Minot State University - Department of Biology

Department of Biology

Course and Degree Information

Biology Course Cycle Fall 2007 - Spring 2009 (pdf)

What you need to graduate with a BA (Biology) (PowerPoint)

Degrees offered by the Department of Biology

The Biology Program at Minot State University offers two degrees: The Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science in Education, Biology Major. For either degree, by the time of graduation, the biology major should be familiar with the form, physiology, heredity, development, evolution, and ecological relationships of a variety of organisms. Graduation from the Biology Program can lead to a number of career options.

The Bachelor of Arts in Biology (B. A.) degree is designed for those students who desire to attend professional schools of medicine, dentistry, optometry, chiropractic, physical, and occupational therapy, mortuary science, and veterinary medicine or who wish to pursue graduate work in biology. The B. A. degree is also designed for those students who desire employment in the biomedical and biotechnical industries, the environmental sciences, or in wildlife management. Click here for a sample course schedule.

The Bachelor of Science in Education degree in Biology (B. S. E.) is designed for students who are interested in careers as biology teachers in junior or senior high schools. Students completing this program meet all the requirements for secondary school certification in North Dakota. Furthermore, the broad-based biology curriculum prepares the students not to teach not only biology, but also chemistry and physical science. Graduates are also fully prepared to pursue the graduate program for the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree in science. Click here for a sample course schedule.

The Biology program also provides courses required for professional degrees in nursing, clinical lab science (medical technology), radiologic technology, social work, criminal justice, physical education, elementary education, and special education. General education courses are offered which deal with the fundamentals and philosophy of biology.

Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Biology (129-130 cr)
General Education courses (38 cr)
The three-course introductory sequence (12 cr) must be completed prior to enrolling in 300+ courses required for the degree. BIOL 150 is a prerequisite for BIOL 215 and BIOL 250. The introductory courses may be taken in any order.

Introductory Sequence

BIOL 150 General Biology I: Introduction to Cellular Biology (4cr)
BIOL 151 General Biology II: Introduction to Zoology (4cr)
BIOL 154 General Biology III: Introduction to Botany (4cr)

200-level Required Courses (8 cr) - take both of these courses

300 - and 400-level Courses

You will have to select one (1) course (4cr) with a Molecular and Cellular (MC) designation, one (1) course (4cr) with an Organismal (ORG) designation, and one (1) course (4cr) with a Population (POP) designation. You will also have to take two (2) additional courses that can have any of the three designations. You will end up taking a total of 20 credits of these courses.

Note that many of our courses fit more than one of those categories but that you can not use the same course to fulfill two categories!.

BIOL 301 Evolution (POP 4cr)

BIOL 310 Pharmaceutical Ethnobotany (MC, ORG 4cr)

BIOL 325 Entomology (ORG 4cr)

BIOL 330 Biogeography (POP 4cr)

BIOL 335 Comparative Anatomy (ORG, POP 4cr)

BIOL 340 Systematic Zoology (ORG, POP 4cr)

BIOL 346 Developmental Biology (MC, ORG 4cr)
BIOL 347 General Ecology (POP 4cr)

BIOL 349 Plant Physiology (MC 4cr)

BIOL 350 Freshwater Biology (POP 4cr)

BIOL 360 Morphology of Vascular Plants (ORG 4cr)

BIOL 401 Population Genetics (POP 4cr)

BIOL 402 Bioinformatics (MC 4cr)
BIOL 404 Plant Molecular Ecology (MC, POP 4cr)

BIOL 405 Prokaryotic Physiology ( MC 4cr)

BIOL 445 Cancer Biology (MC 4cr)

BIOL 448 Systematic Botany (ORG 4cr)

BIOL 450 Parasitology (ORG 4cr)

BIOL 455 Hematology (MC 4cr)

BIOL 458 Anatomy of Seed Plants (ORG 4cr)

BIOL 460 Herpetology (ORG, POP 4cr)
BIOL 465 Immunology (MC 4cr)
BIOL 470 Histology (ORG, MC 4cr)

BIOL 475 Clinical Microbiology (MC 4cr)

BIOL 480 Molecular Biology (MC 4cr)

Electives
BIOL 115; 142; 220/221; or any 300- or 400-level course from above.

Nonresearch Track: for students not participating in research, two (2) biology electives are required.

Directed Research Track: 5 cr required with an optional total of 8 cr. No more than 4 cr can be taken per semester. You can substitute reseach credits for electives. Each 4 credits of research count for one elective.

Additional Required Courses (28 cr)
CHEM 121, 122, 240
PHYS 203, 204
MATH 240 or PSY 320

Biology Minor and/or Concentration(s) (15-16 cr)

Biology Minor (teaching and Non-Teaching)

Biology Concentration (12 cr)
Choose 12 credits from the following courses:

BIOL 150 General Biology I: Introduction to Cellular Biology (4cr)
BIOL 151 General Biology II: Introduction to Zoology (4cr)
BIOL 154 General Biology III: Introduction to Botany (4cr)
BIOL 215 Genetics (4cr)
BIOL 250 Advanced Cellular Biology (4cr)

Bachelor of Science in Education with a Major in Biology (148 cr)
General Education (38 cr)
The three-course introductory sequence: (12 cr) must be completed prior to enrolling in 300+ courses required by the degree. BIOL 150 is a prerequisite for BIOL 215 and BIOL 250. The introductory courses may be taken in any order.

For courses descriptions, click here.

Introductory Sequence

BIOL 150 General Biology I: Introduction to Cellular Biology (4cr)
BIOL 151 General Biology II: Introduction to Zoology (4cr)
BIOL 154 General Biology III: Introduction to Botany (4cr)

200-level Required Courses (8 cr) - Take both of these courses

300 - and 400-level Courses

Note that many of our courses fit more than one of those categories but that you can not use the same course to fulfill two categories!

BIOL 301 Evolution (POP 4cr)

BIOL 310 Pharmaceutical Ethnobotany (MC, ORG 4cr)

BIOL 325 Entomology (ORG 4cr)

BIOL 330 Biogeography (POP 4cr)

BIOL 335 Comparative Anatomy (ORG, POP 4cr)

BIOL 340 Systematic Zoology (ORG, POP 4cr)

BIOL 346 Developmental Biology (MC, ORG 4cr)
BIOL 347 General Ecology (POP 4cr)

BIOL 349 Plant Physiology (MC 4cr)

BIOL 350 Freshwater Biology (POP 4cr)

BIOL 360 Morphology of Vascular Plants (ORG 4cr)

BIOL 401 Population Genetics (POP 4cr)

BIOL 402 Bioinformatics (MC 4 cr)
BIOL 404 Plant Molecular Ecology (MC, POP 4cr)

BIOL 405 Prokaryotic Physiology ( MC 4cr)

BIOL 445 Cancer Biology (MC 4cr)

BIOL 448 Systematic Botany (ORG 4cr)

BIOL 450 Parasitology (ORG 4cr)

BIOL 455 Hematology (MC 4cr)

BIOL 458 Anatomy of Seed Plants (ORG 4cr)

BIOL 460 Herpetology (ORG, POP 4cr)
BIOL 465 Immunology (MC 4cr)
BIOL 470 Histology (ORG, MC 4cr)

BIOL 475 Clinical Microbiology (MC 4cr)

BIOL 480 Molecular Biology (MC 4cr)

Electives
BIOL 115; 142; 220/221; or any 300- or 400-level course from above.

Nonresearch Track: for students not participating in research, two (2) biology electives are required.

Directed Research Track: 5 cr required with an optional total of 8 cr. No more than 4 cr can be taken per semester. You can substitute reseach credits for electives. Each 4 credits of research count for one elective.

Additional Required Courses (28 cr) Elect from CHEM, GEOL, or PHYS (16 cr; not survey courses). Select one course from chemistry, geology, and physics. An additional course from one of the three areas is required to bring the total up to 16 cr.
You also have to take:

MATH 240 or PSY 241
MATH 107

Professional Education Sequence (37 cr) - Take all of these courses
ED 250 Foundations of Education (2)
ED 260 Education Psychology (2)
ED 320 Curriculum, Planning, and Assessment (3)*
ED 380 Technology in Teaching (2)*
ED 460 Managing the Learning Environment (2)*
ED 470 Teaching Diverse Learners (2)*
ED 493 Student Teaching (12)*
SCI 391 Teaching Science in the Secondary School (3)*
SPED 110 Introduction to Exceptional Children (3)
SS 283 Ethnic and Cultural Diversity in America (3)
In Addition, elect one (1) of the following
PSY 255 Child and Adolescent Psychology (3)
PSY 312 Human Development - Adolescence(3)

* Requires admittance to Teacher Education.