Oct 31, 2024  
2012-2013 Undergraduate Bulletin 
    
2012-2013 Undergraduate Bulletin [Archived Catalog]

Biology (B.S.)


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Program: B.S.
Department of Biology
College of Arts and Sciences

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


The student learning outcomes for the degree are as follows:

Provide coursework, research experience, and advising for students who seek employment after the B.S. degree or who expect to enter graduate and professional schools.

  • Students should have demonstrated comprehension of basic biological principles and theories and a demonstrated ability to apply those theories and principles to problem solving.
  • Students should have demonstrated knowledge of the scientific method, and should be able to apply that knowledge to problem solving.  Students should also have the ability to critically evaluate biological information.
  • Students should have demonstrated the basic knowledge and experience of field and laboratory work and be able to communicate the results of an investigation. 

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.

To earn a B.S. with a major in biology, you must fulfill the requirements of IPFW and of the College of Arts and Sciences (see Part 4  and Part 8 ); earn a GPA of 2.30 or higher in BIOL 117, 119, 217, 218, 219, and 491 and in A/B-elective courses in biology (listed below); and complete the following courses:

Area I—Linguistic and Numerical Foundations


Area II—Natural and Physical Sciences


Area III—The Individual, Culture, and Society (Credits: 6)


See Part 2 General Education Requirements for approved courses 

Area IV—Humanistic Thought (Credits: 6)


See Part 2 General Education Requirements for approved courses 

Area V—Creative and Artistic Expression (Credits: 3)


See Part 2 General Education Requirements for approved courses 

Area VI—Inquiry and Analysis


(credits included in Supporting Courses, below)

College of Arts and Sciences Requirements


Calculus and Statistics


The following calculus and statistics course pattern is typical. Course substitutions are possible with advisor approval. Please note that most graduate programs require a full year of calculus.

General Elective Courses (Credits: 16)


In the interest of broadly training our majors, students are required to take at least one course with laboratory from each of the A and B elective course lists below. The A elective courses focus on topics regarding the intact organism and its interaction with the environment, and so are organismal, population, community, and ecosystem in nature. The B elective courses focus on processes acting within the organism, and thus detail molecular, cellular, and organ-system mechanisms.

Free Electives


  • Sufficient additional credits to bring the total to 124.

Total Credits: 124


Honors 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 (minimum of 5 credits) 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.

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