Faculty:  Coenen, Dawson, Demi, French, Hersh, Houtz, Humphreys, Kadmiel, Lundberg, Nelson, Venesky, Whitenack

The Biology major is a program in the Mathematics and Natural Sciences Area of Study Biology majors may not double major in Biochemistry.

Biology Major Learning Outcomes:

Students who successfully complete a major in Biology are expected to be able to:

1. Demonstrate a general understanding of the central features of the extraordinarily diverse and expanding landscape of modern biology;
2. Demonstrate a general understanding of the standard laboratory tools, methodology, and process of biological research, and the basics of scientific writing;
3. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of important principles and laboratory techniques in at least three different biological sub-disciplines within the general areas of (1) cellular and molecular biology, (2) organismal biology and physiology, and (3) population biology and ecology;
4. Demonstrate the ability to locate, critically analyze, interpret, and discuss primary research literature in one or more sub-disciplines within the biological sciences;
5. Design and conduct independent laboratory or field research that is consistent with the highest standards and practices of research in the relevant biological sub-discipline;
6. Present the results of their independent research clearly and effectively in both written and oral forms;
7. Be well prepared for post-graduate education and diverse and meaningful careers in and out of the biological sciences.

The Biology Major

The Biology major, consisting of 34 credits in Biology, leads to the Bachelor of Science degree. At graduation, Biology majors must have a GPA of at least 2.0 in the major. All Biology courses taken for a letter grade at Allegheny, including FSBIO 201 , are included in the calculation, with the exception of repeated courses. Only the most recent grade is considered for courses that have been repeated. All courses required for the major must be taken for a letter grade. Biology courses exceeding the minimum requirements for the major may be taken on a Credit/No Credit basis, but the department recommends that the number of CR/NC courses be kept to a minimum. Transfer credits may count toward the major in consultation with the department chair.

The major in Biology requires the successful completion of 34 semester credit hours in Biology, or courses cross-listed with Biology, including the following: