Apr 10, 2025

2016-2017 Undergraduate Bulletin

2016-2017 Undergraduate Bulletin [Archived Catalog]

Biology (B.S.)

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

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

The student learning outcomes for the degree are as follows:

Provided 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 the College of Arts and Sciences (see Colleges and Regulations ); 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:

IPFW General Education Requirements Credits: 33

General Education Requirements

A grade of C- or better is required in each course used to satisfy the IPFW general education requirements.

College of Arts and Sciences Requirements

English Writing and Speaking

See Arts and Sciences Part A for Speaking requirement

ENG W233 - Intermediate Expository Writing Cr. 3.

Foreign Language

Requirements in Arts and Sciences Part B Credits: 8

Core (Major) Courses

BIOL 11700 - Principles of Ecology and Evolution Cr. 4.
BIOL 11900 - Principles of Structure and Function Cr. 4.
BIOL 12000 - Biology Resource Seminar Cr. 1.
BIOL 21700 - Intermediate Ecology Cr. 3.
BIOL 21800 - Genetics and Molecular Biology Cr. 4.
BIOL 21900 - Principles of Functional Biology Cr. 4.
BIOL 49100 - Senior Biology Seminar Cr. 1-3. Note: Effective Fall 2014, 3 credits are required

Supporting Courses

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.

Biology 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.

A-Electives

(organismal, population, community, and ecosystem)

BIOL 33500 - Animal Behavior Cr. 3.
separate laboratory available (BIOL 336)
BIOL 34500 - Vertebrate Biology Cr. 4.
includes laboratory
BIOL 43400 - Marine Community Ecology Cr. 3.
includes laboratory
BIOL 44500 - Aquatic Biology Cr. 3.
includes laboratory
BIOL 50100 - Field Botany Cr. 4.
includes laboratory
BIOL 50200 - Conservation Biology Cr. 3.
BIOL 50500 - Biology of Invertebrate Animals Cr. 3.
includes laboratory
BIOL 51810 - Biomedicine Cr. 3.
BIOL 52000 - Contemporary Parasitology Cr. 3.
BIOL 54110 - Invasion Biology Cr. 3.
BIOL 54300 - Population Ecology Cr. 4.
includes laboratory
BIOL 55600 - Physiology I Cr. 3.
separate laboratory available (BIOL 55800)
BIOL 57810 - Biology Of Disease Vectors Cr. 3.
BIOL 57900 - Fate of Chemicals in the Environment Cr. 4.
includes laboratory
BIOL 58000 - Evolution Cr. 3.
BIOL 58200 - Ecotoxicology Cr. 3.
BIOL 58600 - Topics in Behavior and Ecology Cr. 3.
BIOL 59800 - Biology of Fish Cr. 4.
includes laboratory
ENTM 20600 - General Applied Entomology Cr. 2.
separate laboratory available (ENTM 207)
ENTM 20700 - General Applied Entomology Laboratory Cr. 1.
FNR 50500 - Molecular Ecology and Evolution Cr. 3.
FNR 22500 - Dendrology Cr. 3.
includes laboratory
FNR 52300 - Aquaculture Cr. 3.

B-Electives

(molecular, cellular, and organ-system)

BIOL 21500 - Basic Human Anatomy Cr. 4.
includes laboratory
BIOL 31500 - Developmental Anatomy Cr. 4.
includes laboratory
BIOL 35000 - Plant Physiology Cr. 4.
includes laboratory
BIOL 38100 - Cell Biology Cr. 3.
separate laboratory available (BIOL 382)
BIOL 43700 - General Microbiology Cr. 4.
includes laboratory
BIOL 50600 - Human Molecular Genetics Cr. 3.
BIOL 50900 - Molecular Biology and Applications Cr. 3.
separate laboratory available (BIOL 584)
BIOL 51500 - Molecular Genetics Cr. 3.
BIOL 51600 - Molecular Biology of Cancer Cr. 3.
BIOL 52410 - Bacterial Diversity and Systematics Cr. 3.
BIOL 53300 - Medical Microbiology Cr. 3.
BIOL 53700 - Immunobiology Cr. 3.
BIOL 54000 - Biotechnology Cr. 3.
BIOL 54400 - Principles of Virology Cr. 3.
BIOL 55110 - Proteins: Structure and Functions Cr. 3.
BIOL 55900 - Endocrinology Cr. 3.
BIOL 56500 - Immunobiology Lab Cr. 1.
BIOL 56600 - Developmental Biology Cr. 3.
separate laboratory available (BIOL 567)
BIOL 56700 - Laboratory in Developmental Biology Cr. 1.
BIOL 57710 - Emerging Infectious Diseases Cr. 3.
BIOL 58400 - Molecular Biology and Applications Laboratory Cr. 1.

Free Electives

Sufficient additional credits to bring the total to 120-124

Total Credits: 120-124

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.