Biology, B.A.

The B.A. major in biology is designed to allow students to combine coursework in biology with classes towards a major or minor in a liberal arts field, business, or education. It is appropriate for students preparing for admission to doctoral or master’s degree programs in physical therapy, hospital administration, and genetic counseling; it can also be used to meet admission requirements for programs in occupational therapy, optometry, environmental law, scientific illustration, public health, and science communication, among many other possibilities. The degree program requires 120 credit hours.

Learning Outcomes for Biology B.A. Majors

Biology B.A. graduates of the University of Portland will be able to:

Apply the scientific process to investigate aspects of biology by asking questions, critically evaluating scientific literature, creating hypotheses, designing experiments, analyzing data, and formulating conclusions.
Communicate biological concepts, data interpretations, and significant conclusions to scientists and non-scientists, particularly in writing.
Explain the fundamental concepts in biology that include: evolution, information flow, exchange and storage, structure and function, pathways and transformations of energy and matter, and living systems across organization levels.
Integrate concepts from other disciplines to generate and interpret biological data in a socially relevant and ethical context.

UP Core Requirements — 40 credit hours

All University of Portland students progress through a set of shared course options as part of the University’s liberal arts Core Curriculum. This curriculum offers a foundation of multiple lenses to address enduring questions of human concern, integrating the liberal arts, the University mission, and the knowledge, skills, and values needed in a diverse society and in the workplace.

See UP Core Requirements

Two of the three core requirements in the Science & Problem Solving Habit are satisfied by the mathematics and science requirements within the major.

BIO 277 with BIO 278, and the Capstone courses are the designated Writing in the Discipline courses for the B.A. in Biology.

College of Arts and Sciences B.A. Requirements — 24-33 credit hours

See College Requirements, B.A.

Major Requirements — 46-47 credit hours

Required Courses - 19-20 credit hours

BIO 207	Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology	3
BIO 277	Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology Lab	1
BIO 208	Introduction to Evolution and Ecology	3
BIO 278	Introduction to Evolution and Ecology Lab	1
CHM 207	General Chemistry I	3
CHM 277	General Chemistry I Lab	1
CHM 208	General Chemistry II	3
CHM 278	General Chemistry II Lab	1
MTH 161	Elementary Statistics	3
	Or
MTH 201	Calculus I	4

At least three upper-division biology labs with corresponding lectures - 12 credit hours

Select one lab with corresponding 3-credit hour lecture from each content area and organizational level.

Cell and Molecular Labs - 4 credit hours

Select one lab with corresponding 3-credit hour lecture course from the following not already used to fulfill Organismal Labs or the Ecology and Evolution Labs requirements:

BIO 333	Genetics Lab	1
	with
BIO 330	Genetics	3
BIO 361	Microbiology Lab	1
	with
BIO 301	Microbiology	3
BIO 372	Cell and Molecular Biology Lab	1
	with
BIO 354	Cell and Molecular Biology	3
BIO 470	Immunology Lab	1
	with
BIO 400	Immunology	3
BIO 376	Developmental Biology Lab	1
	with
BIO 336	Developmental Biology	3

Organismal Labs - 4 credit hours

Select one lab with corresponding 3-credit hour lecture course from the following not already used to fulfill the Cell and Molecular Labs or the Ecology and Evolution Labs requirements:

BIO 360	Comparative Anatomy	1
	with
BIO 310	Comparative Physiology	3
BIO 365	Human Anatomy & Physiology Lab 1	1
	with
BIO 305	Human Anatomy and Physiology 1	3
BIO 366	Human Anatomy & Physiology Lab 2	1
	with
BIO 306	Human Anatomy and Physiology 2	3
BIO 376	Developmental Biology Lab	1
	with
BIO 336	Developmental Biology	3

Ecology and Evolution Labs - 4 credit hours

Select one lab with corresponding 3-credit hour lecture course from the following not already used to fulfill the Cell and Molecular Labs or the Organismal Labs requirements:

BIO 313/ENV 313	Freshwater Ecology Lab	1
	with
BIO 312/ENV 312	Freshwater Ecology	3
BIO 323	Entomology Lab	1
	with
BIO 303	Entomology	3
BIO 343	Ecology Lab	1
	with
BIO 340	Ecology	3
BIO 350	Plants and Civilization Lab	1
	with
BIO 325	Plants and Civilization	3
BIO 358	Mammal Ecology, Behavior, and Conservation Lab	1
	with
BIO 318	Mammal Ecology, Behavior, and Conservation	3
BIO 360	Comparative Anatomy	1
	with
BIO 310	Comparative Physiology	3
BIO 362	Ornithology Lab	1
	with
BIO 302	Ornithology	3
BIO 368	Marine Biology Lab	1
	with
BIO 338	Marine Biology	3
BIO 371	Field Botany	1
	with
BIO 341	The Nature of Plants	3
BIO 374	Wetlands Ecology Lab	1
	with
BIO 304	Wetlands Ecology	3
BIO 375	Vertebrate Biology Lab	1
	with
BIO 345	Vertebrate Biology	3
BIO 311	Comparative Biomechanics: How organisms move and interact with their environment	3
	with
Any 3-credit hour Ecology and Evolution Lecture course	This option will apply 2-credit hours towards upper division biology electives as well as satisfying the Ecology and Evolution lecture/lab requirement.	3

Capstone - 3 credit hours

Select one course from the following:

BIO 410	Advances in Biomedical Science	3
BIO 430	Biology of Health and Disease	3
BIO 440	Advances in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology	3
BIO 487	OTPT Capstone	3

BIO 497, BIO 499, or 497 internships from outside Biology may fulfill the capstone requirement with pre-approval of the department chair.

Upper-division biology electives - 12 credit hours

A maximum of six non-classroom credit hours (from BIO 397, BIO 485, BIO 493, BIO 497, and BIO 499) may be used for completion of the major. A maximum of three upper-division electives in BIO 397 or BIO 485 may be Pass/No Pass for completion of the major.

Any additional credit hours required to complete a minimum of 120 credit hours

Total Credit Hours: 120

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