Biology and marine biology majors investigate the interconnected processes that shape the living world. The Department of Biology and Marine Biology is housed in a large, new building offering modern teaching and research laboratories, a spacious wet-lab with running seawater, several greenhouses and state-of-the-art instrumentation for cell and molecular biology. The Department offers the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees in biology and marine biology. Minors are also offered in biology, marine biology, and horticulture. The Department has a very active program for undergraduate research, and students are encouraged to join an ongoing project as early as their first year.
Biology Major
Since the life sciences are increasingly interdisciplinary, biology majors can take a wide range of courses in the following general areas: cell and molecular biology; microbiology; physiology and developmental biology; animal behavior; botany/horticulture; and ecology. Students prepare for graduate study and careers in these fields, as well as the health sciences, through lectures and labs, independent research and internships. Any student who wishes to pursue a career in medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine should contact his/her advisor immediately to ensure appropriate course planning. Research is an integral part of the biology curriculum, and biology majors are encouraged to participate in ongoing research in areas that include: evolutionary genetics, cell biology, developmental biology, microbiology, neurobiology and ecology.
Marine biology majors explore the unique challenges faced by organisms living in the marine environment and the methods by which they meet these challenges. Students begin the program by obtaining a broad understanding of oceanographic principles, and through subsequent lectures, laboratories, and field work, build on this knowledge for a more complete appreciation of the aquatic world. The department also fosters undergraduate research programs in such fields as biological oceanography, coastal and wetland studies, marine environmental physiology, and marine biotechnology and aquaculture in order to enhance the educational experience provided to undergraduates. Upon completion of the degree, students are prepared to specialize at the graduate level in the oceanographic sciences or other environmental disciplines.
Students may also elect to undertake a SEA Semester through the SEA Education Association (SEA) of Woods Hole, Massachusetts, a semester in Bremuda at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) or a semester-long research internship at the Marine Biology Laboratory at Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
Degree Requirements
Students who declare biology and marine biology majors must complete BIO 104 with a grade of C- or higher in order to continue in the program.
Biology and marine biology majors pursuing the Bachelor of Science degree must complete two semesters of calculus and one semester of statistics. The Bachelor of Arts degree, an option for both biology and marine biology, requires MATH 124 and MATH 135 or above. A paper or other evidence of the student’s ability to conduct investigations, use library resources, and write a report following a standard format is required in each advanced-level course. A writing course, Critical Writing for the Sciences, is prerequisite to advanced courses and should be completed in the sophomore
year.
Biology and marine biology majors must satisfy all University Core Curriculum requirements and the College speech requirement, COMM 210. In addition, biology and marine biology majors must successfully complete the following courses and sufficient electives to total 120 credits. Majors are encouraged to apply electives toward a minor or second major.
BIO 103 Biology I and Lab
BIO 104 Biology II and Lab
BIO 200 Genetics and Lab
CHEM 191, 192 Principles of Chemistry I and II and Labs
CHEM 301, 302 Organic Chemistry I and II and Labs
PHYS 201, 202 Principles of Physics I and II and Labs (B.S. degree)
or
PHYS 109, 110 Physics I and II and Labs (B.A. degree)
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in biology must also successfully complete five upper-level (200 or above) courses in biology; at least four must be laboratory courses.
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in marine biology must also successfully complete the following:
NATSC 104 Principles of Oceanography
BIO 220 Marine Vertebrate Zoology and Lab
BIO 335 Invertebrate Zoology and Lab
BIO 355 Marine Phycology and Lab
or
BIO 356 Biology of Plankton and Lab
and one of the following:
BIO 320 Marine Ecology and Lab
BIO 360 Limnology and Lab
The SEA Semester Option
Prerequisite for majors: Satisfactory completion of the writing and mathematics requirements and the five-course Interdisciplinary Core; a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above; and permission from the program faculty.
Prerequisite for Core Concentration: Students who are not majoring in science or mathematics may use the SEA Semester to fulfill the Core Concentration requirement provided the following prerequisites are met before the SEA Semester: satisfactory completion of the writing, mathematics, and the five-course Interdisciplinary Core; a GPA of 2.5; and permission of the program faculty.
Students in good academic standing who meet the prerequisites may apply to attend a SEA Semester through the Sea Education Association (SEA) of Woods Hole, Massachusetts. This exciting and challenging off-campus program combines onshore classes, labs, and field work, in ocean sciences and maritime studies with an offshore sailing and research experience. Students attending a SEA Semester enroll in the following courses:
BIO 411 Applied Oceanography 3 credits
BIO 412 Nautical Science 3 credits
BIO 414 Maritime Studies 3 credits
BIO 416 Marine Technology 4 credits
BIO 418 Practical Oceanographic Research 4 credits
Biology and marine biology majors must satisfy all University degree requirements as described in the catalog, with the following changes:
Majors who pursue the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in biology and who successfully complete a SEA Semester must also complete a minimum of four (rather than five) upper-level courses in biology; each of these must be a laboratory course.
Majors who pursue the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in marine biology and who successfully complete a SEA Semester must complete a minimum of three (rather than four) upper-level courses in biology as follows:
BIO 355 or 356 Marine Phycology and Lab or Biology of Plankton and Lab
BIO 220 or 335 Marine Vertebrate Zoology and Lab or Invertebrate Zoology and Lab
BIO 320 or 360 Marine Ecology and Lab or Limnology and Lab
Semester Program at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS)
Prerequisite for majors: Satisfactory completion of the writing and mathematics requirements and the five-course Interdisciplinary Core; a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above; and permission from the program faculty.
This semester-long course of study examines the natural processes and human interventions found in the Gulf Stream, the Sargasso Sea, and the coral archipelago, Bermuda. Students are introduced to the interactions that determine the distribution and abundance patterns of tropical marine organisms,
with emphasis on the ecology of near-shore areas. Basic principles of ecology are integrated with an understanding of the sea as a habitat for life. Major groups of dominant marine organisms of the region are examined in the field. Major near-shore marine habitats are examined, along with their associated biotic communities. Coral reef ecosystems are emphasized to illustrate basic concepts. Students conduct a major research project. Fall Students enroll in the following courses:
BIO 361 Coral Reef Ecology 4 credits
BIO 410 Research Diving Methods 3 credits
BIO 410 Marine Biology Research 6 credits
BIO 336 Tropical Marine Invertebrate Zoology 4 credits
Note: For marine biology majors participating in the Bermuda semester, BIO 361 replaces the BIO 320, 360 requirement, and BIO 336 replaces the BIO 335 requirment.
Marine Biology Research Internship Program at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
Prerequisite for majors: Satisfactory completion of the writing and mathematics requirements and the five-course Interdisciplinary Core; a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above; recommendation from an RWU faculty member; and acceptance by the program faculty at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.
The semester-long course of study includes an active research component that requires 30-40 hours per week in a laboratory setting under the direction of a research scientist at Woods Hole; an animal husbandry experience that involves feeding animals, maintaining tanks and equipment, and providing treatment to diseased animals; and the successful completion of an upper-level biology course, determined by the interest of the student, in consultation with and under the direction of an RWU biology faculty member. Fall, Spring Students enroll in the following courses:
BIO 420 Research Internship 8 credits
BIO 440 Animal Husbandry 3 credits
BIO 430 Topics in Biology 4 credits
NOTE: Biology may not serve as a minor for a Marine Biology major and Marine Biology may not serve as a minor for a Biology major.
Requirements for the Minor in Biology
BIO 103 Biology I and Lab
BIO 104 Biology II and Lab
Three Biology courses, of which one must be a lab at the 200-level or above and one must be at the 300-level or above.
Requirements for the Minor in Marine Biology
BIO 103 Biology I and Lab
NATSC 104 Principles of Oceanography
BIO 220 or BIO 335 Marine Vertebrate Zoology and Lab or Invertebrate Zoology and Lab
At least 7 additional credits in Marine Biology courses.
Requirements for the Minor in Horticulture
BIO 104 Biology II and Lab
BIO 205 Introductory Horticulture and Lab
BIO 210 Botany and Lab
BIO 240 Concepts of Ecology
A 3-credit independent study in Greenhouse Management