Biology, Organismal Biology and Physiology (BSA)
Total Hours Required: 120
Plan of Study
The Plan of Study is a suggested four-year course sequence to support academic planning and serves as a helpful guide. Currently enrolled students should meet with their academic advisor to tailor their course selections and timelines to their individual goals and circumstances.
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Hours | |
| M 408C |
Differential and Integral Calculus or Differential and Integral Calculus for the Sciences or Differential Calculus for Science |
4 |
| CH 301 | Principles of Chemistry I | 3 |
| BIO 311C | Introductory Biology I | 3 |
| UGS 302 or UGS 303 |
First-Year Signature Course or First-Year Signature Course |
3 |
| Hours | 13 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| M 408S | Integral Calculus for Science | 4 |
| BIO 311D | Introductory Biology II | 3 |
| CH 302 | Principles of Chemistry II | 3 |
| BIO 206L | Introductory Laboratory Experiments in Biology | 2 |
| RHE 306 | Rhetoric and Writing | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| American and Texas Government (070) | 3 | |
| CH 204 | Introduction to Chemical Practice | 2 |
| SDS 320E | Elements of Statistics | 3 |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (080) | 3 | |
| Hours | 11 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| INB 370 | Evolution | 3 |
| CH 320N | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CH 220C | Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| Minor/Certificate course | 3 | |
| Visual and Performing Arts (050) | 3 | |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Semester 3 | ||
| American and Texas Government (070) | 3 | |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| PHY 302K | General Physics Technical Course: Mechanics, Heat, and Sound | 3 |
| PHY 105M | Laboratory For Physics 302K, 303K, and 317K | 1 |
| MBS 328 | Introductory Plant Physiology | 3 |
| Language, Arts, and Culture | 3 | |
| Minor/Certificate course | 3 | |
| Humanities (040) | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| PHY 302L | General Physics Technical Course: Electricity and Magnetism, Light, Atomic and Nuclear Physics | 3 |
| PHY 105N | Laboratory For Physics 302L, 303L, and 317L | 1 |
| INB 346 | Human Biology | 3 |
| Language, Arts, and Culture | 6 | |
| Minor/Certificate course | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| MBS 320 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| INB 365S | Human Systems Physiology | 3 |
| INB 165U | Human Systems Physiology Laboratory | 1 |
| Minor/Certificate course | 3 | |
| Hours | 10 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| INB 373 | Ecology | 3 |
| INB 440L | Biology of Birds | 4 |
| NSC 371 | Capstone Thesis Seminar | 3 |
| Minor/Certificate course | 3 | |
| Language, Arts, and Culture | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Requirements
All requirements are listed below, starting with the most specialized moving to the most general. Additional requirements may follow the table, so be sure to read the entire page. Some required courses listed below may also satisfy General Education requirements, including Core Curriculum.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration | ||
| Choose a sequence below: | 9 | |
| Sequence 1: | ||
| Human Systems Physiology | ||
| Human Systems Physiology Laboratory | ||
| Sequence 2: | ||
| Plant Anatomy with Histological Techniques | ||
| Laboratory in Plant Anatomy and Histological Techniques | ||
| Sequence 3: | ||
| Undergraduate Research | ||
or INB 346 | Human Biology | |
or INB 361T | Comparative Animal Physiology | |
or INB 369F | Field Herpetology | |
or MBS 328 | Introductory Plant Physiology | |
or MNS 355C | Physiology of Fishes | |
or MNS 354U | Biology of Sharks, Skates, and Rays | |
or MNS 354C | Biology of Fishes | |
or MNS 357 | Marine Phytoplankton Diversity | |
or MNS 354 | Marine Invertebrates | |
or MNS 352D | Marine Botany | |
or NEU 320 | Introduction to Neuroscience | |
| Sequence 4: | ||
| Biology of Birds | ||
or INB 446L | Human Microscopic and Gross Anatomy | |
or INB 478L | Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | |
or INB 453L | Entomology | |
or INB 448L | Invertebrate Biology | |
| Hours chosen from: | 3 | |
| Undergraduate Research | ||
| Human Microscopic and Gross Anatomy | ||
| Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | ||
| Biology of Birds | ||
| Field Herpetology | ||
| Entomology | ||
| Invertebrate Biology | ||
| Experimental Physiology | ||
| Subtotal | 12 | |
| Major (see details below) | 43 | |
| Subtotal | 43 | |
| Degree (see details below) | 27 | |
| Free electives: Additional coursework to reach total hours required. | ||
| Subtotal | 27 | |
| General Education | ||
| Remaining Core Curriculum (42 hours total) | 38 | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Intermediate Proficiency | ||
| Subtotal | 38 | |
| College Requirements - Natural Sciences | ||
| General University Requirements | ||
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Major - Biology (BSA)
Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major | ||
| Mathematics | ||
| M 408C | Differential and Integral Calculus | 4 |
| or M 408R | Differential and Integral Calculus for the Sciences | |
| or M 408N | Differential Calculus for Science | |
| M 408S | Integral Calculus for Science | 4 |
| SDS 320E | Elements of Statistics | 3 |
| Primary Science | ||
| BIO 206L | Introductory Laboratory Experiments in Biology | 2 |
| BIO 311C | Introductory Biology I | 3 |
| BIO 311D | Introductory Biology II | 3 |
| Choose a sequence below: | 3 | |
| Sequence 1: | ||
| Genetics | ||
| Sequence 2: | ||
| Advanced Introduction to Genetics: Honors | ||
| Genetics: Honors | ||
| INB 370 | Evolution | 3 |
| MBS 320 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| INB 373 | Ecology | 3 |
| Secondary Science | ||
| CH 301 | Principles of Chemistry I | 3 |
| or CH 301C | Foundations of Chemistry I | |
| CH 302 | Principles of Chemistry II | 3 |
| or CH 302C | Foundations of Chemistry II | |
| Choose a sequence below: | 2 | |
| Sequence 1: | ||
| Introduction to Chemical Practice | ||
| Sequence 2: | ||
| Introduction to Chemical Practice I | ||
| Introduction to Chemical Practice II | ||
| Choose a sequence below: | 4 | |
| Sequence 1: (recommended) | ||
| General Physics Technical Course: Mechanics, Heat, and Sound (recommended) | ||
| Laboratory For Physics 302K, 303K, and 317K | ||
| Sequence 2: | ||
| General Physics I | ||
or PHY 303K | Engineering Physics I | |
| Laboratory For Physics 302K, 303K, and 317K | ||
| Sequence 3: | ||
| Mechanics | ||
| Laboratory for Physics 301 | ||
| Total Hours | 43 | |
Degree-Bachelor of Science and Arts (BSA)
The requirements for the Bachelor of Science and Arts are designed to give each student flexibility in the selection of courses to meet individual needs.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Language, Arts, and Culture | ||
| Hours selected from at least two of the following four areas: | 12 | |
Fine arts: courses chosen from design, ensemble, fine arts, music, studio art, performance, visual art studies, art history, and theatre and dance | ||
Humanities: courses chosen from American studies, ancient history and classical civilization, classical civilization, comparative literature, creative writing, English, humanities, philosophy, religious studies, and rhetoric and writing | ||
Social and behavioral sciences: courses chosen from anthropology, economics, geography, government, history, linguistics, psychology, and sociology | ||
Foreign language and culture: foreign language courses or culture courses chosen from an approved list available in the college advising centers. Students who elect to pursue a foreign language must complete a beginning level competency. Students who complete intermediate or advanced level foreign language courses rather than courses equivalent to beginning level competency may count only one intermediate or advanced course toward the language, arts, and culture requirement (a maximum of six hours earned through credit by examination may count toward the language arts and culture requirment) | ||
| Additional Requirements | ||
| Completion of one of the following: | 15 | |
| Transcript-recognized minor or certificate (minor outside the College of Pharmacy, Cockrell School of Engineering, Jackson School of Geosciences, and School of Nursing) | ||
Fifteen hours in a single field of study (outside the College of Natural Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Cockrell School of Engineering, Jackson School of Geosciences, and School of Nursing) | ||
| Total Hours | 27 | |
Additional Requirements and Policies
- Students may not use a course counting toward one area of prescribed work to fulfill the requirements of another area of prescribed work unless expressly permitted as follows:
- Courses counting toward the university core curriculum may also count toward the major requirements, the additional requirement, and electives.
- Per university policy, a minimum of nine hours of the transcript-recognized minor may not be also used to satisfy the major.
- Per university policy, a minimum of one course taken in a transcript-recognized certificate to satisfy the additional requirement may not also count toward the major.
- Students who seek a transcript-recognized minor or transcript-recognized certificate must meet the minimum grade requirements and grade point average requirements of the program.
- Students must earn a University grade point average of at least 2.00 in all courses taken at the University (including credit by examination, correspondence, and extension), a grade of at least C- in each mathematics and science course counted toward the major, and a grade point average of at least 2.00 in the courses fulfilling the major.
- Students must complete a minimum of 60 hours in residence at the University, including at least 18 hours of the major. The 18 hours of the major in residence must include at least nine hours of advanced coursework.