Biology
A degree in Biology is the key to fulfilling and in-demand careers in health and medicine, scientific research, education and more. At RWU, you’ll study topics like evolutionary biology, environmental toxicology and antimicrobial drug design in our state-of-the-art Marine and Natural Sciences Building. Through lectures, labs, fieldwork and independent research, you’ll discover the interconnected processes that shape the living world.
Degree Requirements
The Biology Major
Click to OpenStudents who declare biology and marine biology must achieve a minimum average grade of C- for BIO 103 and BIO 104 in order to advance in these majors. This minimum average grade is a prerequisite for all biology and marine biology courses at the 200-level or above. In order to be considered a candidate for a B.A. or B.S. in biology or marine biology, students must achieve a minimum grade point average of 2.00 (C) averaged over all required courses in biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics.
Biology majors can receive either a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. Biology majors must satisfy all University Core Curriculum requirements and the College speech requirement, COMM 210. A Critical Writing course at the 200-level or above is a prerequisite to advanced courses and should be completed prior to the junior year. In addition, 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. Biology majors may apply a maximum of two (2) courses from the major requirements towards a minor in Environmental Science, or a maximum of two (2) upper-level Biology electives towards the elective requirements for the major in Environmental Science.
| Subject | Number | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Organic Chemistry I and Lab |
| MATH | 250 | Biostatistics |
| or | ||
| MATH | 315 | Probability and Statistics |
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science degree in Biology must also complete the following courses:
| Subject | Number | Title |
|---|---|---|
| One additional course from the following list: | ||
| CHEM | 302 | Organic Chemistry II and Lab |
| CHEM | 201 | Environmental Chemistry I and Lab |
| CHEM | 202 | Environmental Chemistry II and Lab |
| CHEM | 311 | Analytical Chemistry and Lab |
| BIO | 333 | Biochemistry for the Life Sciences (Students who complete BIO 333 may use the course to satisfy the above requirement or they may count the course as a BIO elective, but the course may not count for both.) |
| and | ||
| MATH | 213 | Calculus I and Lab |
| and either | ||
| MATH | 214 | Calculus II and Lab |
| or | ||
| MATH | 218 | Applied Calculus for Life Sciences |
| and | ||
| PHYS | 201, 202 | Principles of Physics I and II and Labs |
| and | ||
| Five (5) upper-level (200 or above) courses in Biology, of which at least four (4) must be laboratory courses. BIO 204 (Introduction to Marine Biology), BIO 231 (Bioethics), BIO 235 (Biological Illustration), BIO 250 (Introduction to Biostatistics), BIO 450 (Research in the Life Sciences) and BIO 451 (Senior Thesis) may not be counted towards these upper-level courses. | ||
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts in Biology must also complete the following courses:
| Subject | Number | Title |
|---|---|---|
| MATH | 136 | Precalculus |
| PHYS | 109, 110 | Physics I and II and Labs |
| and | ||
| Six (6) upper-level (200 or above) courses in Biology, of which four (4) must be laboratory courses. MATH 124 (Basic Statistics) is an acceptable alternative for BIO 250 (Introduction to Biostatistics) for the BA degree. BIO 231 (Bioethics), BIO 204 (Introduction to Marine Biology), BIO 235 (Biological Illustration), BIO 250 (Introduction to Biostatistics), BIO 450 (Research in the Life Sciences) and BIO 451 (Senior Thesis) may not be counted towards these upper-level course requirements. | ||
The Biology Minor
Click to Open| Subject | Number | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | ||
The Dual Degree in Biology and Pharmacy
Click to OpenBiology majors completing the 3+4 Dual Degree Program receive either a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree from RWU in addition to the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree from The Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (ACPHS) Vermont campus. Students matriculate in the Biology program for three years at RWU and, if accepted, attend 4 years of Professional Pharmacy training at ACPHS leading to the Pharm.D. Participating students receive the Bachelor’s in Biology after the first year at ACPHS.
Biology majors interested in the Dual Degree program must satisfy all University Core Curriculum requirements and the College speech requirement, COMM 210. All RWU courses listed below must be completed by the end of the junior year. Completion of at least 60 credits at RWU with an overall minimum GPA of 3.0 is required; only grades of C or better count towards the 60 credits. In addition, biology majors must successfully complete the fourth year courses at ACPHS to total 120 credits for the Bachelor’s degree in Biology.
Formal application to the program occurs in the fall of junior year and requires approval of the Departmental Pharmacy Advisor, completion of the PCAT exam including a writing assessment, and a successful interview at ACPHS. The ACPHS Doctor of Pharmacy Program is a full-time, professional four-year program. For more information about the Dual Degree in Biology and Pharmacy please contact the chair of the Biology Department.
All Dual Degree (Biology/Pharm.D.) candidates must complete the following courses at RWU:
| Subject | Number | Title |
|---|---|---|
| BIO | 103, 104 | Biology I and II and Labs |
| BIO | 200 | Genetics and Lab |
| BIO | 230 | Microbiology and Lab |
| BIO/CHEM | 390 | Biochemistry and Lab |
| One Advanced Biology Course (200 level or above) with lab | ||
| CHEM | 191, 192 | Principles of Chemistry I and II and Labs |
| CHEM | 301, 302 | Organic Chemistry I and II and Labs |
| One of the following Mathematics courses | ||
| MATH | 250 | Introduction to Biostatistics |
| MATH | 315 | Probability and Statistics |
| Other requirements | ||
| PSYCH | 100 | Introduction to Psychology |
| and | ||
| Three (3) courses from Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology, Music, Languages, Political Science, Economics, English Literature. (These courses may be used to satisfy Core Concentration requirements.) | ||
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science dual degree in Biology/Pharm.D. must also complete the following courses at RWU:
| Subject | Number | Title |
|---|---|---|
| MATH | 213 | Calculus I and Lab |
| and either | ||
| MATH | 214 | Calculus II and Lab |
| or | ||
| MATH | 218 | Applied Calculus for Life Sciences |
| PHYS | 201, 202 | Physics I and II with Calculus and Labs |
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts dual degree in Biology/Pharm.D. must also complete the following courses at RWU:
| Subject | Number | Title |
|---|---|---|
| MATH | 136 | Precalculus |
| MATH | 213 | Calculus I and Lab |
| PHYS | 109, 110 | Physics I and II – Algebra based and Labs |
To read more about our academic offerings, or to view full course descriptions, please refer to our University Catalog.
Student Learning Outcomes
By the time a student has completed a major in Biology or Marine Biology, s/he is expected to be able to demonstrate the following competencies:
- formulate a scientific question or problem
- design a properly controlled experiment or field study that tests a clearly-stated hypothesis
- evaluate evidence critically and quantitatively, and apply this knowledge to novel situations.
- effectively communicate scientific knowledge orally, graphically, and in writing
- conduct a search of peer-reviewed print and electronic resources relevant to a research project in the life sciences
- understand the role of macromolecules in cellular processes
- understand the relationship between the structure and function of cellular components
- understand the relationship between the structure and function of major organ systems
- understand the mechanisms of physiological homeostasis
- describe cellular and physiological adaptations that have evolved in a variety of phyla
- understand the key discoveries of modern biology (including molecular biology and bioinformatics)
- understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of inheritance
- understand the species concept and the factors affecting biodiversity
- describe the patterns and mechanisms of evolution
- understand how phylogenetic relationships among taxa are determined
- describe the patterns and mechanisms of population distribution, growth and regulation
- understand the flow of matter and energy through natural systems from the molecular to the ecosystem level
- describe interactions among biotic and abiotic factors in natural systems
- understand the life history strategies of organisms
- describe the major global biological communities and biomes
- understand significant interactions and dependencies between human and natural systems
Meaningful Research
Mary Yurkevicius, RWU Class of 2017At RWU, students are given opportunities to translate their education into meaningful research that can benefit the community. Mary Yurkevicius has been researching health benefits of various fish species in the Narragansett Bay for the past four years.
Read full story
Learn About Health Professions Advising
Are you interested in a career in the health professions and want more information on developing your studies toward professional preparation? Visit Health Professions Advising for resources on how you can explore your options for health professions pathways.