The curriculum in Biology prepares students for professions requiring competence in biological science or for gaining an understanding of the world of living things. The professional group includes students who intend to secure advanced degrees through graduate study, students who are interested in work with various governmental agencies or industries having biological responsibilities, and students who want to prepare for careers in medicine or other health-related professions.
Students whose interests are not professional select the curriculum because its broad approach can result in an educated view of the structure and function of living things. Achievement of these goals, including a special interest in a particular area of biology, can be met by selecting one of options offered that will lead to the B.S. degree in Biology.
At Penn State Altoona, three options are available for study:
- General Biology (focusing on all aspects of modern biology);
- Vertebrate Physiology (focusing on animal physiology and anatomy and preparing students for careers in medicine, dentistry, pharmacology, and animal physiology); and
- Ecology (focusing on evolution, behavior, and population and community biology of plants and animals).
Students indending on completing their biology degree at University Park may also choose from three other options:
- Plant Biology (focusing on the morphology, systematics, and physiology of plants and fungi);
- Genetics and Developmental Biology (studying genetics, genetic engineering, and plant and animal development); and
- Neuroscience (focusing on development, biochemistry, physiology and aging of the central and peripheral nervous system).
Checksheets
For All Options
In order to be eligible for entrance to the Biology major, a student must have: 1) attained at least a 2.00 cumulative grade point average; 2) completed BIOL 110 GN(4), CHEM 110 GN(3), MATH 140 GQ(4), and earned a grade of C or better in each of these courses; and 3) completed at least one of the following courses with a grade of C or better: BIOL 220W GN(4), BIOL 230W GN(4), or BIOL 240W GN(4).
For the B.S. degree in Biology, a minimum of 124 credits is required.
Scheduling Recommendation by Semester Standing given like (Sem: 1-2)
GENERAL EDUCATION: 45 credits (15 of these 45 credits are included in the REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR) (See description of General Education in this bulletin.)
FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR: (Included in GENERAL EDUCATION course selection)
UNITED STATES CULTURES AND INTERNATIONAL CULTURES: (Included in GENERAL EDUCATION course selection)
WRITING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM: (Included in REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR)
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR: 94 credits (This includes 15 credits of General Education courses: 9 credits of GN courses; 6 credits of GQ courses.)
COMMON REQUIREMENTS FOR MAJOR (ALL OPTIONS): 40-44 credits
PRESCRIBED COURSES (32 credits) CHEM 110 GN(3)[1], CHEM 111 GN(1), CHEM 112 GN(3)[1], CHEM 113 GN(1), MATH 140 GQ(4)[1], MATH 141 GQ(4) (Sem: 1-2) BIOL 110 GN(4)[1], BIOL 220W GN(4)[1], BIOL 230W GN(4)[1], BIOL 240W GN(4)[1] (Sem: 1-4)
ADDITIONAL COURSES (8-12 credits) PHYS 250 GN(4), PHYS 251 GN(4); or PHYS 211 GN(4), PHYS 212 GN(4), PHYS 213 GN(2), PHYS 214 GN(2) (Sem: 5-6)
Requirements for the General Biology Option
(50-54 credits)
- ADDITIONAL COURSES (24-27 credits) CHEM 202(3), CHEM 203(3); or CHEM 210(3), CHEM 212(3), CHEM 213(2) (Sem: 3-4). Select 3-4 credits from STAT 200 GQ(4), STAT 240 GQ(3), or STAT 250 GQ(3) (Sem: 3-4).
Select a minimum of 18 credits of 400-level biology courses, with at least 3 credits from each of the following groups (each course may be used to satisfy a requirement in only one group) (Sem: 5-8). - Group I -- BIOL 407(3), BIOL 410(3), BIOL 414(3), BIOL 441(3), BIOL 443(3), BIOL 444(3), BIOL 446(3), BIOL 448(3), BIOL 499A IL(3), HORT 407(3), HORT 440W(3), PPATH 416(2-4), PPATH 425(4).
- Group II -- BIOL 405(3), BIOL 411(3), BIOL 414(3), BIOL 417(4), BIOL 420(3), BIOL 421(4), BIOL 425(4), BIOL 427(3), BIOL 428(3), BIOL 438(3), BIOL 443(3), BIOL 460(3), BIOL 474(3).
- Group III -- AN SC 442(3), B M B 400(2-3), B M B 450(2), BIOL 404(3), BIOL 405(3), BIOL 407(3), BIOL 410(3), BIOL 411(3), BIOL 416(3), BIOL 422(3), BIOL 426(3), BIOL 428(3), BIOL 430(3), BIOL 432(3), BIOL 439(3), BIOL 443(3), BIOL 448(3), BIOL 460(3), BIOL 499A IL(3), HORT 407(3).
- Group IV -- BIOL 406(3), BIOL 412(3), BIOL 414(3), BIOL 415(3), BIOL 417(4), BIOL 419(3), BIOL 428(3), BIOL 429(3), BIOL 435(3), BIOL 436(3), BIOL 444(3) BIOL 446(3), BIOL 448(3), BIOL 450W(3-5), BIOL 463(3), BIOL 464(3), BIOL 474(3), BIOL 499A IL(3).
- Group V -- BIOL 404(3), BIOL 406(3), BIOL 409(3), BIOL 411(3), BIOL 413(3), BIOL 416(3), BIOL 421(4), BIOL 426(3), BIOL 430(3), BIOL 432(3), BIOL 437(4), BIOL 443(3), BIOL 446(3), BIOL 460(3), BIOL 469(3), BIOL 470(3), BIOL 472(3), BIOL 479(3).
- Group VI -- BIOL 400(1-3), BIOL 407(3), BIOL 414(3), BIOL 417(4), BIOL 419(3), BIOL 421(4), BIOL 437(4), BIOL 439(3), BIOL 444(3), BIOL 448(3), BIOL 450W(3-5), BIOL 461(3), BIOL 471(3), BIOL 473(2), BIOL 496(1-3), PPATH 425(4), SC 295(1-3), SC 395(1-3), SC 495(1-3).
- SUPPORTING COURSES AND RELATED AREAS (23-30 credits) Select 23-30 credits from department list (Sem: 1-8).
Requirements for the Ecology Option
50-54 credits
- ADDITIONAL COURSES (30-33 credits) CHEM 202(3), CHEM 203(3); or CHEM 210(3), CHEM 212(3), CHEM 213(2) (Sem: 3-4). Select 3-4 credits from STAT 200 GQ(4) or STAT 240 GQ(3) or STAT 250 GQ(3) (Sem: 3-4). Select 3 credits from STAT 462(3) or STAT 464(3) (Sem: 7-8)
Select a minimum of 18 credits of 400-level biology courses, with at least 3 credits from each of the following groups (courses in Group IV--except BIOL 496, SC 295, SC 395, SC 495--may be used to satisfy requirements in other groups) (Sem: 5-8). - Group I: BIOL 412(3), BIOL 419(3), BIOL 435(3), BIOL 436(3), BIOL 444(3), BIOL 450W(3-5), BIOL 463(3), BIOL 482(3-4), BIOL 499A IL(3).
- Group II: BIOL 414(3), BIOL 427(3), BIOL 428(3), BIOL 429(3), BIOL 448(3), BIOL 464(3), BIOL 474(3)
- Group III: BIOL 406(3), BIOL 415(3), BIOL 417(4), BIOL 446(3), PPATH 425(4).
- Group IV: BIOL 414(3), BIOL 417(4), BIOL 419(3), BIOL 444(3), BIOL 448(3), BIOL 450W(3-5), BIOL 482(3-4), BIOL 496(3), BIOL 499A IL(3), PPATH 425(4), SC 295(1-3), SC 395(1-3), SC 495(1-3) (A maximum of 3 credits of BIOL 496 or 4 credits of SC 295, SC 395, SC 495 may be used to fulfill the 18-credit minimum in the 400-level biology course requirement.)
- SUPPORTING COURSES AND RELATED AREAS (17-24 credits) Select 17-24 credits from department list (Sem: 1-8)
Requirements for the Vertebrate Physiology Option
(50-54 credits)
- PRESCRIBED COURSES (18 credits) CHEM 210(3), CHEM 212(3), CHEM 213(2) (Sem: 3-4) B M B 401(2), B M B 402(3), BIOL 472(3), BIOL 473(2) (Sem: 5-8).
- ADDITIONAL COURSES (15-16 credits) Select 3-4 credits from STAT 200 GQ(4), STAT 240 GQ(3), or STAT 250 GQ(3) (Sem: 5-8).
- Select a minimum of 12 credits of 400-level courses, with at least 6 credits from Group I, 3 credits from Group II, and 3 credits from Group III (Sem: 5-8).
- Group I -- BIOL 404(3), BIOL 406(3), BIOL 409(3), BIOL 411(3), BIOL 412(3), BIOL 413(3), BIOL 416(3), BIOL 421(4), BIOL 426(3), BIOL 430(3), BIOL 432(3), BIOL 437(4), BIOL 443(3), BIOL 446(3), BIOL 460(3), BIOL 469(3), BIOL 470(3), BIOL 471(3), BIOL 479(3) (may select up to 6 credits from department list).
- Group II -- BIOL 405(3), BIOL 411(3), BIOL 414(3), BIOL 417(4), BIOL 420(3), BIOL 421(4), BIOL 425(4), BIOL 427(3), BIOL 428(3), BIOL 438(3), BIOL 443(3), BIOL 460(3), BIOL 474(3).
- Group III -- BIOL 400(1-3), BIOL 414(3), BIOL 417(4), BIOL 419(3), BIOL 421(4), BIOL 437(4), BIOL 439(3), BIOL 444(3), BIOL 448(3), BIOL 450W(3-5), BIOL 461(3), BIOL 471(3), BIOL 473(2), BIOL 496(2), BIOL 499A IL(3), SC 295(1-3), SC 395(1-3), SC 495(1-3).
- SUPPORTING COURSES AND RELATED AREAS (16-21 credits) Select 16-21 credits from department list (Sem: 1-8).
[1] A student enrolled in this major must receive a grade of C or better, as specified in Senate Policy 82-44.
