Biology Degree Requirements

If you are considering focusing on particular field of biology while at IWU, you are encouraged to see the faculty member who works in that field to develop a plan of study. The typical biology progression and major and minor requirements listed here will aid you in developing your curriculum.


Typical Biology Progression:

First Year

  
Fall Semester
Biology 101
Chemistry 201
Gateway Colloquium (or Math 151 or 161)
General Education Course		 Spring Semester
Biology 102
Chemistry 202
Gateway Colloquium (or Math 151 or 161)
General Education Course

Second Year
Fall Semester
Biology Course
Chemistry 311
General Education Course
General Education Course		 Spring Semester
Biology Course
Chemistry 312
General Education Course
General Education Course


Junior Year

  
Fall Semester
Biology Course
Physics 101
General Education Course
Elective		 Spring Semester
Biology Course
Physics 102
General Education Course
Elective


Senior Year

  
Fall Semester
Biology Course
Biology Course or Elective
Elective
Elective		 Spring Semester
Biology Course
Biology Course or Elective
Elective
Elective

Graduation Requirements

Major Sequence:

A minimum of ten courses in biology to include:

  1. biology 101 and 102*
  2. two courses in molecular or cellular biology to include genetics (312) and one other course (selected from 240, 314, 317, 330, 407, 412 or 414)
  3. two courses in systems or organismal biology to include one course in plant biology (306 or 315) and one other course (selected from 219, 302, 307, 310, 311, 313 or 314)
  4. one course in population or community biology,or in evolutionary biology (selected from 217, 219 or 316)
  5. three additional courses selected from departmental offerings
  6. one of the ten courses must have a significant investigative component— research and/or use of primary literature and/or experimental work (selected from 217, 302, 314, 326, 327, 328, 330, 399, 407, 411, 412, 495 or 499)

Cross-listed courses in numbers 2 and 3 (314) and 3 and 4 (219) cannot be counted towards both categories.

Although not required for the biology major, in preparation for many careers in biology students are expected to take:

  1. four lab courses in chemistry (201, 202, 311, 312)
  2. two lab courses in physics (101, 102 or 105, 106)
  3. mathematics through 151 or 161 (or proficiency)

* all students must earn a "C-" or better in General Biology 102 in order to take courses requiring 102 as a prerequisite

Biology majors and minors who desire secondary teaching certificates and/ or middle school and subject area endorsements must apply to the Teacher Education program as early as possible in their academic career. Refer to the Educational Studies curriculum description in the IWU Catalog for further information.

 


Minor Sequence:

Five courses in biology to include:

  1. biology 101 and 102
  2. one course in botany selected from 306 or 315
  3. two additional biology courses, one of which must be numbered 300 or above.

*All students must earn a “C-“ or better in General Biology 102 in order to take courses requiring 102 as a prerequisite.