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2024-2025 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

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Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Biology

Biology, the study of life, is a diverse, interdisciplinary science, and the biology major prepares students for a wide range of careers. The major is flexible, permitting students to craft a program of study specifically suited to their goals within the discipline, and providing tangible skills, knowledge, and experiences. Students in the Biology major may elect to pursue a more specialized emphasis within the major, including the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology emphasis, Genetics emphasis, Pre-Veterinary Medicine emphasis, Pre-professional Studies emphasis, or Secondary Education emphasis. The Biology Department also offers related majors in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Natural Resources Management, and Wildlife Biology, which offer even more specialized study in those disciplines.

Advising is essential to student success, and throughout their time at GVSU, students in biology can receive career and academic advising from the CLAS Advising Center, as well as from a biology faculty advisor. To encourage the development of these advising relationships, all students are required to meet with their faculty advisor as part of coursework in their first two years (BIO 130 and BIO 210). Students are also required to meet with a professional advisor in the CLAS Advising Center (gvsu.edu/clasadvising/) before enrolling in their second year of courses at GVSU.

Requirements for a Major in Biology (61-63 credits)

Core Courses (23 credits)

Students may substitute a three-credit BIO 490 - Internship or three-credit BIO 499 - Research in Biology for their capstone experience (BIO 495) with advisor approval. This experience must occur in the senior year and include a public presentation component. Students who choose this substitution will not be able to use these courses to fulfill the SWS requirement.

Biology B.S. students must complete a three-course sequence focusing on mathematics, statistics, quantitative reasoning, or scientific analysis. This requirement will be fulfilled by taking BIO 215, STA 215 or MTH 125 or MTH 201, and BIO 495. Biology B.A. students must complete the courses listed previously and demonstrate third-semester proficiency in a foreign language.

Mathematics/Statistics and Chemistry Requirements (11-13 credits)

Students considering professional or graduate schools should check admission requirements of particular programs of interest and consult with a faculty adviser or professional advisor in the CLAS Academic Advising Center (gvsu.edu/clasadvising) prior to selecting math, statistics and chemistry coursework.

Choose one of the following:

Complete one of the following chemistry sequences:

OR

Elective Courses (18 credits)

Complete at least 18 credits of elective courses numbered BIO 222 or higher, including at least two laboratory courses. In recognition of the interdisciplinary nature of biology, up to 12 credits may be taken in related fields and count towards the biology major. These include biomedical sciences (BMS 208 or higher), behavioral neuroscience (PSY 300, PSY 330, PSY 350, or PSY 435), cell and molecular biology (CMB 250 or higher), or natural resources management (NRM 150 or higher). Internship and research credit are encouraged (BIO 490/BIO 499).

Additional Course Requirements (9 credits)

Students should consult with a faculty adviser or professional advisor in the CLAS Academic Advising Center (gvsu.edu/clasadvising) prior to selecting additional science and math courses to ensure they align with your chosen career path, particularly if you are interested in professional or graduate school. If courses other than those listed make sense for your career path, you may arrange for other courses to count toward your major with advisor approval.

Complete at least 9 credits from this list:

Optional Emphases

Students who have declared the biology major may elect to also declare an emphasis within the major, which is a more specialized version of the biology major, however, this is not required.

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Emphasis (58-69 credits)

The emphasis in ecology and evolutionary biology is appropriate for students pursuing careers in aquatic and fisheries biology, animal behavior, wildlife ecology, plant biology, zoology, marine biology, and conservation biology. It is especially appropriate for students intending to apply to graduate programs in ecology, evolutionary biology (including systematics), and related fields. Students selecting this emphasis are encouraged to consult with the CLAS Academic Advising Center (gvsu.edu/clasadvising) and meet regularly with their faculty advisor to align course choices with future education and career goals.

Students pursuing this emphasis will complete the following:

  1. Core Course Requirement (23 credits) - see Biology Major Requirements
  2. Mathematics/Statistics and Chemistry Requirements (11-13 credits) - see Biology Major Requirements
  3. Required Emphasis course (3 credits)
  4. Elective courses (15-20 credits)

Select a total of five elective courses, including at least two from the Organismal Biology category, and two from the Advanced Ecology and Evolution category. Courses will be applied to either the Organismal Biology or the Advanced Ecology and Evolution Category, but not both.

Organismal Biology (Select 2 courses)

Advanced Ecology and Evolution (Select 2 courses)

BIO 222 - Natural History of Vertebrates (3 credits)

BIO 303 - Plant Morphology (4 credits)

BIO 232 - Natural History of Invertebrates (3 credits)

BIO/NRM 308 - Wildlife Ecology (4 credits)

BIO 243 - Plant Identification and Natural History (3 credits)

BIO 313 - Plants and Islands (4 credits)

BIO 272 - Insect Biology and Diversity (3 credits)

BIO 333 - Systematic Botany (4 credits)

BIO 302 - Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (4 credits)

BIO 352 - Animal Behavior (3 credits)

BIO 303 - Plant Morphology (4 credits)

BIO 362 - Biology and Diversity of Fishes (4 credits)

BIO 313 - Plants and Islands (4 credits)

BIO 370 - Marine Biology (3 credits)

BIO 323 - Aquatic and Wetland Plants (3 credits)

BIO 383 - Plant-Fungal Interactions (4 credits)

BIO 333 - Systematic Botany (4 credits)

BIO/NRM 386 - Ecological Restoration and Management (4 credits)

BIO 342 - Ornithology (3 credits)

BIO 402 - Aquatic Insects (3 credits)

BIO 357 - Environmental Microbiology (4 credits)

BIO/NRM 408 - Wildlife Management (4 credits)

BIO 362 - Biology and Diversity of Fishes (4 credits)

BIO/

BIO 383 - Plant-Fungal Interactions (4 credits)

BIO 433 - Plant Ecology (4 credits)

BIO 402 - Aquatic Insects (3 credits)

BIO 440 - Limnology (4 credits)

BIO 403 - Plant Structure and Function (4 credits)

BIO 451 - Stream Ecology (3 credits)

BIO 412 - Mammalogy (4 credits)

BIO 413 - Freshwater Algae (3 credits)

BIO 460 - Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology (4 credits)

BIO 422 - Animal Developmental Biology (3 credits)

BIO 470 - Conservation Biology (3 credits)

BIO 433 - Plant Ecology (4 credits)

BIO 473 - Ecology and Evolution of Plant-Animal Interactions (3 credits)

BIO 444 - Herpetology (4 credits)

BIO 475 - Population Genetics (3 credits)

NRM 263 - Forest Vegetation of the Great Lakes Region (2 credits)

BIO/NRM 486 - Restoration Ecology (3 credits)

Complete one additional elective course, selected from BIO 222 or higher, including at least two laboratory courses. In recognition of the interdisciplinary nature of biology, up to 12 credits may be taken in related fields and count towards the biology major. These include biomedical sciences (BMS 208 or higher), behavioral neuroscience (PSY 300, PSY 330, PSY 350, or PSY 435), cell and molecular biology (CMB 250 or higher), or natural resources management (NRM 150 or higher). Internship and research credit are encouraged (BIO 490/BIO 499).

5. Additional Course Requirements (6-10 credits)

Complete one of the following options:

Option 1: Statistics (6 credits)

Option 5: Chemistry (8-9 credits)

STA 216 - Intermediate Applied Statistics (3 credits)

CHM 241 - Organic Chemistry for Life Sciences I (5 credits) AND CHM 242 - Organic Chemistry for Life Sciences II (4 credits)

STA 310 - Introduction to Biostatistics (3 credits) OR STA 312 - Probability and Statistics (3 credits)

OR CHM 231 - Introductory Organic Chemistry (4 credits) AND CHM 232 - Biological Chemistry (4 credits)

Option 2: Physics (10 credits)

Option 6: Fire Management (7 credits)

PHY 220 - General Physics I (5 credits) AND PHY 221 - General Physics II (5 credits)

BIO/NRM 415 - Fire Ecology and Management (3 credits) OR NRM 250 - Natural Resource Measurements and Mapping (3 credits)

OR PHY 230 - Principles of Physics I (5 credits) AND PHY 231 - Principles of Physics II (5 credits)

BIO/NRM 230 - Introduction to Wildland Fire Management (2 credits)

Option 3: Computer Science  Choose 2 courses (6 credits)

BIO/NRM 430 - Advanced Wildland Fire Management (2 credits)

CIS 160 - Learn to Code in Python (3 credits) OR CIS 161 - Computing for Data Science Applications I (3 credits)

Option 7: Mathematics (7-8 credits)

CIS 231 - Problem Solving Using Spreadsheets (3 credits)

MTH 201 - Calculus I (4 credits)

CIS 335 - Data Mining (3 credits)

MTH 202 - Calculus II (4 credits) OR MTH 204 - Linear Algebra I (3 credits)

Option 4: GIS (6 Credits)

MTH 201 may fulfill both the Statistics and Mathematics requirement OR here, but not both

NRM 250 - Natural Resource Measurements and Mapping (3 credits) OR GPY 307 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (3 credits)

Option 8: Geology (8 credits)

NRM 395 - GIS Applications in Resource Management (3 credits)

GEO 111 - Exploring the Earth (4 credits)

GEO 112 - Earth History (4 credits)
Genetics Emphasis (65-71 credits)

The genetics emphasis is appropriate for students who desire an in-depth exposure to all aspects of modern genetics and its application through experiential learning. This emphasis provides a solid foundation for students planning careers in medicine, ecology, evolution, conservation, genetic counseling, basic research and where applied genetic technology is relevant. Students selecting this emphasis are encouraged to consult with the CLAS Academic Advising Center (gvsu.edu/clasadvising) and meet regularly with their faculty advisor to align course choices with future education and career goals.

Students pursuing this emphasis will complete the following:

  1. Biology Major Core Course Requirement (23 credits) - see Biology Major Requirements
  2. Mathematics/Statistics and Chemistry Requirements (20-22 credits) - see Biology Major Requirements
  3. Required Emphasis course (5 credits)
  4. Elective courses (11 credits)
    Complete at least 11 additional credits from the following, including at least one lab course:
  5. Additional Course Requirements (6-10 credits)

    Complete one of the following Options:

Option 1: Statistics (6 credits)

Option 3: Computer Science - Choose 2 courses (6 credits)

STA 216 - Intermediate Applied Statistics (3 credits)

CIS 160 - Learn to Code in Python (3 credits) OR CIS 161 - Computing for Data Science Applications I (3 credits)

STA 310 - Introduction to Biostatistics (3 credits) OR STA 211 - Introduction to Survey Sampling (3 credits) OR STA 312 - Probability and Statistics (3 credits)

CIS 231 - Problem Solving Using Spreadsheets (3 credits)

Option 2: Physics (10 credits)

CIS 335 - Data Mining (3 credits)

PHY 220 - General Physics I (5 credits) AND PHY 221 - General Physics II (5 credits)

OR PHY 230 - Principles of Physics I (5 credits) AND PHY 231 - Principles of Physics II (5 credits)
Preveterinary Medicine Emphasis (70-71 credits)

Students planning careers in veterinary medicine or related fields may prepare for application to professional schools with a biology major by selecting the emphasis in pre-veterinary medicine after completion of the introductory sequences in biology and chemistry (previously mentioned). Early consultation with an appropriate pre-professional advisor within the biology department is strongly encouraged.

Entrance requirements vary among veterinary schools at different universities. The emphasis in pre-veterinary medicine is tailored to satisfy application requirements at Michigan State University. Students should browse the application requirements of the specific programs they are considering to ensure requirements are met prior to applying. Entry requirements for particular programs are available on university websites and through the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges. Because entry into professional programs is highly competitive, students should complete the entry requirements for programs in veterinary medicine offered at multiple universities and be prepared to apply for admission to several.

Students pursuing this emphasis will complete the following:

  1. Core Course Requirement (23 credits) - see Biology Major Requirements
  2. Mathematics/Statistics and Chemistry Requirements (25-26 credits) - see Biology Major Requirements
  3. Elective courses (12 credits)
    Complete 12 credits of elective courses selected from BIO 222 or higher, including at least two laboratory courses. In recognition of the interdisciplinary nature of biology, up to 12 credits may be taken in related fields and count towards the biology major. These include biomedical sciences (BMS 208 or higher), behavioral neuroscience (PSY 300, PSY 330, PSY 350, or PSY 435), cell and molecular biology (CMB 250 or higher), or natural resources management (NRM 150 or higher). Internship and research credit are encouraged (BIO 490/BIO 499).

Elective coursework is an important component of a competitive application to veterinary programs. Applicants should carefully review the requirements for their target programs and see their faculty advisor or an advisor in the CLAS Academic Advising Center (gvsu.edu/clasadvising) for assistance in choosing elective courses.

For many students, the following elective courses will best prepare them to succeed in veterinary school, and strengthen their applications:

In addition, the following list elective courses may also be appropriate.

4. Additional Course Requirements (10 credits)

Preprofessional Emphasis (71-72 credits)

The pre-professional emphasis is designed to prepare students for successful admission to medical, dental, optometry, podiatry, pharmacy, and similar professional programs. Other health-related professional programs (such as physician assistant, physical therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic, athletic training, etc.) may allow more flexible prerequisite choices in math, chemistry and physics than this emphasis requires. Therefore, students seeking these career paths may alternately be interested in the General Biology Major without an emphasis, which allows more course choice in these areas.

Beyond coursework, applicants to professional school are typically required to gain experience in the profession prior to seeking admission. For example, admission requirements for most medical schools require practical experience in a clinical or health care setting. Research experience and community service (especially in areas related to the profession) are also strongly encouraged.

It is vital that pre-professional students consult with the CLAS Academic Advising Center (gvsu.edu/clasadvising) as well as their faculty advisor early and often for help selecting their major and emphasis, choosing appropriate courses for admission to the professional program of their choice, and for help finding essential professional experiences

Students pursuing this emphasis will complete the following:

  1. Core Course Requirement (23 credits) - see Biology Major Requirements
  2. Mathematics/Statistics and Chemistry Requirements (20-22 credits) - see Biology Major Requirements
  3. Required Emphasis course (4 credits)
  4. Elective courses (9 credits)
    Complete nine credits of elective courses selected from BIO 222 or higher, including at least two laboratory courses. In recognition of the interdisciplinary nature of biology, up to 12 credits may be taken in related fields and count towards the biology major. These include biomedical sciences (BMS 208 or higher), behavioral neuroscience (PSY 300, PSY 330, PSY 350, or PSY 435), cell and molecular biology (CMB 250 or higher), or natural resources management (NRM 150 or higher). Internship and research credit are encouraged (BIO 490/BIO 499).

Elective coursework is an important component of a competitive application to professional programs. Applicants should carefully review the requirements for their target programs and see their faculty advisor or an advisor in the CLAS Academic Advising Center (gvsu.edu/clasadvising) for assistance in choosing elective courses.

The following electives are commonly either strongly recommended, or required prerequisites for pre-professional applicants:

5. Additional Course Requirements (10 credits)

Suggested Order of Coursework for a Major in Biology

The following plan may need to be adjusted on a case-by-case basis. Students should work with an academic advisor to create an academic plan that best suits their circumstances.

Year One

Year Three

  • BIO 375 - Genetics (3 credits)
  • BIO 376 - Genetics Laboratory (1 credit)
  • BIO major emphasis requirement, as needed (3-4 credits)
  • BIO major elective course (3-4 credits)
  • BIO major elective course, SWS (3-4 credits)
  • BIO major additional course requirements category option (3 credits)
  • BIO major additional course requirements category option (3 credits)
  • General education (GE Social/Behavioral) (3 credits)
  • General education (GE Issues) (3 credits)

Year Four

  • BIO 495 - Perspectives in Biology (Capstone) (3 credits)
  • BIO elective course (3-4 credits)
  • BIO elective course as needed (3-4 credits)
  • BIO major additional course requirements category options (3 credits)
  • General education (GE US Diversity) (3 credits)
  • General education (GE Global Perspectives) (3 credits)
  • General education (GE Issues + SWS) (3-4 credits)
  • General education (GE Social/Behavioral) (3 credits)

Click here for the program description.


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