2018-2019 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
Biology - Program Description
For additional information about opportunities your college offers, please refer to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section in this catalog.
Website: www.gvsu.edu/biology
The study of animals and plants has fascinated people for thousands of years. All of us have wondered at some time about how animals are put together and how they function, why plants flower, how organisms interact with each other and respond to the environment, or why some bacteria cause disease and others do not. Biology is an exciting and dynamic field filled with the satisfaction of answers to many questions and the challenge of others waiting to be explained.
As a science, biology offers the opportunity to study and experiment with animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria in the laboratory and outdoors. Biologists make contributions in widely varying areas, including medicine, aquatic ecology, biotechnology, botany, conservation biology, evolutionary biology, genetics, microbiology, molecular biology and ecology, terrestrial ecology, and zoology.
Degrees Offered
Master of Science, Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in biology, biology major and minor for secondary teaching certification, biology minor.
Preparation for Graduate School
Students planning to do graduate work in biology should consult early with their advisors. There is no absolute list of courses required for admission to graduate school. Generally, in addition to mathematics, students will need a full year of physics and two full years of chemistry, including CHM 241 and 242.
Related Programs
Cell and Molecular Biology ( www.gvsu.edu/cmb )
Students who wish to prepare for careers in biotechnology, biomedicine, cell biology, forensics, genetics, molecular biology, pharmacology, or related fields may wish to consider the biomolecular processes emphasis of the Bachelor of Science in biology or the interdisciplinary degree, cell and molecular biology (CMB) described elsewhere in the Grand Valley State University Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog. Both programs offer independent research directed by mentors from Grand Valley or area business and research institutes, ensuring that students will get practical experience conducting original research in an area of their interest.
Integrated Science Major for the B.S. Degree ( www.gvsu.edu/isci )
The integrated science major is designed for students seeking certification to teach at the elementary school level. It provides the student with broad exposure in all the sciences and emphasizes the connections among the scientific disciplines, their relationship with technology, and their relevance to society. In order to be certified students must complete this major and the elementary teaching minor with at least a 2.7 GPA in each. Students are advised to take the MDE subject test after they have completed the major with a 2.7 GPA.
Integrated Science Secondary Endorsement ( www.gvsu.edu/isci/index.cfm )
Students who have declared or completed a major and minor in a science discipline may complete additional courses for an integrated science secondary endorsement. The Michigan Department of Education will allow teachers with the integrated science secondary endorsement to teach biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics at the secondary level.
Behavioral Neuroscience Major ( www.gvsu.edu/psychology/index.cfm )
Students interested in this interdisciplinary major should consult the psychology department for specific requirements.
Honors Organizations
Beta Beta Beta (TriBeta) is an honor society for students, particularly undergraduates, dedicated to improving the understanding and appreciation of biological study and extending boundaries of human knowledge through scientific research. Requirements: undergraduates shall have completed at least one term of the second year of a four-year curriculum, completed at least three courses in biological science, of which at least one is not an introductory course, with an average grade of B or its equivalent in those biology courses, and shall be in good academic standing.
The following programs are available: