Mar 28, 2024  
Undergraduate Catalog 2017 - 2018 
    
Undergraduate Catalog 2017 - 2018 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]


Biology, B.S.



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Minimum number of hours for the degree: 120

Admission to the major: Grade of C or better in BIO 202  and good academic standing in the College of Science

Minimum hours required for major: 71

Minimum hours required for minor: 16

Special programs: Honors program, Pre-Professional program (medicine, dentistry, veterinary science), B.S. Biology - Medical Technology program, 4+1 B.S./M.S., Secondary Teacher Licensure program.

Required Grade-Point Average: To qualify for graduation, all Biology majors must have a cumulative GPA of not less than 2.00 across all CSU biology courses used to fulfill the major-field requirements. This is in addition to the university requirement of a cumulative GPA of not less than 2.00. Check the University Regulations  section of this catalog to determine how a GPA is calculated.

Suggested Freshman Program: To minimize the time needed to complete the major-field requirements, academically proficient students are advised to complete the Introductory Biology (BIO 200 /BIO 201  and BIO 202 /BIO 203 ) and the General Chemistry (CHM 261 /CHM 266  and CHM 262 /CHM 267 ) sequences in their first year.

Requirements of the College of Sciences and Health Professions: A minimum of 120 credit hours is required for a degree, of which 42 semester credit hours must be earned in 300- and/or 400-level courses.

Major-Field Requirements


Bachelor of Science (General Requirements)


Biology Electives (19 credit hours)


*BIO courses numbered 300 to 311 and not used as Group A or Group B can be used as biology electives.

Both BIO 390  and BIO 391  may be used once as a biology elective course.

Select from all biology courses numbered 401 to 497, with three restrictions

  1. Only one course numbered 402 to 497 that does not have a 300-level course as a prerequisite may be used as a biology elective;
  2. A maximum of 8 credits of BIO 391 BIO 451 BIO 491 BIO 492 , BIO 496 , and BIO 497  may be used as biology electives. A maximum of 12 credits of   and   may be used as biology electives.
  3. BIO 495  does not count as an elective the first time taken.

Math / Quantitative Literacy Requirement (6-8 credit hours)


Students must complete one of the sequences listed below

Specific Tracks in the Bachelor of Science Program


Pre-Professional Studies


The curriculum for the Biology major provides students with the knowledge to take the aptitude tests required for admission by most professional schools. A suggested program of study for premedical students might consist of the following courses:

All the specified courses (biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics) for the B.S. in Biology, including BIO 306 /BIO 307  and BIO 308 /BIO 309 .

Note(s)


The COSHP pre-professional adviser coordinates a seminar program for all students at which representatives from professional schools (medical, dental, veterinary, etc.) discuss their program’s admission requirements and procedures. Contact the COSHP pre-professional adviser at 216-687-9321 for an advising appointment and check the Pre-Professional Programs website (http://www.csuohio.edu/sciences/preprof/index.html) for the seminar schedule.

A Post-baccalaureate Program is available to individuals with a bachelor’s degree who lack the minimal science requirements for graduate or professional schools. Pre-professional applicants should contact the COSHP advising center at 216-687-9321; applicants interested in graduate study in one of the BGES programs should contact the BGES graduate program director at 216-687-2440.

B.S. Biology - Medical Technology


The Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences offers a program in medical technology that leads to a B.S. degree with a major in Biology. Students interested in the Medical Technology Program should contact the undergraduate adviser for biology at 216-687-2440 or bges@csuohio.edu. Students enrolling in the Medical Technology Program have two options available to them.

Option I (3 + 1)


Option I consists of three years of study at Cleveland State University followed by one year of clinical laboratory training in an affiliated school of medical technology. Students do not enroll at Cleveland State University during their year of clinical training, they enroll at the school of medical technology (note – this means that students are not eligible for financial aid from Cleveland State during this clinical year). After completion of the clinical training, 32 semester credits are transferred from the school of medical technology to Cleveland State University and are counted toward the B.S. degree. The letter grades earned during the internship appear on the student’s records, but are not included in the computation of the grade-point average. Students enrolling in Option I must complete the following courses:

Option II (4 + 1)


Option II consists of the successful completion of the B.S. degree with a major in Medical Technology prior to enrolling in an approved school of medical technology. This option is recommended for students who desire flexibility in training program choice, and increased options for career choice and career development. Students enrolling in Option II must complete all of the Option I courses plus 12 additional credit hours from the following list of courses.  A maximum of 6 credits may be obtained from the Chemistry courses listed below.

Notes


Regardless of the route and option selected, students subsequently must be accepted into a school of medical technology approved by the Council on Medical Education for the American Medical Association in collaboration with the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences as part of the requirement for taking the certifying examination in medical technology.  Following satisfactory completion of their clinical training program, students are eligible to take the national certifying examination of the Registry of Medical Technologists (American Society of Clinical Pathologists) or of the National Certification Agency for Medical Laboratory Personnel.

Biology with Secondary Teacher Licensure


The CSUteach Program offers an integrated science license. This licensure programs require coursework from the College of Science and the College of Education and Human Services. Contact the CSUteach Program for education courses required for undergraduate and Post-Baccalaureate Secondary Teacher Licensure programs (216-687-3709 or JH 345).

See also Education, Adolescent and Young Adult with Licensure, Grades 7-12 .

BS in Biology, Integrated Science Licensure, Grades 7-12


Note:


Students will also need to complete additional CSUteach education courses.  Please see the College of Education, CSUteach program catalog for details.

Departmental Honors


Biology majors with junior or senior standing, with grade-point averages of at least 3.0 overall and at least 3.2 in courses required for the Biology major are encouraged to apply to the departmental honors program. This program requires a minimum of three credits of honors research (BIO 491 ), presentation of the work at a venue outside the department, and a successful oral defense of a written thesis (BIO 492 ). A maximum of 8 credits of BIO 391 BIO 451 BIO 491 BIO 492 BIO 496 , and BIO 497  may be applied to the elective credits required for the BS in Biology.

Honors students will undertake research in a supervising faculty member’s laboratory on a project approved by the faculty member and by the Honors Program Committee. The research must be spread across at least two semesters. A written report on the research project must be defended before a three-person faculty review committee. To remain in the program the student must sustain the grade-point averages required for admission to the program, as well as the approval of the faculty member supervising the student’s honors research.

University Honors


Students in the University Honors Program must complete independent research in a faculty member’s laboratory, must present this work at a venue outside the department and must complete a successful oral defense of a written thesis. Student must register for a minimum of 5 credit hours of Honors Research (BIO 491 ) and must enroll in BIO 492 - Honors Thesis & Defense . A maximum of 8 credits of BIO 391 BIO 451 BIO 491 BIO 492 , BIO 496 , and BIO 497  may be applied to the elective credits required for the BS in Biology.

Honors students will undertake research in a supervising faculty member’s laboratory on a project approved by the faculty member and by the Honors Program Committee. The research must be spread across at least two semesters. A written report on the research project must be defended before a three-person faculty review committee. To remain in the program the student must sustain the academic requirements of the University Honors Program.

Biology for University Scholars


University scholars, who are Biology majors, are required to perform 8 credits of specialized coursework within the upper division electives required for their degree.  Scholars who qualify for the departmental honors program and obtain a faculty mentor may satisfy this requirement by completing the Departmental Biology Honors Program.  Alternately, they fulfill this requirement by taking at least 8 credits of any combination of the following:

  • BIO 496 - Independent Study In Biology  
  • BIO 497 - Independent Research in Biology  
  • 300- or 400-level BIO or courses taken as a “contract” course.  Scholars students must make arrangements with a faculty member during the semester prior to registration to use a course as a contract course. The relevant forms and paperwork are processed by the University Honors Program.
  • Graduate level (500) Biology Courses

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