2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog - R 
    
    Nov 23, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog - R

Environmental and Organismal Biology: Organismal Biology Concentration (6222), B.S.


Bachelor of Science (B.S.) - Major in Environmental and Organismal Biology (6220)


The environmental and organismal biology major provides a comprehensive background for students with career interests in animal health, animal and plant ecology and conservation, environmental health, biomonitoring, environmental education, and other careers that involve managing and studying interactions between organisms and their environment. Students begin with foundational courses in introductory biology, math, and chemistry. They proceed to advanced courses in cell biology, ecology, genetics, and evolutionary biology exploring how these concepts influence biological diversity. As a part of this major, students are encouraged to earn course credit and gain experience doing hands-on research with a faculty mentor.   

This major has two concentrations allowing students to individualize their education based on specific interests and goals. 

The completion of a minor is optional for this major. 

For more information about the Environmental and Organismal Biology major, please contact: 

Department of Biological Sciences 
249 Brehm Hall 
574 University St. 
Martin, TN 38238 
731-881-7170 

Concentration in Organismal Biology (6222)


The Organismal Concentration is intended for students interested in exploring the biology of life at the microbiological and multicellular level. The curriculum includes a comprehensive set of courses designed to introduce students to the diversity of life forms from structure and function to ecology, and evolution with an emphasis on plants and animals.  In addition to 39 hours of biological sciences core courses the organismal concentration requires nine credit hours of botany and zoology lab/lecture courses and fifteen additional hours selected from upper-division courses offered by the Department of Biological Sciences. These courses provide students with experiential learning opportunities to prepare them for advanced studies and careers in the fields of life sciences including animal health sciences, zoological conservation, botanical conservation, marine biology, environmental microbiology, natural sciences manager, and animal anatomy and physiology. 

Students should work closely with their academic advisers to design their specific course of study. The concentration in Organismal Biology is supported by coursework from the Departments of Chemistry and Mathematics and Statistics. The completion of a minor is optional for this major. 

General Education  38 hours
Bachelor of Science Requirements  11-14 hours
Major Core Requirements  13 hours
Concentration Core Requirements  24-25 hours
Concentration Elective Requirements  15 hours
Unrestricted electives to reach 120 hours  15-19 hours
Minor   Optional
TOTAL  120 hours

 

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS


  

Minimum credits required for graduation   120 credit hours
Minimum credits in upper-division courses   42 credit hours
Maximum credits in any one subject counted toward graduation   50 credit hours
General education core requirements   38 credit hours
Complete a Major    

 

COURSEWORK REQUIRED FOR THE DEGREE


  

Guidance for choosing general education courses:


  • Biological and Physical Systems (8 credit hours) The department recommends that students complete the following courses to satisfy 8 hours of Biological and Physical Systems as part of their general education requirements: 

  • BIOL 130 Foundations of Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Diversity (4 credit hours) 

  • BIOL 140 Foundations of Biology: Cell and Molecular (4 credit hours) 

  • Mathematics (3 credit hours) The department recommends that students complete the following course to satisfy 3 hours of Mathematics as part of their general education requirements: 

  • Math 210 Elementary Statistics and Probability (3 credit hours) 

If a student does not take the recommended courses for satisfying the biological and physical systems and mathematics general education requirements, he/she may need to complete additional credit hours to complete the degree. 

Bachelor of Science Requirements


  

Guidance for choosing courses to meet the B.S. Laboratory Science Requirement:


The department recommends that students complete the following courses to satisfy 8 hours of Biological and Physical Systems as required for the BS degree: 

Choose one of the following courses: 

  • CHEM 121: General Chemistry  
  • CHEM 102: Fundamentals of Chemistry (4 credit hours)  

AND take: 

  • CHEM 122: General Chemistry (4 credit hours) 

If a student does not take the recommended courses for satisfying the Laboratory Science Bachelor of Science requirements, he/she may need to complete additional credit hours to complete the degree. 

Where an honors course exists equivalent to any course listed above, that honors course will automatically substitute for the listed course. A student may use any combination of honors and regular versions of the respective courses in a given sequence.  

Major in Environmental and Organismal Biology with a Concentration in Organismal Biology (52-53 credit hours)


Program-Specific Degree Requirements 

  • Minimum grade of C required in all major core requirements and concentration courses. 
  • Directed studies (BIOL 464-465) may be repeated for a maximum of 2 credit hours. 
  • No more than 4 credit hours of Research Participation (BIOL 451-454) may be counted towards the major. 
  • ​BIOL 130, BIOL 140, CHEM 121, CHEM 122 are prerequisites to upper division courses needed for this degree. The department recommends that a student uses these courses to satisfy the university-wide general education and Bachelor of Science requirements. A grade of C or better in these courses is required to fulfill prerequisites.  

Course Requirements


Required Coursework for the major: These courses are required for every concentration in the Ecology and Organismal Biology major.  

The following courses are required for the Ecology and Organismal Biology major, are prerequisites to upper division courses needed for this degree and may also be used to satisfy 19 hours of General Education and Bachelor of Science requirements (as recommended above). 

Major Core Requirements:


These major core courses are required for every program in this major: (13 credit hours) 

Concentration in Organismal Biology


Concentration core requirements: These concentration core courses are required for the organismal concentration: (24-25 credit hours) 

Botany Requirement: (Choose 3 hours from)


Invertebrate Zoology Requirement: (Choose a minimum of 3 hours from)


Vertebrate Zoology Requirement: (Choose a minimum of 3 hours from)


Chemistry and Mathematics Requirement (Choose a minimum of 7 hours from):


  • Either CHEM 341  Credit(s): 4 OR the sequence CHEM 310  Credit(s): 3 with CHEM 319  Credit(s): 4  
  • ​Either MATH 160 - Calculus for Business and Life Sciences Credit(s): 3 OR MATH 251 - Calculus I Credit(s): 4 

Additional Laboratory Science Requirement: (Select one 8 hour sequence)


Concentration elective requirements: (15 credit hours)


  • Complete a minimum of 15 additional credit hours from upper division courses offered by the Department of Biological Sciences, Biochemistry (BCHE) or approved courses.  

ADDITIONAL NOTES


A. Completion of a Minor and/or Unrestricted Electives 

Students must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours for graduation. The completion of a minor is optional for this major. However, students are free to complete minors to complement their majors (such as the Sustainability Studies Minor or Neuroscience Minor) or enhance their career goals. Alternatively, unrestricted elective courses may be used to address prerequisites for graduate or professional programs, certificates, or other micro-credentials as offered by programs across the university. Students should work closely with their advisers to make sure they meet all requirements for graduation, especially the 42 upper division hour requirement.