Major in Biology - Cell and Molecular Biology Concentration
Completion of this concentration provides background for advanced studies in cell biology, molecular biology, genetics, microbiology, immunology and diverse fields that involve molecular tools in research. In addition, students may select this concentration as preparation for professional degree programs in medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine or for a career in biology education, biomedical research or fields that integrate biology with other disciplines such as business or law. Students completing this concentration are encouraged to take at least two upper-level labs among the elective courses within this concentration. Students are encouraged to participate in a research experience or as an intern (e.g., BIOL 491, BIOL 493 or BIOL 499). They should consult with their adviser regarding these opportunities.
Specific requirements for the Cell and Molecular Biology concentration are listed under Requirements and outlined in the suggested Four-Year Plan of Study.
The Biology major requires a minimum of 11 courses within the biological sciences with a range of 36 to 50 units, depending upon the concentration and configuration of electives selected. A typical student will complete a minimum of 38 to 40 units in biology. Four courses are required and seven elective courses are selected from within the department to complete a concentration. In addition, six to seven ancillary courses (24–30 units) must be completed in the disciplines of chemistry, mathematics and physics. The program must be completed with a grade equivalent of 2.00 or higher in all course work.
Selection of appropriate electives allows students to fulfill the requirements of any of four areas of concentration: Cell and Molecular Biology, Functional Biology of Animals, Organismal Biology and Ecology, or Secondary Education. Completion of one of these concentrations is required for a major in Biology. Students are strongly encouraged to plan their programs in consultation with an adviser who is a member of the biology faculty.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Courses | ||
| BIOL 200 & 200L | INTRODUCTION TO CELLULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS [LECTURE] and INTRODUCTION TO CELLULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS [LAB] | 4 |
| BIOL 202 | INTRODUCTION TO ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION | 4 |
| BIOL 204 | EDUCATIONAL AND CAREER PLANNING FOR THE BIOLOGIST | 1 |
| BIOL 309 | GENETICS | 4 |
| Breadth Courses | ||
| The following are required for all Biology majors unless indicated differently within the concentration | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-8 | |
| BIODIVERSITY | ||
| GENERAL BOTANY and GENERAL ZOOLOGY | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION AND CONSERVATION | ||
| CELL BIOLOGY | ||
| MOLECULAR BIOLOGY | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-8 | |
| ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY | ||
| PLANT PHYSIOLOGY | ||
| Ancillary Courses | ||
| The following courses are required for all Biology majors unless indicated differently within the concentration | ||
| Chemistry | 13-18 | |
| GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LECTURE | ||
| GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY | ||
| GENERAL CHEMISTRY II LECTURE | ||
| GENERAL CHEMISTRY II LABORATORY | ||
| ESSENTIALS OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY | ||
| ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I and ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II | ||
| Physics | 8 | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| GENERAL PHYSICS I; NON CALCULUS-BASED and GENERAL PHYSICS II; NON CALCULUS-BASED | ||
| GENERAL PHYSICS I CALCULUS-BASED and GENERAL PHYSICS II CALCULUS-BASED | ||
| Mathematics 1 | 3-4 | |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| CALCULUS FOR APPLICATIONS | ||
| ELEMENTARY BIOSTATISTICS | ||
| CALCULUS I | ||
| BEHAVIORAL STATISTICS | ||
| Total Units | 47-63 | |
| 1 | Because material covered in Basic Mathematics for the Sciences (MATH 115) is a prerequisite for chemistry and physics students who have not completed high school trigonometry and two years of high school algebra in good standing should take MATH 115 in addition to one of the options listed above. |
Chemistry I and II should be taken during the freshman year, Organic Chemistry I and II during the sophomore year and Physics as soon as possible.
Concentrations
Biology majors are required to complete one of four concentrations in biology by selecting a minimum of seven courses from among groups of electives within each concentration. One of these electives may be from outside the concentration.
Within each concentration, options exist for fulfilling each of three areas of breadth and for fulfilling concentration electives. Each student is strongly encouraged to consult with a biology faculty adviser in selecting electives to satisfy his/her program of study in the concentration and to match the program of study with career objectives.
No more than 3 units combined from BIOL 491 and BIOL 499 may count toward the Biology major. None of these courses may count toward the minor in Biology.
The following courses may not be used to fulfill Biology elective requirements:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 100 | HUMANISTIC BOTANY | 3 |
| BIOL 103 | HUMAN BIOLOGY | 3 |
| BIOL 105 | ENVIRONMENTAL BIOL | 3 |
| BIOL 120 & 120L | PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY [LECTURE] and PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY [LAB] | 4 |
| BIOL 215 | ESSENTIALS OF MICROBIOLOGY | 4 |
| BIOL 301 | FIELD AND NATURAL SCIENCE | 3 |
| BIOL 303 | LIFE SCIENCES | 3 |
| BIOL 313 | BIOLOGY OF AGING | 3 |
| BIOL 321 | BIOLOGY OF WOMEN | 3 |
| BIOL 322 | BIOTECH & SOCIETY | 3 |
| BIOL 323 | GENES, EVOLUTION, AND MORALITY | 3 |
| BIOL 327 | DANGEROUS DISEASES | 3 |
| BIOL 381 | WRITING IN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES | 3 |
| BIOL 481 | DIR READ:BIOL | 1-3 |
| BIOL 490 | INDEPENDENT RESEARCH | 1-3 |
| BIOL 493 | INTERNSHIP IN BIOLOGY | 3 |
| BIOL 494 | TRAVEL STUDY | 1-3 |
| Total Units | 47-53 | |
Before enrolling in any 300- or 400-level elective course, Biology majors are required to complete a minimum of 8 units in lower-level biology courses with a grade equivalent of 2.00 or higher and to have an overall GPA of 2.00 or higher. Students who do not meet the above requirements may not be allowed to enroll in upper-level electives. Also, note that for those Biology electives listing BIOL 205 and/or BIOL 207 as prerequisites that BIOL 208 is an acceptable substitute.
The Department of Biological Sciences makes every effort to offer elective courses in a systematic fashion. However, it assumes no responsibility for cases in which unforeseen scheduling conflicts, course cancellations or staffing changes prevent students from taking a particular elective course during their residence at Towson University.
Cell and Molecular Biology Concentration
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Courses | ||
| BIOL 200 & 200L | INTRODUCTION TO CELLULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS [LECTURE] and INTRODUCTION TO CELLULAR BIOLOGY AND GENETICS [LAB] | 4 |
| BIOL 202 | INTRODUCTION TO ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION | 4 |
| BIOL 204 | EDUCATIONAL AND CAREER PLANNING FOR THE BIOLOGIST | 1 |
| BIOL 309 | GENETICS | 4 |
| Breadth Courses | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-8 | |
| GENERAL BOTANY and GENERAL ZOOLOGY | ||
| BIODIVERSITY | ||
| Select two of the following: | 8 | |
| MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION AND CONSERVATION | ||
| CELL BIOLOGY | ||
| MOLECULAR BIOLOGY | ||
| Select BIOL 221 and BIOL 222, OR BIOL 325, OR BIOL 436: | 3-8 | |
| HUMAN ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY I [LECTURE] and HUMAN ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY I [LAB] and HUMAN ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY II [LECTURE] and HUMAN ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY II [LAB] (See note under Free Elective below) | ||
| ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY | ||
| PLANT PHYSIOLOGY | ||
| Elective Courses | ||
| Select one of the following | 2 | |
| GENETICS LABORATORY | ||
| MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORY | ||
| CELL BIOLOGY LABORATORY | ||
| BIOCHEMISTRY LAB | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6-8 | |
| MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY | ||
or BIOL 318 | MICROBIOLOGY | |
| HISTOLOGY | ||
| CANCER BIOLOGY | ||
| BIOTECHNOLOGY | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY | ||
| MICROBIOLOGY OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE | ||
| IMMUNOLOGY | ||
| VIROLOGY | ||
| DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY | ||
| BIOCHEMISTRY I | ||
| INTRO TO BIOINFORMATICS | ||
| GENOMICS | ||
| Free Elective | ||
| Select one biology elective from lists of electives in any Biology concentration or successfully complete BIOL 491 or BIOL 499 | 3-4 | |
| If BIOL 221/BIOL 222 are completed as part of the Breadth requirement, this satisfies the Free Elective requirement. | ||
| Ancillary Courses | ||
| As required for Biology major | 24-30 | |
| Recommended Courses | ||
| CALCULUS I | ||
or MATH 211 | CALCULUS FOR APPLICATIONS | |
| Total Units | 62-81 | |
| NOTE: | Either BIOL 315 or BIOL 318 may be used as an elective; not both |
Suggested Four-Year Plan
Based on course availability and student needs and preferences, the selected sequences will probably vary from those presented below. Students should consult with their adviser to make the most appropriate elective choices.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| BIOL 200 & 200L | 4 | BIOL 202 or 309 | 4 |
| MATH 115 or 119 (Courses for students who need additional preparatory MATH; students ready for Calculus may take MATH 211 or MATH 273 and may take CHEM 131 & CHEM 131L this term.)1 | 3-4 | CHEM 131 & 131L (or CHEM 132/132L if CHEM 131/131L taken in Term 1) | 4 |
| TSEM 102 or ENGL 102 | 3 | ENGL 102 or TSEM 102 | 3 |
| Core | 3 | Core (Must be a MATH course, if no MATH course was taken in Term 1) | 3 |
| Core | 3 | ||
| 16-17 | 14 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| BIOL 2042 | 1 | BIOL 408, 208, or 409 | 3-4 |
| BIOL 309 or 202 | 4 | PHYS 2114 | 4 |
| CHEM 132 & 132L (If General Chemistry was completed in freshman year, then another required course may be taken if prerequisites have been fulfilled.) | 4 | Required Lab course (if prerequisites met) | 4 |
| Core | 3 | Core | 3 |
| One additional course required to complete degree but no more than 3 courses total with labs | 3-4 | ||
| 15-16 | 14-15 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| BIOL 221 & 221L5 | 4 | BIOL 208, 408, or 409 (Required Lab class) | 3-4 |
| BIOL 408, 409, or 208 | 4 | BIOL 222 & 222L (If needed) | 4 |
| PHYS 212 or 242 (Can take PHYS 242 instead if PHYS 241 was already taken.) | 4 | CHEM 3313 | 5 |
| One or two additional courses required to complete degree but no more than 3 courses total with labs | 6-8 | Two additional courses required to complete degree (one course if taking 222/222L) but no more than 3 courses total with labs | 5-7 |
| 18-20 | 17-20 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| CHEM 332 | 5 | Elective | 3-4 |
| Two or three additional courses required to complete degree but no more than 3 courses total with labs (minimum of 120 credits required to graduate) | 9-11 | Two or three additional courses required to complete degree but no more than 3 courses total with labs (minimum of 120 units required to graduate) | 9-11 |
| 14-16 | 12-15 | ||
| Total Units 120-133 | |||
| 1 | MATH 237 and PSYC 212 can be substituted for a Calculus course depending on career objectives. Consult your adviser. |
| 2 | A major assignment in BIOL 204 is the development of your own Degree Completion Plan. |
| 3 | CHEM 330 can be substituted for CHEM 331 and CHEM 332 depending on career objectives. Consult your adviser. |
| 4 | PHYS 241 and 242 can be substituted for PHYS 211 and 212 if Calculus prerequisites are met (requires Math 273 and 274). |
| 5 | Your choice for physiology (BIOL 221/221L & BIOL 222/222L or BIOL 325 or BIOL 436) depends on your career objectives. Consult your adviser. |
| NOTE: | Either BIOL 315 or BIOL 318 may be used as an elective, but not both. Credit range totals are listed for options on a term-by-term basis. If you take the minimum number of units each term, you will not have the minimum 120 units needed to graduate. You must review your overall progress toward your degree every term when you meet with your adviser. |
- Explain the core concepts and principles of Biology.
- Demonstrate the scientific method through the use of hypothesis testing in the design and implementation of an experiment.
- Utilize scientific methodologies from the biological sciences in the evaluation of issues in society.
- Apply appropriate critical-thinking/problem-solving skills in biological sciences.
- Communicate both verbally and in writing in discipline specific contexts.
- Identify fundamental similarities and differences among various fields of study within the Biological Sciences.
