The Major
The requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science with a major in Biology are a Follow:
I. A minimum of 32 credit hours of biology distributed as follows:
A. Area A: BIOL 1311, 1111, 2312, 2112, and 3413.
B. Area B: Students complete one of the following concentrations.
- Ecology and Evolution. BIOL 3301 and three courses from the following list: BIOL 3420, 3426, 3427, 3424, or 3435.
- Cellular and Molecular Biology. BIOL 3302 and three courses from the following list: BIOL 3450, 3451, 3457, 3458, 3459, 3462, 3463, 3466, or 3474.
- Individualized Program. BIOL 3301 or 3302 and three additional courses selected in consultation with the student's advisor from the lists in 1 or 2.
C. 3 additional hours in biology at the 2000 level or higher.
D. BIOL 4201 or BIOL 4399
II. CHEM 1318, 1118, 2319, and 2119; MATH 1311; and MATH 1320 or PSYC 2401.
III. One of the following options:
A. CHEM 2320 and 2220 and one of the following: CHEM 3330, CHEM 3334, or ENGR 2311.
B. PHYS 1309, 1111, 1310, and 1112.
C. CSCI 1320, MATH 1312 or MATH 2308, and an upper division MATH or CSCI course approved by the student’s advisor.
D. GEOS 2400 and one course from GEOS 2401, 2304, 3402, or 3310.
IV. Completion of BIOL 4001 and 4002
V. University requirements: completion of all other required elements of the Pathways curriculum and at least 120 credit hours.
Guidelines for Acceptance of Majors
Full acceptance in the major is granted if the following requirements are met at the time of application:
- Completion of BIOL 1311, 1111, 2312, and 2112 with grades of C- or better in each class.
- Completion of CHEM 1318, 1118, 2319, and 2119 with grades of C- or better in each class.
- An overall grade point average of at least 2.0.
Students who do not meet the above criteria may be granted provisional acceptance if it is judged that there is a reasonable expectation they can complete the degree program.
Honors in Biology
Biology majors are eligible to enroll in the Honors Program if they satisfy the University requirements that are described elsewhere in this bulletin. During their junior year, honors candidates should identify a faculty mentor and meet with the Department Chair. Completion of the Honors Program includes six hours of research courses (BIOL 4398 and 4399). Honors candidates must submit to the Department Chair a written proposal to graduate with Honors in Biology prior to starting BIOL 4398. The decision to confer or not to confer honors will be made by the departmental faculty and will be based on the quality of the written thesis and the oral presentation of that thesis.
Minor in Biology
A student may minor in Biology by satisfying the following requirements:
- Completion of BIOL 1311, 1111, 2312, 2112, and 3413.
- Completion of either BIOL 3301 or 3302
- Completion of one additional four credit hour course from Area B.
Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
The requirements for the degree Bachelor of Science with a major in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology are as follows:
- Departmental requirements
A. At least 47 credits in chemistry and biology, distributed as follows:
- Core Courses. BIOL 1311, 1111, 2312, 2112, 3413, 3474, CHEM 1318, 1118, 2319, 2119, 2320, 2220, 3330, 2130, 3131, 3334, and 4340; BIOL 3000 or CHEM 3000 (1 semester).
- Advanced Electives. Two courses chosen from the following list (representing two different departments): BIOL 3450, 3458, 3466, CHEM 3432, 4346, 4347, or the combination of 3321 and 3121, PHYS 3311.
B. Math 1311, 1312
C. PHYS 1309, 1111, 1310, 1112
- University requirements: completion of all other required elements of the Pathways curriculum and at least 124 credit hours.
Guidelines for Acceptance of Majors
Full acceptance is granted if the following requirements are met at the time of application:
- Completion of CHEM 1318, 1118, 2319, 2119, 2320, 2220 and BIOL 1311, 1111, 2312, 2112, and 3413 with grades of C or better.
- Completion of MATH 1311 with a grade of C or better.
- A grade point average of at least 2.0 on all other university work.
Provisional acceptance may be granted if it is apparent that an applicant can meet the requirements for full acceptance by the end of the semester in which application is made.
Honors in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Students may undertake honors under the direction of faculty in either the Biology or Chemistry Departments. The procedures and requirements will be determined by the department affiliation of the research mentor. These are described in the Biology and Chemistry sections of this bulletin.
Teacher Certification in Biology
Students majoring in biology can receive certification to teach biology in grades 4-8 and grades 8-12. In order to receive certification, students major in biology, complete 11-14 undergraduate hours of education coursework, and complete the Master of Arts in Teaching graduate program at Trinity. After this course of study, students would have a B.S. in Biology, a master’s in teaching, and teacher certification in Texas. For more information and specific requirements, see the Education Department’s program description in the course catalogue.