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Jan 28, 2026
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DRAFT - 2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog
Biological Sciences: General Biology Concentration (6223), B.S.
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The General Biology Concentration is intended for students interested in exploring life at any level from the microbiological to complex multicellular organisms. The General Biology Concentration is designed to provide the greatest flexibility among the choices within the Department. In addition to 21 hours of coursework that comprise the Biological Sciences core, the General Biology Concentration requires a minimum of 21 additional hours selected from upper-division courses offered by the Department of Biological Sciences or other approved courses. The Biological Sciences Core provides fundamental concepts while the upper division electives can be tailored to suit the student’s specific interests; for example, electives can explore specific areas of biology in greater depth such as Zoology, Human Biology, Botany, or Microbiology. These courses provide students with hands-on 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.
The General Biology Concentration is well-suited to support transfer students from universities and community colleges. Additionally, this concentration has been designed to promote workforce development through carefully building an individualized program of study that supports a student’s academic and career interests in Biological Sciences paired with a minor to extend and support the student’s career goals.
A minor is required for the completion of this concentration. The minor should be carefully selected to complement and expand the student’s training in science or selected to broaden employment prospects for a future career. Most minors consist of 18 to 21 hours of coursework. Consult the University catalog for minors that are available.
Students should work closely with their academic advisers to design their specific course of study including courses for their chosen emphasis area as well as their selection of a minor. The concentration in General Biology is supported by coursework from the Departments of Chemistry and Physics, and Mathematics and Statistics.
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General Education
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38 hours
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Bachelor of Science Requirements
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11-14 hours
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Major Core Requirements
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13 hours
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Concentration Electives
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Minimum 21-24 hours
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Additional Support Courses
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7 hours
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Minor
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REQUIRED 18-21 hours
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Unrestricted electives to reach 120 hours
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6-12 hours
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TOTAL
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120 hours
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DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Curricular Requirements and Senior Testing - File an application for a diploma with the Office of Academic Records, 345 Clement Hall, before registering for final semester. This is an online process.
- Complete satisfactorily all requirements of the curriculum for which the student is enrolled, as described in the portion of this catalog devoted to the college or department offering the curriculum. A student is allowed to satisfy requirements for a bachelor’s degree under any catalog in effect within 10 years of the date of graduation provided that he/she was enrolled at UT Martin or any accredited community college or university when the catalog was in effect. Continuous enrollment is not required and this does not obligate the university to offer a discontinued course.
Notes: - For students seeking additional bachelor’s degrees where a minor is required, students may not use the same minor for more than one degree.
- In programs that allow double majors, the second major can be completed in place of the required minor.
- Not all programs allow double majors. Not all programs allow minors.
- All major and/or minor requirements must be completed using the same catalog.
- Complete satisfactorily the General Education Core (38-39 hours).
- Comply with General Assembly of the State of Tennessee’s law that one unit of American history from high school, a passing total score on the high school equivalency exam, or six
from HIST 201, HIST 202, or HIST 331 will satisfy the requirement. - Complete two assessment measures addressing general education and the major field of study. Proficiency core skill areas in general education will be assessed using a standardized test approved by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. Proficiency in the major field will be assessed using a standardized or locally-developed comprehensive test or graded portfolio review approved by the Office of Curriculum and Assessment.
Grade-Point Average - Maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00 on all college work attempted at all institutions attended.
- Maintain a GPA of at least 2.00 on all work attempted at the University of Tennessee at Martin.
Residency - Must complete a minimum of 60 semester hours toward a degree in an accredited four-year institution.
- Must complete at least 30 semester credit hours but no less than 25% of coursework in their degree (as stated in the catalog of graduation) at UT Martin. A minimum average GPA of 2.00 must be earned in these classes. All courses from an accredited college are accepted for transfer; however, a maximum of 9 upper-division credit hours only may be transferred from another institution to be applied toward a degree unless approved by the degrees’ committees. An applicant from a junior/community college must complete 60 semester credit hours toward a degree in an accredited four-year college or university.
Fees - Satisfy all financial obligations (fees or fines) owed to the university.
Graduation 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
General Education Core Curriculum Requirements (38 credit hours)
- 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)
- Communication (9 credit hours)
- Fine Arts (3 hours)
- Humanities (9 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)
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 credit hours)
If a student does not take the recommended courses for satisfying the biological and physical systems and mathematics general education requirements, she/he may need to complete additional credit hours to complete the degree. Bachelor of Science Requirements (11-14 credit hours)
Foreign Language Requirement (3 to 6 credit hours)
Complete foreign language 122 or higher. Most students will complete foreign language 111 or 115 and foreign language 122 to meet this requirement. Students placing into foreign language 122 may start there. International students and resident aliens for whom it is determined that English is a second language may satisfy this requirement either by completing 1) foreign language 122 or 2) a 200 level or higher English course with a grade of C or better. Laboratory Science Requirement (8 credit hours)
A student should complete 8 credit hours from the courses below so that with the biological and physical science requirements from the general education core curriculum he/she has completed 16 credit hours. - The department recommends that students complete the following courses to satisfy 8 hours of Biological and Physical Systems as required for the BS degree:
- CHEM 121: General Chemistry OR CHEM 102: Fundamentals of Chemistry (4 credit hours)
- 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 Biological Sciences with a Concentration in General Biology (Minimum of 42 credit hours in Biological Sciences as outlined below plus supporting courses above General Education Core and BS requirements; TOTAL 49 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 Biological Sciences major. The following courses are required for the Biological Sciences 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 concentration in this major: (13 credit hours)
Concentration in General Biology
Concentration upper division elective requirements: (21 credit hours) - Complete a minimum of 21 additional credit hours from upper division courses offered by the Department of Biological Sciences, Biochemistry (BCHE), or other courses as approved by the department. These General Biology concentration upper division elective courses can be focused on a specific emphasis area to support the student’s career interests and goals or can be selected broadly to provide the widest exposure and experience of the biological sciences.
- No more than 3 hours of internship credit (BIOL 393) may count toward completion of this concentration.
- No more than 4 hours of Undergraduate Research (BIOL 451, 452, 453, or 454) may count toward completion of this concentration.
- 4 hours of Biochemistry (BCHE 411) may count toward completion of this concentration.
Additional Chemistry and Mathematics Requirement (Choose a minimum of 7 hours from): - CHEM 310 - Organic and Biochemistry with CHEM 319 - Organic and Biochemistry Laboratory Credit(s): 4 OR CHEM 341 - Organic Chemistry I Credit(s): 4
- MATH 160 - Calculus for Business and Life Sciences Credit(s): 3 OR MATH 251 - Calculus I Credit(s): 4
Completion of a Minor (18-21 credit hours) This concentration requires the completion of a minor. The minor should be carefully selected to complement the General Biology concentration to provide extra breadth to the scientific training and/or provide training to increase employment opportunities after graduation. Additional Notes
A. Up to 3 hours of internship credit (BIOL 393) may be applied to the major for applicable work experience (i.e., application of biological principles and skills in a supervised workplace environment). Students engaged in internship activity during the Summer may enroll in BIOL 393 the following Fall semester. Students should work closely with their advisor to identify appropriate internship opportunities. |
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