445 Experimental Methods in Ecology and Evolution Experimental Methods in Ecology and Evolution are core classes and do not satisfy this requirement.
Students pursuing careers in the health professions are strongly urged to contact the Pre-Health office at 262-595-2327 for advising.
Optional Concentration in Pre-Health Professions
Students who are planning to pursue graduate/professional work in health sciences should consider completing the biological sciences major with a concentration in pre-health professions. Students complete the same biological sciences major core course requirements and mathematics, physics and chemistry course requirements, but use the following course plan for the elective course requirements:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Concentration Courses | ||
| BIOS 300 | Human Functional Anatomy (L) | 4 |
| BIOS 303 | Microbiology (L) | 4 |
| BIOS 307 | Biochemical Metabolism | 3 |
| BIOS 341 | Mammalian Physiology | 3 |
| CHEM 323 | Organic Chemistry Lab | 3 |
| Required Concentration Courses Subtotal | 17 | |
| Elective Concentration Courses | ||
| Select at least seven credits of the following: | 7 | |
| Cell Biology | ||
| Molecular Biology | ||
| Parasitology (L) | ||
| Evolutionary Biology | ||
| Developmental Biology | ||
| Mammalian Physiology Laboratory | ||
| Virology | ||
| Biology of Cancer | ||
| Elective Concentration Courses Subtotal | 7 | |
| Total Credits | 24 | |
General University Degree Requirements (Bachelor's Degree)
In addition to individual program requirements, students must also fulfill the following requirements:
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Skills | 7-8 |
| General Education | 36 |
| Foreign Language** | 6-8 |
| Ethnic Diversity | 3 |
| Total | 52-55 |
** Transfer students in sustainable management, and health information management and technology collaborative, online degree-completion programs, the business management online degree-completion program, and the flexible option degree-completion program will be exempt from the university’s foreign language requirement. See appropriate academic section for further information.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | ||
| ENGL 101 | Composition and Reading | 3 |
| Computational Skills | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4-5 | |
| Survey of Mathematics | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| College Algebra I | ||
| Total Credits | 7-8 | |
Degree Requirements
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Minimum Total Credits | 120 |
| Upper Level Credits (300 level or above) | 36 |
| Residency | 30 of final 60 |
Cumulative Degree GPA: 2.0 minimum