Undergraduate Course Catalog 2006-2007
College of Life Sciences and Agriculture
» http://www.colsa.unh.edu/
Biology (BIOL)
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The interdepartmental program in biology is designed to provide a
strong and a broad background in biological sciences to students
interested in education in the life sciences. The biology program
integrates theoretical and practical (hands-on laboratory and field
work) courses in different aspects of the biology of animals, microbes
and plants. The curriculum is designed to reflect the diversity of the
biological systems in nature. It encompasses the study of structural
and functional relationships of living organisms at the molecular,
cellular, and organismal level; the interactions of the living systems
with the environment and with each other; and the evolutionary
relationships of various forms of life. The goal is to create a
facilitative environment for those with a scholarly interest in the
biological sciences, and to extend their understanding, awareness, and
appreciation of the diversity of the biological sciences.
The program is aimed at promoting excellence in biological science
education by involving undergraduate students in strong interaction
with faculty both in the classroom and research laboratories, and to
encourage the development of high-quality undergraduate programs in all
aspects of biology.
The biology program prepares students for graduate work in the
biological, medical and agricultural sciences, and for job
opportunities in industry (biomedical, pharmaceutical, agrochemical,
environmental, and biotechnological) and governmental research,
secondary school teaching or a general education about living
organisms. Completion of the four-year undergraduate program plus a
fifth-year internship will be necessary for biology teaching
certification. Students who plan to enter medical, dental, or related
professional schools are advised to confer with their faculty adviser
to build the requirements for these programs into their academic major.
Courses in the biology program are selected from departments that
constitute the biological sciences community at UNH. The flexibility of
the curriculum allows students wide selection of courses in various
departments. Students in the biology major take a common core
curriculum involving introductory and upper level courses. They select
one of four areas of concentration (options). These are: 1) ecology,
evolution, and behavior biology; 2) marine and freshwater biology; 3)
molecular, cellular, and developmental biology; and 4) general biology.
While students are advised to declare the biology major as incoming
freshmen to assure adequate program planning, transfer into the program
at a later stage is also possible. Students who wish to concentrate in
a specific area of biological sciences other than the options within
the biology program should consider a major in animal science,
biochemistry, microbiology, plant biology, or zoology. The biology core
curriculum is followed by students in all these programs. This makes
changing majors a very simple process.
Biology Core Curriculum
All biology and several of the biological sciences majors begin with
the biology core curriculum. The biology courses in the core curriculum
constitute an integrated sequence of courses imparting basic knowledge
of biology in order to expose the students to the breadth of knowledge
inherent in the biological sciences. The biology core allows a student
to obtain a broad background in biology and related physical sciences
and math. While it is recommended that the core curriculum be
substantially completed in the first two years, students are encouraged
to consult with their academic adviser to select one or more courses in
their major during the sophomore year that may provide a gateway to the
major. This may result in delaying one or more of the core courses in
the junior year. By the end of the sophomore year, students are
expected to have selected a departmental major or one of the four
biology options leading to a B.S. degree. These options are: 1) general
biology; 2) ecology, evolution, and behavior biology; 3) marine and
freshwater biology; and 4) molecular, cellular, and developmental
biology.
Biology Core Curriculum Courses
BIOL 400, Professional Perspectives on Biology1
BIOL 411 & 412, Principles of Biology I, II2
BIOL 541, General Ecology
MICR 503, General Microbiology
BIOL 604, Principles of Genetics
CHEM 403 & 404, General Chemistry
CHEM 545/546 Organic Chemistry and BCHM 658/659, General Biochemistry
or CHEM 651/653 and CHEM 652/654, Organic Chemistry3
MATH 424B Calculus for Life Sciences or 425, Calculus I
BIOL 528 Applied Biostatistics I or MATH 426,4 Calculus II
PHYS 401 and 402, Introduction to Physics
ENGL 501 (or equivalent), Introduction to Creative Nonfiction3
EDUC 500, Exploring Teaching5
Typically, students take BIOL 400; BIOL 411 & 412; CHEM 403-404;
and Calculus 424B in their freshman year, and then complete the
remainder of their core requirements during the sophomore and junior
years.
In addition to the core curriculum, the requirements for individual options are described separately.
1BIOL 400 is required only for first year biology majors.
2BIOL 411 and 412 are not sequential and may be taken in reverse order.
3CHEM 651/653 and 652/654 and ENGL 501 are required for premedical or affiliated professional programs.
4MATH 425, Calculus I can be substituted for Statistics, but we recommend Statistics.
5Required only for those preparing for teacher certification.
Academic Requirements
To receive the B.S. degree in biology, students must complete 128
credit hours with a 2.0 cumulative grade-point average (GPA). Courses
must include all UNH General Education requirements, biology core
curriculum requirements, and the requirements for the selected option.
A minimum grade of C- is required in all biological science courses
that are counted towards the requirements for a degree in biology (all
four options). The only exception is that a passing grade below a C-
will be accepted in a student’s first biology course (BIOL 411 or 412).
Students who expect to complete successfully for post-baccalaureate
programs should attain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher by the end of
the sophomore year and maintain it at this level.
Students should consult with their academic adviser during their
freshmen and sophomore years for assistance in determining the most
appropriate option or major for their professional goals. Since biology
core courses are required of all biological science majors, it is
relatively easy to change majors within the biological sciences during
this period.
Note: It is strongly
recommended that students participate in an exchange semester at
another university or in a field-oriented program or internship. There
are many exchange opportunities available in which a full semester of
credits toward the major may be earned. In addition, students should
explore the courses at the Shoals Marine Laboratory (SML), which
provides an excellent setting for several “field-oriented” courses
during the summer. Often there is financial support available for the
SML programs (see the SML Web site for details (www.shoals.unh.edu) or
the Cornell Web site at www.sml.cornell.edu. It is further recommended
that students explore possibilities of one or more semesters of
Independent Investigation (research projects). For details, students
should contact their adviser or the biology program office. Financial
support is available for most of these programs.
Premedical and other pre-health professional students should visit the
premedical office in Hood House for additional information on
requirements for specific professional schools. The following elective
courses will be helpful in preparing for admission to
post-baccalaureate programs in the health professions and for their
required aptitude examinations: BCHM/ANSC 702, ZOOL 518, ZOOL 625/626,
BIOL 605, BCHM 751/752, ANSC 511/512.
One 600, 795, or 796 experience totaling three or more credits or any
two 795-796 experiences of two credits each can fulfill one course
requirement in any category with adviser’s approval. A Petition for
Academic Variance approved by the biology program director is required
to count 795-796 experiences for more than one major required course.
Students should check the UNH WEBCAT (webcat.unh.edu), the biology Web site (biology.unh.edu), and the UNH online catalog for updates and current course offerings.
Biology Options
In order to receive a B.S. in biology, a student may choose from one of
the four biology options: 1) general biology; 2) ecology, evolution,
and behavior biology; 3) marine and freshwater biology; and 4)
molecular, cellular, and developmental biology. A complete list of
approved courses in each option is available from the student’s
adviser, the biology program office, and the biology program Web site at biology.unh.edu.
The general biology option
within the biology major provides broad-based training in the
biological sciences for students who prefer not to specialize at the
undergraduate level. Students must choose eight courses in addition to
the biology core curriculum courses as specified in the categories
listed in the option requirements (see Web site biology.unh.edu).
Within the biology core, BIOL 528 is preferred to MATH 426; however,
either is acceptable, and the sequence CHEM 545/546-BCHM 658/659 is
preferred to CHEM 651/653-652/654, for all students in the option,
except for those who are pre-health professionals. Corequisite lecture
and lab courses count as one course. Courses listed in more than one
category will satisfy requirements in only one category.
The marine and freshwater biology (MFB)
option provides broad-based training in the aquatic biological sciences
for students who prefer to take additional courses in the area of
marine and freshwater biology. Students interested in aquaculture and
fisheries may also choose this option by taking appropriate courses in
consultation with their adviser. Students must choose eight courses in
addition to the biology core curriculum courses to fulfill the
requirements of this option. All students must take Biology of
Lakes(PBIO/ZOOL 717) or Field Studies in Lake Biology(PBIO/ZOOL 719).
For additional course requirements, the students should visit the
biology Web site at biology.unh.edu.
The molecular, cellular, and developmental biology (MCDB)
option provides an opportunity for broad training in molecular,
cellular, and developmental biology, and the biotechnology area for
students who would like to achieve limited specialization in this
field. Students interested in the interdisciplinary fields of genetics,
genomics, and bioinformatics may also choose this option by taking
appropriate courses in consultation with their adviser. This is in
addition to broad-based training in the basic areas of biology and
related physical sciences covered in the core curriculum. Students
choose eight courses from the list of approved courses (available on
the Web at biology.unh.edu) in
addition to biology core curriculum courses, in order to complete this
option. The sequence CHEM 651/653-CHEM 652-654 is preferable to CHEM
545/546 and BCHM 658/659.
The ecology, evolution, and behavior (EEB)
option within the biology program provides broad training in organismal
and environmental biology, and provides an opportunity for limited
specialization in the field of ecology, conservation, evolution, or
behavior. Students must choose eight courses in addition to the biology
core curriculum to complete this option. All students are required to
take ZOOL 690. An additional seven courses should be selected as
specified in the list of approved courses (biology.unh.edu). Within the biology core, BIOL 528 is preferred to MATH 426; however, either is acceptable.
Prehealth Professional Program
Students who wish to pursue postgraduate degrees in the health care
professions should visit the premedical advising office in Room 102,
Hood House. For more information, call (603) 862-2064 or visit the
program’s Web page at www.unh.edu/premed-advising.
Biology Teacher Certification and General Science Certification
Biology teacher certification for students preparing to teach high
school biology may be obtained through the Department of Education’s
five-year, undergraduate-graduate degree program. Students are required
to take EDUC 500 (preferably in the sophomore year), earn a bachelor’s
degree in one of the biological sciences, and complete a fifth year,
which includes an internship and coursework leading to a master’s
degree in education. General science certification for students
preparing to teach science in middle and junior high schools can be
obtained through the Department of Education’s general science
certification program. For further information, see Education, or
contact the Department of Education’s teacher education coordinator.
Biology Minor
A biology minor may be earned by completing the following requirements:
1) BIOL 411-412 or PBIO 412 and ZOOL 412; 2) one course from each of
the three major organism groups: a) animals (ANSC or ZOOL courses), b)
microbes (MICR courses), and c) plants (PBIO courses); 3) two
additional biological science courses at the 600–700 level.
Students interested in a biology major or minor should contact the Biology Program Office, (603) 862-1452.
