Curriculum
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| Daniel Moultrie Science Center |
Degree Options and Requirements
Erskine’s Department of Biology has a history of successfully
placing graduates in a diversity of professional and graduate
programs, ranging from Medicine and Human Genetics to Environmental
Toxicology and Wildlife Biology. Other graduates directly
enter competitive job markets, pursuing such careers as veterinary
medicine, genetic technology, secondary teaching, and management.
Our educational philosophy is simple. We seek to help our
students understand (a) fundamental and applied concepts in
the biological sciences; (b) scientific ways of discovering,
thinking, and learning; (c) skills (both technical and cognitive)
that will be needed for career or further study; and (d) the
role of biological principles and processes in society and
the real world.
The Biology Department offers three majors – the Bachelor
of Science in Biology, the Bachelor of Arts in Biology, and
the Bachelor of Arts in Natural Science – as well as
a Minor in Biology. Each option has different course requirements,
listed below, in addition to the College’s Core Curriculum
requirements. Biology majors may also take advantage of cooperative
programs in several health-related professions, in which students
study for 2-3 years at Erskine, then complete their studies
at the Medical University of South Carolina or another accredited
institution. Relevant programs are listed on page 61; details
of these programs are available from Biology faculty and the
M.U.S.C. web site.
Students wishing to earn secondary teaching certificates
in biology or life science will also take a slate of courses
in the Education Department, including student-teaching for
one semester. Requirements for certification are in the Erskine
College catalog.
Candidates for the Bachelor of Science degree in Biology
take Biology 110 and 111; Chemistry 101 and 102; Biology 202,
320, 404, and 407; Chemistry 214-217; Physics 110, 111, or
120; and Math 108 or 111. Bachelor of Science candidates will
also select a minimum of 16 additional hours in Biology, as
well as other science and non-science electives suggested
by the student’s academic advisor. Additional courses
in Education, Math, Chemistry, Physics, or Psychology may
be beneficial, depending on career goals.
Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology take
Biology 110 and 111; Chemistry 101 and 102; and Biology 404,
407, and 202 or 320. Bachelor of Arts candidates will also
select a minimum of 15 additional hours in Biology, as well
as other science and non-science electives suggested by the
student’s academic advisor. Additional courses in Education,
Math, Chemistry, Physics, or Psychology may be beneficial,
depending on career goals.
Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Natural Science
with a concentration in Biology take Biology 110, 111, and
404, Chemistry 101 and 102, Physics 110 or 120, and Physics
111, as well as at least four additional Biology courses at
the 200 level or above. Additional courses in Education, Math,
Chemistry, Physics, or Psychology may be beneficial, depending
on career goals.
Students pursuing a Minor in Biology will take at least 20
hours in Biology, including up to two 100-level courses (101,
110, 111), one or more courses in the cellular/physiology
field (BG 200, 201, 202, 208, 210, 211, 302, 303, 320), and
one or more courses in the ecology/environment field (BG 204,
205, 206, 207, 209, 220, 406, 407).
Students wishing to graduate with Honors in Biology must
have a grade point average of 3.6 or better in Biology courses,
as well as an overall grade point average of 3.3 or better.
Honors students must also earn an "A" in BG415,
which involves a research project, a senior thesis, and a
presentation at a scientific meeting or an on-campus research
forum. It is expected that at least the last two years of
coursework in the major will have been completed at Erskine.
Biology majors are expected to develop competence in the
use of computer and information technology, including word-processing
(BG110 and others), intranet-based classwork (BG110 and others),
internet-based literature searching (BG404 and others), computer-interfaced
data acquisition (BG407 and others), and standard communication,
analysis, and presentation software (BG404, BG407, and others).
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