Biological Science

College: Arts and Sciences
Degree: BA or BS
Specialized Admission: No

Description of Major

*Please Note: Face-to-face/in-person instruction of this program is available ONLY at the main campus in Tallahassee, FL. This program is NOT available via Online/Distance Learning.*

The Department of Biological Science offers an undergraduate major in Biological Science. Specific academic tracks (elective courses) are available in several subspecialty areas including cell and molecular biology; ecology, evolution and environmental science; marine biology; plant sciences; pre-professional health science; and zoology. The pre-professional health sciences academic track meets most requirements for admission to medicine, veterinary medicine, optometry, dentistry, pharmacy, physical therapy, and physician’s assistance programs. Juniors and seniors may apply to participate in the Undergraduate Honors in the Major Program in Marine Biology.

Prerequisite Coursework

The state of Florida has identified common program prerequisites for this University degree program. Specific prerequisites are required for admission into the upper-division program and must be completed by the student at either a community college or a state university prior to being admitted to this program. Students may be admitted into the University without completing the prerequisites, but may not be admitted into the program.

Common program prerequisites are periodically reviewed and revised by the state of Florida. Please visit https://dlss.flvc.org/admin-tools/common-prerequisites-manuals for a current list of state-approved prerequisites. The following lists the common program prerequisites or their substitutions, necessary for admission into the Biological Science undergraduate major:

BSC X010, X010L (3, 1) Biological Science I and Lab
BSC X011, X011L (3, 1) Biological Science II and Lab
CHM X045, X045L (3,1) General Chemistry I and Lab
CHM X046, X046L (3,1) General Chemistry II and Lab
CHM X210, X210L (3, 1) Organic Chemistry I and Lab or acceptable substitute
PHY X053/X053L College Physics A with lab or PHY X048/X048L General Physics A with lab
CHM X211, X211L (3, 1-3) Organic Chemistry II and Lab or PHY X054/X054L College Physics B or PHY X049/X049 General Physics B or acceptable substitute
MAC X311 (4) Calculus with Analytic Geometry I
MAC X312 (4) Calculus with Analytic Geometry II or acceptable alternative (contact department for more information)

Note: State-wide common prerequisites are always under review. For the most current information and for acceptable alternative courses, visit the “Common Prerequisites Manual.” This is available from the “Student Services” section of http://www.flvc.org .

Requirements

Academic Performance Required for Retention and Graduation:

a) All courses applicable to the major, including biological science, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer programming and statistics must be completed with a final grade of "C minus" or better;

b) Designation, continuation, and graduation with a major from the department of Biological Science requires a minimum combined 2.00 GPA in all courses, excluding the Term 1-4 State Common Program Prerequisites milestone courses, including biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer programming and statistics;

c) A student who has received more than one unsatisfactory grade (U, F, D minus, D, or D+) in courses required for the major, excluding the Term 1-4 State Common Program Prerequisites milestone courses, taken after enrolling at FSU, will be required to change to a major outside of the department of Biological Science.

d) A student with a major within the department of biological science who applies for readmission to the college must meet the degree requirements of the catalog in force on the date of readmission.

Course Repeat Policy in Biological Science
According to FSU Academic regulations, students may repeat courses in which they received a grade of "D" or "F" but will not be allowed additional credit for a course repeated in which the student originally made a "C minus" or better unless the course is specifically designated as repeatable to allow additional credit. Students will not be allowed to take non-repeatable coursework in the department of biological science if they have already earned a passing grade of C minus or higher at FSU or as transfer credit unless they petition for permission from the department.

Major Program of Studies at FSU: 38 hours
The biological science major requires the following:
1) Completion of a minimum of 38 hours of biological science courses, with final grades of C minus or higher. At least 20 of the 38 hours must be taken at FSU.
2) Completion of a minimum of 5 biological science lab or field courses (L or C after the course number) with final grades of C minus or higher.
3) Completion of collateral courses in chemistry, math, and physics with a final grade of C minus or higher.
4) A minimum combined 2.0 GPA (no forgiveness) in all courses required for the major, including collaterals, taken at FSU or elsewhere, is required for graduation with a degree in biological science.

Required Lower Division Biological Sciences Courses (8 hours)
BSC 2010 (3) Biological Science I
BSC 2010L (1) Biological Science I Lab
BSC 2011 (3) Biological Science II
BSC 2011L (1) Biological Science II Lab

Required Upper Division Biological Sciences Courses (12 hours)
PCB 3063 (3) Genetics
BSC 3016 (3) Eukaryotic Diversity or PCB3134 Cell Structure & Function
BSC 3402L (3) Experimental Biology Lab or two (2) consecutive semesters of DIS (BSC 4900)
PCB 4674 (3) Evolution

Area Requirements (6-7 hours) Two courses representing two different areas:

Area I: Cell and Molecular Biology
MCB 4403 (3) Prokaryotic Biology
PCB 3134 (3) Cell Structure & Function
PCB 4253 (3) Developmental Biology
PCB 4024 (3) Molecular Biology

Area II: Physiology
PCB 4701(3) Human Physiology
PCB 4843 (3) Fundamentals of Neuroscience
BOT 4503 (3) Plant Physiology

Area III: Ecology and Environmental Sciences
BSC 3052 (3) Conservation Biology
PCB 3043 (3) General Ecology
ZOO 4513 (4) Animal Behavior

Additional elective courses in biological science at the 3000-4000 level to complete the 38 hour requirement. Consult advisor. NOTE: A maximum of 6 hours of honors work, 6 hours of DIS or research methods, 4 hours of internship, 2 hours of senior tutorial, and 1 hour of supervised teaching can be used to meet the 38 hour biological science coursework requirement.

Collateral Courses: 25-37 hours
Some of these courses may be used to satisfy General Education and minor requirements or taken in addition to them.

Chemistry and Physics (18-21 hours):
CHM 1045, 1045L (3, 1) General Chemistry I with Lab
CHM 1046, 1046L (3, 1) General Chemistry II with Lab
CHM 2210, 2211 (3, 3) Organic Chemistry I and II or
CHM 3217 One Semester Organic Chemistry (3), CHM 3218 One Semester Biochemistry (3), and
PHY2053c (4) College Physics A, or
PHY2048c (5) General Physics A

OR

CHM 1045, 1045L (3,1) General Chemistry I with Lab
CHM 1046, 1046L (3,1) General Chemistry II with Lab
PHY2053c, 2054c (4,4) College Physics A and B, or
PHY2048c, 2049c (5, 5) General Physics A and B, and
CHM 2210 (3) Organic Chemistry I or CHM 3217 (3) One Semester Organic Chemistry

Mathematics, one of the following series (7-8 hours):
MAC 2311(4) Calculus with Analytic Geometry I, plus:
STA 2171 (4) Statistics for Biology, or
MAC 2312 (4) Calculus with Analytic Geometry II, or
COP 3014 (3) Programming I (This course does NOT qualify as Quantitative and Logical Thinking credit towards FSU General Education
requirements)


Minor Requirements: Depending on which upper division chemistry and physics courses are chosen, the required collateral courses constitute a minor in chemistry or interdisciplinary science; however the student may select other minors in consultation with an advisor.

Digital Literacy:
BSC 2011L (1) Biological Science II Lab meets this requirement for this major.

Oral Communication Competency:
BSC 3402L (3) Experimental Biology Lab meets this requirement for this major.

Upper-Division Writing Requirement:
BSC 3402L (3) Experimental Biology Lab meets this requirement for this major.

Minimum Program Requirements - Summary
Total Hrs. Required 120
General Education 36*
Prerequisites – All prerequisite coursework is counted in major/collateral totals
Major Coursework 38
Collateral Coursework 25-37
Minor Coursework 0* (none beyond collateral)
Foreign Language 0-12 (depending on placement)
Digital Literacy 0 beyond major
Oral Communication Competency 0-3
Electives to bring total hours to 120

*Some coursework required for the major may also be applied towards General Education and/or minor requirements.

Mapping
Mapping is FSU’s academic advising and monitoring system. Academic progress is monitored each Fall and Spring semester to ensure that students are on course to earn their degree in a timely fashion. Transfer students must meet mapping guidelines to be accepted into their majors. You may view the map for this major at www.academic-guide.fsu.edu/.

Remarks
1. A minimum of 45 hours at the 3000 level or above, 30 of which must be taken at this University.
2. Half of the major course semester hours must be completed in residence at this University.
3. The final 30 hours must be completed in residence at this University.
4. The B. A. degree requires an additional 9 hours in the fields of history and humanities beyond General Education.
5. At least 20 of the 38 hours required in Biological Science Courses must be taken at FSU.

Employment Information
Salary Information: For more information go to: National Association of Colleges and Employers (www.naceweb.org) or the Occupational Outlook Handbook (www.bls.gov/ooh/home.htm) provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Representative Job Titles Related to this Major: Baccalaureate level- Biological Laboratory Assistant/Technician, Biotechnologist, Biostatistician, Bio-Informatics Specialist, Crime Laboratory Analyst, Environmental Scientist, Medical Technologist, Technical Sales and/or Service Representative, Teacher-middle school and high school (with appropriate education preparation), Scientific Writer, Wildlife Biologist, Zoo Keeper. With further study: Biological Scientist/Researcher, Environmental Attorney, Environmental Scientist, Environmental Resource Manager, Fisheries Biologist/Marine Biologist, Microbiologist, Geneticist, Genetic Counselor, Optometrist, Physician, Physician Assistant, Pharmacist, Veterinarian, Dentist, Professor-community College, 4-year College, university.

Representative Employers: Educational Institutions, Consulting Firms, Research Institutions, Law Offices, Biotechnology Companies, Publishers, Biomedical Products Manufacturers, Pharmaceutical Companies, Hospitals and Clinics, Medical Laboratories, Museums, Zoos, Aquaria, Botanical Gardens, Federal and State Agencies involved in agriculture, commerce, defense, diplomacy, education, environmental protection, intelligence, law enforcement, public health.