College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Biological Sciences
Biological Sciences Program Information
Department of Biological Sciences
PO Box 70703
Johnson City, TN 37614
Phone: (423) 439-4329
Fax: (423) 439-5958
Web Address: www.etsu.edu/cas/biology
Biology Major
The Department of Biological Sciences offers a major in biology leading to the Bachelor of Science degree. The major is designed for students who plan to enter such professions as biology, biochemistry, science education, medicine, veterinary medicine, agriculture, conservation, and industry. Some of our courses may be appropriate for students in other fields of study who desire to acquaint themselves with the phenomena of living organisms. The department offers the Master of Science in biology, and participates in the PhD in Biomedical Sciences through the Quillen College of Medicine. Further information on graduate programs is contained in the Graduate Catalog.
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
The Department of Biological Sciences has a commitment to providing undergraduate students with the opportunity for involvement in research. Many faculty welcome undergraduate students into their research programs. Opportunities for receiving undergraduate credit for research include the following courses:
Advising
Students with 0-59 earned credit hours:
Contact the Center for Advisement and Student Excellence (CASE) to schedule an appointment with your advisor. Visit the CASE website (http://www.etsu.edu/cas/case/) or call (423) 439-5602.
Students with:
60-89 credit hours with last names A-I:
Contact Dr. Joe Bidwell - Sign up for an appointment time in 125 Brown Hall.
60-89 credit hours with last names J-Z:
Dr. Karl Joplin - Sign up for an appointment time in 432 Brown Hall.
90 or more credit hours:
Dr. Hugh Miller - Office hours are posted on the door in 306 Brown Hall.
Transfer Students
Transfer students majoring in biochemistry should contact the chair of the department for advising as soon as possible. This will ensure that the student’s previous work will be coordinated efficiently with ETSU requirements.
Notes
Credit for the following courses will not apply toward a major or minor in the department:
The department DOES NOT accept AP biology credit from High School.
For general information about the department or courses, contact Dr. Joe Bidwell, Chair (bidwell@etsu.edu; (423) 439-4329).
General Program Information
To earn a degree from ETSU, there are specific course requirements established by ETSU, by the East Tennessee State University Board of Trustees, by each college, and by each department. All students must meet the degree requirements at each of these levels outlined in the following list:
University-level Degree and Graduation Requirements
Total Credit Hours for Degree: 120
College of Arts and Sciences B.S. Degree Requirements
Students majoring in the College of Arts and Sciences must meet the following requirements for the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. Some requirements must be taken in addition to the General Education Core, whereas others specify which courses from the General Education Core must be taken.
General Education Requirements: 42 Credit Hours
Listed below are the categories and courses specified under East Tennessee State University Board of Trustees General Education Requirements. Note that certain courses are required for this degree, specific to this major. Thus, these courses will satisfy both a General Education requirement AND a requirement of this major. (Other majors may require different General Education courses.) Where specific courses are required for this major, only those courses are listed under the category. If there are no specific major requirements for a category, all course options appear.
Communication
9 credits, consisting of 6 credits of written composition and 3 credits of oral communication.
Written Composition
Complete both of the following:
Oral Communication
Note: Other courses from this block are acceptable, but this course satisfies the Reasoning requirement for the BS degree in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Humanities and Fine Arts
9 credits, consisting of 3 credits of literature, 3 credits of fine arts, and 3 credits of humanities electives.
Literature
Complete one of the following:
Fine Arts
Complete one of the following:
Humanities
Note: Other courses from this block are acceptable, but this course satisfies the Philosophy of Science requirement for the BS degree in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Social and Behavioral Sciences
6 credits, consisting of two of the following:
History
6 credits, consisting of both of the following:
Natural Sciences
Complete the following:
Note:
Other courses from this block are acceptable, but these courses satisfy the General Education Natural Science requirement and the requirements of the Biology curriculum.
Mathematics
Students will enroll in the appropriate general education math course during their first calendar year of enrollment at ETSU. Students required to complete learning support in mathematics must enroll in a learning support-designated section (L01-L99) of MATH 1530 during their first 15 hours at ETSU (not including summer) unless they are also required to complete learning support in reading or writing. Students needing learning support in reading or writing in addition to learning support in math should enroll in MATH 1530-Lxx immediately upon completing their other learning support requirements. Additional information may be found on the University Advisement Center website www.etsu.edu/uac/learningsupport/
Biochemistry
In conjunction with the Quillen College of Medicine, approved students who have completed “Biochemistry of Macromolecules” (BIOL 4147 ) and “Biochemistry of Metabolism” (BIOL 4167 ) may enroll for one of the courses indicated below during their last semester of coursework.
- BIOL 5010 Biomed. Sci. I, Molecular Organization of Cells (3 credits)
- BIOL 5020 Biomedical Science II, Gene Expression (3 credits)
- BIOL 5030 Biomedical Science III, Cellular Anatomy (3 credits)
Biochemistry Concentration
This is a joint concentration with the Departments of Biological Science and Chemistry (College of Arts and Sciences) and the Department of Biochemistry (Quillen College of Medicine) for the Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences. Students may major in either Biology or Chemistry, but not both, and coursework is required in both departments. The Department of Biological Sciences offers the major in Biology with a concentration in Biochemistry leading to the Bachelor of Science degree. The major is designed for students who plan to enter such professions as biology, biochemistry, science education, medicine, veterinary medicine, agriculture, conservation, and industry. Some of our courses may be appropriate for students in other fields of study who desire to acquaint themselves with the phenomena of living organisms. The department offers the Master of Science in biology, and participates in the Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences through the Quillen College of Medicine. Further information on graduate programs is contained in the Graduate Catalog.
The Biology concentration with a minor requires 36 credit hours of Biology courses.
Biochemistry Concentration Requirements: 67-73 Credit Hours
Required Core Courses
(must be completed before taking advanced courses):
Biology Menu Requirements: 6-8 Hours
The following courses are required in this program of study. Some can also be used to fulfill certain General Education requirements. If students take other general education courses, they must still satisfy these requirements in the major.
Select at least one (1) course from two (2) of the following Advanced Biology areas (Organismal, Population, or Biodiversity):
Note: * Courses listed in more than one menu can only be used to satisfy ONE menu.
Required Non-Biology Requirements
Chemistry courses required:
Two courses in Physics required:
Additional Requirements: 4 Credit Hours
Advanced Biology courses required:
Advanced Concentration Requirements: 2-4 Credit Hours
The Biology Major with a Biochemistry Concentration must select one of the following courses:
Electives: 5-12 Credit Hours
Biochemistry
In conjunction with the Quillen College of Medicine, approved students who have completed “Biochemistry of Macromolecules” (BIOL 4147 ) and “Biochemistry of Metabolism” (BIOL 4167 ) may enroll for one of the courses indicated below during their last semester of coursework.
-
BIOL 5010 Biomed. Sci. I, Molecular Organization of Cells (3 credits)
-
BIOL 5020 Biomedical Science II, Gene Expression (3 credits)
-
BIOL 5030 Biomedical Science III, Cellular Anatomy (3 credits)
Graduation Requirements
Graduation in this major/concentration requires a minimum of 120 credits, including General Education requirements, CSCI 1100 , college degree requirements, major requirements, and minor requirements.
Passing the CSCI 1100 proficiency test produces no credit, but satisfies the graduation requirement (see http://www.etsu.edu/cbat/computing/uit/). If the total credits from these areas are less than 120 credits, students may use free electives to complete the requirement.
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