Academic Catalog
Biology (B.A.) 2023-2024 Catalog Year
College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Biological Sciences
Website: https://www.fgcu.edu/cas/departments/biosciences/bioba/
(239) 590-7196
(239) 590-7196
The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Biology offers students the opportunity to study and engage in academic research on living systems across several levels from molecular to ecological systems. Students will gain an understanding of interactions between organisms and their environments (including biomedical and evolutionary perspectives). Ethical complexities of biological research are integrated throughout the curriculum. Pedagogically, emphasis is on lab-centered, hands-on learning. This degree program integrates a biological science disciplinary course of study with an issues-based interdisciplinary approach. Graduates will be prepared for entry-level positions and for graduate study in biological sciences, including the various biomedical fields (medical, dental, veterinary, optometry, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, anatomy, etc.).
Program Progression and Additional Graduation Requirements
For timely degree completion, students must complete all program milestones. The following actions occur when milestones are missed: first occurrence—advising hold and counseling regarding progression requirements; second occurrence—counseling and change to a major outside of the Department of Biology or Department of Chemistry and Physics that is more appropriate to student goals and academic performance. Appeals are handled through the relevant department. The decision of the appeal committee is final. Program milestones include the following:
- BSC 1010C or BSC 1011/1011L minimum grade of C completed one calendar year from admission as first time in college (FTIC) or 30 credits earned, whichever is earlier.
- BSC 1010C and BSC 1011/1011L minimum grade of C completed by end of fourth semester (including summers) from admission as FTIC or 45 credits earned, whichever is earlier.
- PCB 3023C, PCB 3043C or PCB 3063C minimum grade of C completed by end of sixth semester (including summers) from admission as FTIC or 60 credits earned, whichever is earlier.
Transfer students may declare the major after they have completed BSC 1010C, BSC 1011, and BSC 1011L with grades of C or better in each course. Transfer students must complete PCB 3023C, PCB 3043C or PCB 3063C with a grade of C or better within three semesters (including summer) of declaring the major.
In addition to the program requirements, students must:
- Complete a minimum of 120 credits.
- Complete a minimum of 48 of the 120 credits at the upper division (3000 - 4999 level).
- Earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all coursework attempted at FGCU.
- Satisfy the College-Level Skills and foreign language entrance requirements.
- Satisfy the Service Learning requirement. See: https://www.fgcu.edu/studentlife/servicelearning/.
- Satisfy the Civic Literacy requirement.
- Satisfy the residency requirement: 30 of the last 60 credits must be completed at FGCU.
- Complete the summer course enrollment requirement.
- Submit an Application for Graduation by the deadline listed in the FGCU Academic Calendar.
Program Requirements
- FGCU General Education Program (https://www.fgcu.edu/academics/undergraduatestudies/generaleducation/)
To prevent or minimize excess hours, select general education courses that satisfy common prerequisite requirements for your intended major. - Common Prerequisites
For this major, common prerequisite courses with an asterisk (*) require prior knowledge and skills demonstrated through degree acceleration programs (e.g., the College Board's Advanced Placement Program [AP], International Baccalaureate Program [IB], College-Level Examination Program [CLEP], Advanced International Certificate of Education Program [AICE]); dual enrollment; placement exam; or college coursework.
FGCU Course: BSC 1010C Gen’l Biology w/Lab I (4) Minimum grade of C
Acceptable Substitute: (BSCX010 and BSCX010L) or BSCX010C or BSCX040C
FGCU Course: BSC 1011 General Biology II (3) and BSC 1011L General Biology II Laboratory (1) Minimum grade of C
Acceptable Substitute: (BSCX011 and BSCX011L) or BSCX011C or BSCX041C
FGCU Course: *CHM 1045 General Chemistry I (3) and CHM 1045L General Chemistry I Lab (1) Minimum grade of C
Acceptable Substitute: (CHMX045 and CHMX045L) or CHM045C or (CHMX040 and CHMX041)
[Prerequisites of MAT 1033 minimum grade of C then MAC 1105 minimum grade of C; or relevant accelerated credit; or placement exam]
FGCU Course: CHM 1046 General Chemistry II (3) and CHM 1046L General Chemistry II Lab (1) Minimum grade of C
Acceptable Substitute: (CHMX046 and CHMX046L) or CHMX046C
FGCU Course: CHM 2210 Organic Chemistry I (3) and CHM 2210L Organic Chemistry I Laboratory (1) Minimum grade of C
Acceptable Substitute: (CHMX210 and CHMX210L) or CHMX210C or (PHYX053 and PHYX053L) or (PHYX048 and PHYX048L)
FGCU Course: CHM 2211 Organic Chemistry II (3) and CHM 2211L Organic Chemistry II Laboratory (1) Minimum grade of C
Acceptable Substitute: (CHMX211 and CHMX211L) or CHMX211C or (PHYX054 and PHYX054L) or (PHYX049 and PHYX049L)
FGCU Course: *MAC 2311 Calculus I (4) Minimum grade of C
Acceptable Substitute: MACX311 or MACX233 or MACX253 or MACX281 or MACX241
[Prerequisites of MAT 1033 minimum grade of C then MAC 1105 minimum grade of C then MAC 1147 minimum grade of C; or relevant accelerated credit; or placement exam]
FGCU Course: MAC 2312 Calculus II (4) or *STA 2023 Statistical Methods (3) Minimum grade of C
Acceptable Substitute: MACX312 or MACX282 or MACX234 or STAX023 or STAX024 or STAX321
[For STA 2023 Prerequisites of MAT 1033 minimum grade of C; or relevant accelerated credit; or placement exam] - Required Courses in the Major (14 credits)
A minimum grade of C is required in each course
BSC 4910C Senior Project I: Research (2)
BSC 4911 Sr Project II: Presentation (1)
IDS 3300 Foundations of Civic Engagement (3)
PCB 3023C Cell Biology (4)
PCB 3063C Genetics (4) - Restricted Electives in the Major (36 credits)
A minimum grade of C is required in each course
Select one of the following:
IDS 3143 Issues in Science & Technology (3)
IDS 3332 Issues in Culture and Society (3)
Select one of the following:
PCB 3043C General Ecology (3)
PCB 3673C Evolutionary Biology (3)
ZOO 3713C Vertebrate Form and Function (3)
Select 30 credits from the following:
ANS 3440 Animal Nutrition (3)
ANT 3586C Human Evolution (3)
BCH 3023C Biochemistry (3)
BCH 3025C Analytical Biochemistry (3)
BOT 3015C The Lives of Plants and Algae (3)
BOT 3153C Flora of Southwestern Florida (3)
BOT 3712C Plant Systematics & Evolution (3)
BOT 4503C Plant Physiology (3)
BSC 1930L Seminar in Medicine I (1)
BSC 2930L Seminar in Medicine II (1)
BSC 3303 Biogeography (3)
BSC 3367C Tropical Island Biology (3)
BSC 4052 Conservation Biology (3)
BSC 4312 Marine Biology (3)
BSC 4422C Methods in Biotechnology (3)
BSC 4900 Dir Ind Study/Research in Bio (1-3)***
BSC 4930 Special Topics in Biology (3)
BSC 4933 Current Topics in Biology (1)****
BSC 4940 Internship in Biology (0-3)***(must be approved by dept. chair)
CHM 2210C Organic Chemistry w/Lab I (4)**
CHM 2211C Organic Chem w/Lab II (4)**
ENY 4701C Forensic Entomology (3)
EVR 4920 Current Topics Environ Studies (1)****
ISC 3120C Scientific Process (3)
MAC 2312 Calculus II (4)**
MCB 3020C General Microbiology (4)
MCB 3652C Environmental Microbiology (3)
MCB 4203C Pathogenic Microbiology (3)
MCB 4223C Food Microbiology (3)
MCB 4502C Virology (3)
PCB 3043C General Ecology (3)*
PCB 3414C Behavioral Ecology (3)
PCB 3422C Population Ecology (3)
PCB 3673C Evolutionary Biology (3)*
PCB 3703C Human Physiology (4)
PCB 3723C Comparative Animal Physiology (3)
PCB 3731 Medical Cannabis (3)
PCB 4233C Immunology (3)
PCB 4253C Developmental Biology (3)
PCB 4303C Limnology (3)
PCB 4454C Biological Statistics (3)
PCB 4522C Molecular Genetics (3)
PCB 4656C Molec Tech in Behavioral Biol (3)
PCB 4671C Evolution in the Omics Age (3)
PCB 4674C Reptile & Amphibian Evolution (3)
PCB 4714 Comparative Immunology (3)
PCB 4783C Cell Membrane Physiology (3)
PHY 2048 General Physics I (3) and PHY 2048L General Physics I Laboratory (1)**+
PHY 2049 General Physics II (3) and PHY 2049L General Physics II Laboratory (1)**++
ZOO 3205C Invertebrate Zoology (3)
ZOO 3234C General Parasitology (3)
ZOO 3713C Vertebrate Form and Function (3)*
ZOO 3733C Human Anatomy (4)
ZOO 4272C Ornithology (3)
ZOO 4405 Sea Turtle Biology (3)
ZOO 4422C Herpetology (3)
ZOO 4454C Ichthyology (3)
ZOO 4480C Mammalogy (3)
ZOO 4513C Animal Behavior (3)
ZOO 4743C Neuroscience (3)
ZOO 4753C Histology (3)
ZOO 4823C General Entomology (3)
+ or PHY 2053 College Physics I (3) and PHY 2053L College Physics I Laboratory (1)**
++ or PHY 2054 College Physics II (3) and PHY 2054L College Physics II Laboratory (1)**
* Courses taken in one elective category cannot be used to satisfy another elective category
** Courses taken to satisfy common prerequisites cannot be counted as an elective
***A maximum number of 4 credits combined from these courses can be used to fulfill the elective requirement
****A maximum number of 2 credits combined from these courses can be used to fulfill the elective requirement -
University Requirements (3 credits)
IDS 3920 University Colloquium (3) -
Additional Electives - as needed to reach total credits required for the degree
Total Credits Required: 120
