IUPUI Campus Bulletin 2012-2014

Departments & Programs

Department of Biology

Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements

Degree Requirements

First-Year Experience Course  Beginning freshmen and transfer students with fewer than 18 credit hours are required to take SCI-I120 Windows on Science (1 cr.) or an equivalent first-year experience course.

Area Requirements

Area I English Composition and Communication Skill

See the School of Science requirements under “Undergraduate Programs” in this bulletin.

Written Communication (6 cr.)

ENG-W131 Elementary Composition I (3 cr.)

A second writing course with ENG-W131 as a prerequisite, e.g. ENG-W132 (or ENG-W150), ENG-W231, TCM 22000, or TCM 32000.

Oral communication 

COMM-R110 Fundamentals of Speech Communication (3 cr.)

Area II Foreign Language

See School of Science requirements under “Undergraduate Programs.” Students must have first-year proficiency in a foreign language (10 cr.): exam placement, two 5-credit courses, or three courses (3 cr., 3 cr., and 4 cr.).

Area IIIA Humanities, Social Sciences, and Comparative World Cultures (12 cr.)

• HIST-H114 Western Civilization II or HIST-H109 Perspectives on the World: 1800-Present
• List H course: Choose one course (3cr.) from this list. The list of course choices is located under the School of Science requirements “Undergraduate Programs” in this bulletin.
• List S course: Choose one course (3cr.) from this list. The list of course choices is located under the School of Science requirements “Undergraduate Programs” in this bulletin.
• List C course: Choose one course (3cr.) from this list. The list of course choices is located under the School of Science requirements “Undergraduate Programs” in this bulletin.

Area IIIB Junior/Senior Integrator 

The Junior/Senior Integrator requirement is suspended indefinitely as a School-level requirement. No junior/senior integrator course is required for biology majors.

Area IIIC Physical and Biological Sciences

Physics Two semesters of basic physics (PHYS-P201 / PHYS-P202 or PHYS 15200 / PHYS 25100).

Chemistry Two semesters of Principles of Chemistry (CHEM-C105/CHEM-C125 3/2 cr.; CHEM-C106/CHEM-C126 3/2 cr.), two semesters of organic chemistry lecture and one semester of laboratory (CHEM-C341, CHEM-C342, CHEM-C343), plus prerequisite basic sequence or background to enter sequence above. The second laboratory in organic chemistry (CHEM-C344) is required for admission to some medical schools and is strongly recommended for students in most other programs. Consult a departmental advisor.

Area IIID Mathematical Sciences

MATH 15900 or MATH 15300 / MATH 15400. (However, the starting point for mathematics courses should be worked out with a departmental advisor based on the math placement test and/or background of the student.) The computer science requirement may be satisfied with CSCI-N201, CSCI-N207, or CSCI-N211.

Note: Computer Science CSCI-N241 and CSCI-N299 do not count in Area IIID, but may count as a general elective.

Area IV Biology Requirements

Required Core Sequence

• BIOL-K101 / BIOL-K103 Concepts of Biology I and II
• BIOL-K322 Genetics and Molecular Biology
• BIOL-K341 Principles of Ecology and Evolution

Upper-Level Courses

• At least one lecture course from each of areas I-III listed below.
• Three laboratory courses beyond BIOL-K101 / BIOL-K103 selected from areas I-IV below. To receive credit for a laboratory for which there is an accompanying pre- or co-requisite lecture, the lecture must be completed with a minimum grade of C-. A maximum of 2 credit hours of BIOL-K493 Independent Research may be applied to the biology credit hour requirement. BIOL-K493 will count as one laboratory course.
• Capstone Experience. This requirement is met by taking either BIOL-K493 Independent Research (1 cr.) or BIOL-K490 Capstone (1 cr.) in the senior year. BIOL-K493 cannot be used as both a third laboratory and as a Capstone. BIOL-K490 addresses the integration of knowledge in the principles of undergraduate education as well as values and ethics as they relate to the student’s major. It is generally taken in the senior year. The capstone is an independent, creative effort by the student that is integrative and builds on the student’s previous work in the major; it may include research projects, independent study and projects, a practicum, a seminar, and/or a field experience.
• Electives consisting of sufficient lecture and laboratory course work to total 30 credit hours (including core sequence credit hours). These credits may be selected from any of the areas I-IV below.
• Residency Credits.  In order to graduate students must have a minimum of 32 credit hours at the 300 level or above at IUPUI. B.A. students usually need at least one 300 level course in addition to their biology and chemistry courses to meet this requirement.

Areas/Electives

I.  Molecular Area

• Undergraduate Level
  • BIOL-K338 Introductory Immunology
  • BIOL-K339 Immunology Laboratory
  • BIOL-K483 Biological Chemistry
  • BIOL-K484 Cellular Biochemistry

• Undergraduate and Graduate Level
  • BIOL 50700 Principles of Molecular Biology
  • BIOL 51600 Molecular Biology of Cancer
  • BIOL 53000 Introductory Virology
  • BIOL 55000 Plant Molecular Biology
  • BIOL 55900 Endocrinology
  • BIOL 56100 Immunology
  • BIOL 56400 Molecular Genetics of Development
  • BIOL 57000 Biological Membranes

II.  Cellular Area

• Undergraduate Level
  • BIOL-K324 Cell Biology
  • BIOL-K325 Cell Biology Laboratory
  • BIOL-K356 Microbiology
  • BIOL-K357 Microbiology Laboratory
  • BIOL-K416 Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
  • Undergraduate and Graduate Level
  • BIOL 56600 Developmental Biology
  • BIOL 57100 Developmental Neurobiology

III.  Organismal Area

• Undergraduate Level
  • BIOL-K331 Embryology
  • BIOL-K333 Embryology Laboratory
  • BIOL-K350 Comparative Animal Physiology
  • BIOL-K411 Global Change Biology

• Undergraduate and Graduate Level
  • BIOL 55600 Physiology I
  • BIOL 55700 Physiology II

IV.  Biotechnology Electives

• Undergraduate Level
  • BIOL-K493 Independent Research

• Undergraduate and Graduate Level
  • BIOL 54000 Topics in Biotechnology
  • BIOL 54800 Techniques in Biotechnology
  • BIOL 56800 Regenerative Biology and Medicine

Additional laboratory courses for the B.A.

• BIOL-K323 Genetics and Molecular Biology Laboratory
• BIOL-K342 Principles of Ecology and Evolution Laboratory