2019-20 Academic Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2019-20 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Biological Sciences, BS, Concentration: Ecology & Evolution


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About the Program


Apply Now The Ecology & Evolution concentration prepares students for a career in fields such as conservation, resources management, habitat restoration, environmental testing and ecosystem assessment, or other academic areas. Students study the diversity, conservation, control, or life-history strategy of organisms in the natural environment. After receiving a bachelor degree with the ecology & evolution option, a graduate may work as a botanist or wildlife biologist for private consulting firms, academic institutions, government agencies or non-profit organizations.  Some positions in ecology may require additional education or certification beyond a BS degree.  Those interested in pursuing a research career, particularly in the field of evolutionary biology, will likely pursue an M. S. or Ph.D. degree and be associated with a university.

Degree Requirements


  • 120 Credit Hours
  • Minimum grade of C required for all Major Core courses
  • Minimum GPA of 2.0 required for graduation

PNW General Education Core (30 Credits Minimum)


Other Required Courses (51 Credits)


Physics (4 Credits)


Mathematics, Statistics, & Computer Science (6 credits)


Humanities, Social Sciences, or Foreign Language Electives (9 Credits)


This degree requires 9-credit hours of electives from Humanities and Social Sciences in addition to the 3-credits required from each of these areas that must be chosen from the approved General Education list (see General Education Core above). Six credit hours of foreign languages can be used towards this requirement. Note that some professional schools have specific Humanities and Social Sciences course requirements for admission.

Free Electives (17 Credits)


Any (5) courses from the PNW curriculum are acceptable, students must complete at least two elective courses at the 30000 level or higher.

Concentration Elective Courses (15 Credits)


  • Choose 9 credits from Group A, 3 credits from Group B, and an additional 3 credits from either group.
  • A maximum of 3 credits of independent study/research/internship/practicum can be used to fulfill the minimum 12 credit elective requirement.  Additional credits from this group can be used as free electives.
  • Availability of elective courses in a particular semester may change. Consult your advisor or check the Department of Biological Sciences website for the schedule of elective courses.

Total 120 Credits Required


Degree Map


Requirements


Minimum Grade and Grade Point Average (GPA):  Minimum grade of C required for all Major Core courses (unless otherwise noted); 2.0 GPA

Experiential Learning (EL):  One Experiential Learning credit is required for graduation. EL courses are noted by (e) next to the course title. Most students fulfill this requirement by taking ENGL 10500. Courses meeting this requirement in Biology include BIOL 34200, BIOL 39500 Special Assignments, Biological Sciences Practicum, BIOL 48800 Biological Sciences Internship, BIOL 48900 Biological Sciences Research, and BIOL 49500 Special Assignments. Other possible courses that can be used to fulfill this requirement include SCI 49100, ENGL 41101, and IDIS 10001. See the Experiential Learning Course List  for additional courses meeting this requirement.

General Education Core:  General Education notations can be found within the course description.  Please click on a course to see if it meets a Gen Ed requirement.

Milestone Courses noted by (m) next to the course title have been identified as being critical to your success in this field of study. 

Courses that are only offered on one campus will be noted by an (H) for Hammond, or (W) for Westville.

Please see the Additional Information and Guidelines section below for more information.

Semester 5 (8-16 Credits)


Semester 6 (14-18 Credits)


Semester 7 (14-18 Credits)


Semester 8 (12-16 Credits)


  • Humanities or Social Science Elective (See Note 2)
  • Concentration Elective (See Note 3)
  • Free Elective
  • Free Elective - 30000 level or above

Additional Information and Guidelines


Note 1: Additional GPA Requirement for BS Biological Sciences Degree: Minimum 2.0 GPA for all biology core (BIOL 10700, BIOL 10100, BIOL 10200, BIOL 24300, BIOL 24400, and BIOL 42600) and concentration required courses (BIOL 33300 and BIOL 31100 or BIOL 58000). Minimum 2.0 GPA for all biology courses required for graduation.

Note 2: This degree requires 9-credit hours of electives from Humanities and Social Sciences in addition to the 3-credits required from each of these areas that must be chosen from the approved General Education list (see General Education Core above). Six credit hours of foreign languages can be used towards this requirement. Note that some professional schools have specific Humanities and Social Sciences course requirements for admission.

Note 3: Ecology and Evolution Concentration elective requirement (minimum 15 credits at 300 level or above): Elective courses range from 1 to 5 credits. Choose a minimum of  9 credits from Group A and 3 credits from Group B in the attached list of Ecology and Evolution elective courses. Maximum 3 credits of independent studies / research / internship (BIOL 39500, BIOL 48800, BIOL 48900, or BIOL 49500 can be used to fulfill this elective requirement. Additional credits can be used as free electives. BIOL 34200 cannot be used as a biology elective but can be used as a free elective.

Resources


The 8 semester plan of study is a recommended sequence of classes designed to show how this program can be completed within four years.

Visit the 15 to Finish website for information and resources.

For career information, click here to visit the Careers and Employment Trends page.

For Financial Aid eligibility, click here. Annual FAFSA filing deadline is March 10. Financial Aid recipients are required to complete 30 credits per calendar year to stay eligible for the standard financial aid award.

Financial Guarantee: If you follow the degree map and find a course unavailable, you may be able to take the course for free in a future semester.  Certain exclusions apply. 

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