Departmental Requirements
Students majoring in Biology with the Biomedical and Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Track must complete a total of 120 credit hours of University courses. This includes a minimum of 42 semester hours of General Education Requirements, 29 semester hours of Departmental Core courses, 15 semester hours of Program Electives and 34 semester hours of Supportive courses.
The Biomedical and Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental track of the Biology Program provides strong preparation for students who are interested in pursuing medical and dental careers. It provides equally strong preparation for those interested in graduate study leading to M.S. or Ph.D. degrees in biology and related fields, and for modern careers in cell biology, molecular biology, genetics, among other disciplines.
Objectives
The objectives of the Biology Program are to:
- Provide Biology majors in the Department of Natural Sciences with the knowledge and information necessary to gain entry into medical or graduate school;
- Provide Biology majors with a curriculum that will advance their general knowledge in the field of Biology necessary for successfully completing standardized examinations required for the entry into medical and graduate schools;
- Increase the level of competency in laboratory techniques and skills of Biology majors in the Department of Natural Sciences to ultimately prepare the student for the rigors of medical school and original scientific research; and
- Develop technical communication and critical thinking skills of Biology majors in the Department of Natural Sciences and train the same through mentoring and personal experience to perform in medical and graduate programs.
Career Opportunities
A Biology degree has many opportunities based on a person’s interests and undergraduate preparation. Biologists can pursue a biomedical or biological graduate degree for entrance into a specialized area of medicine, dentistry, academia, research or consulting careers. Resources for careers opportunities are available at the following websites: Sciencecareers.sciencemag.org covers all sciences; www.aibs.org/careers covers the entire breadth of Biology and www.epa.gov covers the ecological and environmental opportunities with the federal government. The specific elective courses taken in the undergraduate program are generally chosen based on the goals of the student for his/her future career.