Biology

Department of Biology
College of Arts and Sciences

Science Building 330 ~ 260-481-6305 ~ ipfw.edu/bio

The study of biology helps you prepare for careers in research, teaching, industry, government, medicine, medical technology, and other health-related fields. More than half of all graduates earning a bachelor’s of science degree in biology from IPFW continue on to pursue graduate degrees or professional certifications. Biology is one of the most interdisciplinary of all the sciences. In addition to biology, it requires a broad background in chemistry, physics, and mathematics. This background enables the biologist to study the evolution of life; manifestations of life from the level of viruses, bacteria, and individual cells to the structure and function of organisms; and interactions of living organisms with each other and their environment.

The Department of Biology has extensive facilities for its teaching and research programs, and the faculty represent many specialities within biology. Interested students can participate in research projects or in other forms of scholarly activity with individual faculty members (see Special Assignments in Biology under Options in Biology, below). Check with the Department of Biology to learn about related programs such as the life science teaching certification, medical technology and the minor in biology.

For program descriptions, see Part 5 of this Bulletin.

Special Regulation for Biology Majors

Time Limit: All biology courses applied toward graduation must be completed within 10 years from the time the first biology course was completed.

Preprofessional Study

Those seeking careers in dentistry, medicine, veterinary medicine, forestry and agriculture should consult with their preprofessional advisor before deciding what specific elective courses in biology to take. Detailed and early planning is necessary.

Medical Technology Preparation

After graduating with a Biology degree from IPFW, students may wish to participate in Medical Technology programs that have been certified by Purdue University, such as Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne. Interested students should work with their advisor to make sure that they fulfill not only the requirements of the biology program, but also the prerequisites of the Medical Technology program. for example, Parkview Hospital currently requires Immunobiology and General Microbiology.

Special Assignments

Students who qualify may elect to do an independent project supervised by a faculty member. With the permission of the faculty member and the department chair, the student can enroll in BIOL 19500, BIOL 29500 or BIOL 59500. The student must work closely with the faculty member to design and complete the project. Credits earned in these courses cannot be used to satisfy A/B-elective requirements, and a maximum of 6 such credits can be used toward graduation as general elective credits.

Cooperative Education (Co-op) Program

The co-op program is designed to provide employment experience in an area of your academic interest while you are still enrolled in school. A co-op experience may be repeated. You may earn up to 2 elective credits toward your degree.

Honors Degree in Biology

You may earn an honors degree in biology by achieving an overall GPA of 3.00 or higher and a biology GPA of 3.50 or higher, conducting a two-semester (6-credit) research project, preparing a senior thesis based on the research project, and giving an oral presentation of the thesis research. The senior thesis committee must be established one semester before graduation.