Biology (B.S.) With Concentration In Ecology And Evolutionary Biology

Program Requirements:

Biology (Ecology and Evolutionary) 4-Year Plan  

• A GPA of 2.00 or higher for all courses required for the major.
• A GPA of 2.30 or higher in biology core and biology elective/concentration courses.
• A maximum of 6 credits in BIOL 29500 or 59500.
• 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 and the concentration in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, you must fulfill the following requirements in addition to the General Requirements noted above:

General Education Requirements: Credits 33

• Click on the Purdue Fort Wayne General Education Requirements link above for details.
• Some majors may require particular General Education courses as specified in their program description.  Up to six credits of approved General Education courses satisfying requirements in Areas A and B, and three credits satisfying requirements in Area C, may originate in the major.  A grade of C- or higher in each course, and an overall GPA of 2.0 is required to satisfy the Purdue Fort Wayne General Education Requirements.

English Writing and Speaking: Credits 6

In addition to the General Education writing course (ENGL 13100) or equivalent), you are required to complete ENGL 23301 or an equivalent second writing course.  You are also required to complete COM 11400 or an equivalent oral communication course.  Courses meeting these requirements require a grade of C- or better.   Click on the PFW College of Science link above for more details.

• ENGL 23301 - Intermediate Expository Writing Cr. 3.
• COM 11400 - Fundamentals Of Speech Communication Cr. 3.

Language: Credits 6

You must complete two courses at the first-year level in a single international language or in American Sign Language (or demonstrate equivalent proficiency).  Click on the PFW College of Science link above for more details.

Core (Major) Courses: Credits 23

• 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.  Cr. 3.

Supporting Courses

Elective Courses in the Concentration Credits: 15

To complete the concentration, take:

• at least one course in the area of evolution and systematics
• two courses with a laboratory are required from the list of Ecology and Behavior courses
• the remainder of the elective credit hours within the concentration may be filled by choice from the full list of courses

General Electives

• Sufficient additional credits to bring the total to 120.

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 while completing at least 6 research credits. Research credits should be composed of BIOL 59500, although BIOL 29500 credits will be accepted if it can be demonstrated that the BIOL 29500 research was conducted on the same topic as the BIOL 59500 research. A senior thesis committee of three faculty members must be established at least one semester before graduation. Students must prepare a plan of research, senior thesis, and give a public oral presentation of the thesis research for review by the thesis committee. Students earning the Departmental Honors Degree in Biology are not eligible for the Biology Research Certificate.

Time Limit

All Biology courses applied toward graduation must be completed within ten (10) years from the time the first Biology course was completed.

Total Credits: 120

Student Responsibility

You are responsible for ensuring that you satisfy all graduation requirements specified for each selected program.  Thus, it is essential that you develop a thorough understanding of the required courses, academic policies, and procedures governing your academic career.  If you cannot complete all program requirements by your stated graduation date but fail to remove those from your plan of study, the Registrar’s Office in consultation with your academic advisor will remove unmet pursuits from your plan of study. Changing curricular records during the graduation term of application may affect state or federal financial aid awards. All requests for exceptions to specific requirements must be made in writing and may be granted only by written approval from the appropriate chair or dean. 

Additional Course Use

Courses listed below may also be considered in meeting specific degree requirements.

CHM 25400 and CHM 26100 required; CHM 26500 and CHM 26100 accepted

COM 11400 required; HIST 12500 accepted

STAT 24000 required; STAT 30100 accepted