Integrative Biology (IB)
Designed for students who want more flexibility in creating a unique curricular plan beyond traditional preparations for graduate or professional degrees. The IB emphasis provides a gateway towards interdisciplinary careers such as One Health or high school teaching in a STEM discipline. The IB major provides a pathway towards doubling majoring in Biology and Exercise Science for students interested in focusing on human biology.
- Requires 57 hrs to complete the major.
- Requires 22 hrs of elective biology courses.
- Requires CHM 108
- Requires additional 18hrs of science/mathematics. Additional courses taken from ANS, AST, BIO, CHM, EVS, EXS, GEO, MAT, OHS, or PHY. The Integrative Biology (IB) major allows students to embed the requirements for a minor from another department within the School of MNS. Students with double majors in biology and secondary education may substitute 4 hrs of EDU 499 for one science elective.
- Students may count the following KIN courses (KIN 268, KIN 270, KIN 280, KIN 311, KIN 354, KIN 411) towards the additional science/mathematics electives of the integrative biology major.
Students planning to become certified biology teachers in Georgia public secondary schools must complete a major in biology and a major in secondary education. Students who aspire to become high school biology teachers are strongly encouraged to consider focusing on one additional STEM discipline (CHM, MAT, or PHY) to enhance their marketability in science education.
Wildlife, Ecology and Conservation
The Wildlife, Ecology, and Conservation (WEC) emphasis is designed for students who desire a curriculum that focuses on animals/plants and environmental interactions.
- Requires 55 hrs to complete the major.
- Students with WEC emphasis must take a minimum of 22 credit hours of elective biology courses.
- Requires 16 hrs of chemistry (at level of CHM 108 or higher)
- Requires 4 hrs of mathematics (MAT 120 or MAT 201)
- Does not require physics*
- Four elective courses must be selected from:
BIO 303: Comparative Animal Physiology
BIO 305: General Ecology
BIO 307: Entomology
BIO 311 I: Field Botany
BIO 313 I: Forest Ecology
BIO 320: Biology of Plants in Our World
BIO 331 I: Invertebrate Zoology
BIO 332 I: Vertebrate Zoology
BIO 334: Wildlife Diseases
BIO 339: Plant Physiology
BIO 345 I: Evolutionary Biology
BIO 383: Tropical Biodiversity and Conservation
BIO 384: Cave Ecology
BIO 405: Conservation Biology
BIO 415 I: Behavioral Ecology
BIO 455: Advanced Ecology
BIO 465 I: Aquatic Biology
EVS 310: Biogeography
EVS 320: Geographic Information Systems
This emphasis is particularly valuable for students aspiring to enter careers or graduate programs that focus on wildlife, environmental biology, and/or conservation. *While physics is not required for the WEC emphasis, some graduate programs require physics. Students who pursue graduate school should determine if physics is required for graduate admissions.
Cellular and Biomedical
The CB emphasis is on genomic, molecular, and cellular processes that control biological function and disease. Designed for students wanting a curriculum that focuses on the cellular and molecular biology of prokaryotic and/or eukaryotic organisms.
- Requires 55 hrs to complete the major.
- Students with CB emphasis must take a minimum of 22 credit hours of elective biology courses.
- Requires 16 hrs of chemistry (at level of CHM 108 or higher)
- Requires 4 hrs of mathematics (MAT 120 or MAT 201)
- Does not require physics*
- Four elective courses must be selected from:
BIO 206/207: Human A&P
BIO 300: Cell Biology
BIO 301: Microbiology
BIO 304: Genetics
BIO 330 I: Developmental Biology
BIO 335 I: Parasitology
BIO 352 I: Immunology
BIO 353 I: Epidemiology
BIO 401: Bacterial Pathogenesis
BIO 436 I: Adv Cell & Mol
BIO 451: Molecular Biology
CHM 341: Biochemistry I
CHM 375 I: Medicinal Chemistry
Ideally suited for students pursuing cellular/molecular/biomedical graduate studies.
The CB emphasis is particularly valuable for those seeking careers in all fields of medicine, as well as for graduate research programs in cellular, molecular, and/or genetics related disciplines. *While physics is not required for the CB emphasis, some graduate programs (medical/dental schools) require physics. Students pursuing Pre-Med or Pre-Dental preparations will want to take physics before taking the MCAT or DAT.