Biological Science (BS)
Description
The B.S. in biological science offers in-depth study of biology and other natural sciences while preparing the student for a variety of careers or for graduate work in many fields including medicine, organismal biology, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, education, cell or molecular biology, ecology and conservation biology. This is the degree of choice for those aspiring to be professional scientists. Students may choose one optional emphasis in ecology and evolutionary biology; integrative biology; molecular, cellular, and microbiology; organismal biology; pre-health biological sciences.
Minimum Total Credit Hours: 120
Degree Requirements
The academic regulations for this degree program, as entered in the University of Mississippi Catalog, are in effect for the current or selected academic year and semester. The University of Mississippi reserves the right to 1) change or withdraw courses; 2) change rules for registration, instruction, and graduation; and 3) change other regulations affecting the student body at any time.
General Education
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following First Year Writing I courses: | 3 | |
| Introduction to College Writing | ||
or WRIT 1010 | First-Year Writing I | |
| First-Year Writing I | ||
| Select one of the following First Year Writing II courses: | 3 | |
| First-Year Writing II | ||
or LIBA 1020 | First Year Seminar | |
| Select six hours of literature survey from the following: | 6 | |
| Survey in Literary History | ||
| Survey of World Literature to 1650 | ||
| Survey of World Literature since 1650 | ||
| Survey of American Lit to the Civil War | ||
| Survey of American Lit since Civil War | ||
| Survey of British Lit to 18th Century | ||
| Survey of Brit Lit since Romantic Period | ||
| Select 12 hours of Social Science & Humanitiesfrom the following subjects: 1 | 12 | |
African American Studies | ||
Anthropology | ||
American Sign Language | ||
Classical Civilization | ||
| Humanities and the Environment | ||
Gender Studies | ||
Greek | ||
History | ||
| Interdisciplinary Humanities | ||
| Interdisciplinary Social Sciences | ||
| Humanities and the Experience of War | ||
| Advanced Interdisciplinary Humanities | ||
| Advanced Interdisc Social Science | ||
Philosophy | ||
Political Science | ||
Psychology | ||
Religious Studies | ||
Any Speech, Rhetoric, or Writing course at the 2000 level or higher | ||
Sociology | ||
Southern Studies | ||
Any of the languages offered by the Dept. of Modern Languages | ||
| Select three hours of Fine Arts courses from the following: | 3 | |
any Art History (ARTH) course | ||
| Dance Appreciation | ||
| Introduction to Music Literature | ||
| Fundamentals of Music Theory | ||
| Introduction to Music | ||
| Introduction to World Music Cultures | ||
| Music Theory and Analysis I | ||
| Appreciation of the Theatre | ||
| Introduction to Cinema | ||
| Introduction to the Fine Arts | ||
| Interdisciplinary Arts | ||
| Advanced Interdisciplinary Arts | ||
| Select six-eight hours of laboratory science 2 | 6-8 | |
| Mathematics | 3 | |
| Related Subjects - see footnote 3 | 18 | |
| Total Hours | 54-56 | |
- 1
At least six hours must be chosen from among the social sciences, which consist of anthropology, economics, LIBA 2030 Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, LIBA 3130 Advanced Interdisc Social Science, political science, psychology, and sociology.
- 2
Majors for the B.S. degree must have 2 courses of laboratory science.
- 3
18 hours required; choose from courses listed beside the major.
Anthropology - biology, computer science, English, economics, chemistry, geology, history, mathematics, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology
Biology - anthropology, chemistry, CLSC 2010 Medical Terminology in Greek and Latin, geology, mathematics, physics, psychology
Chemistry - mathematics, physics
Economics - math (may include MATH 2611 Unified Calculus & Analytic Geometry I, MATH 2612 Unified Calculus & Analytic Geometry II, and MATH 3750 Introduction to Statistics I, but not MATH 2511 Calculus for Business, Econ., & Accy. I, MATH 2512 Calculus for Business, Econ., & Accy. II), finance, political science, computer science
Forensic Chemistry - biology, mathematics, pharmacology, physics; up to 6 hours of pharmacology courses
Mathematics - astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, economics, geology, physics
Physics - mathematics
Political Science - computer science, economics, mathematics, sociology, psychology
Psychology - biology, computer science, economics, mathematics, philosophy, sociology
Sociology - anthropology, computer science, English, economics, history, mathematics, philosophy, political science, psychology
Related Subjects Residence GPA
Student must achieve a GPA of 2.00 in resident hours in related subjects.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BISC 1600 | Biological Sciences I | 3 |
| BISC 1610 | Biological Sciences I Laboratory | 1 |
| BISC 1620 | Biological Sciences II | 3 |
| BISC 1630 | Biological Sciences II Laboratory | 1 |
| BISC 3320 | Comparative Embryology of Vertebrates (taken during sophomore year) | 4 |
| BISC 3360 | Genetics (taken during sophomore year) | 4 |
| BISC 3300 | Principles of Physiology (taken during junior year) | 4 |
| or BISC 4380 | Microbial Physiology | |
| or BISC 5016 | Plant Physiology | |
| Select one of the following: taken during junior year | 4 | |
| Vertebrate Histology | ||
| Introduction to Molecular Systematics | ||
| Methods in Comparative Neuroscience | ||
| Cell and Molecular Biology | ||
| Biometry | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
| Microtechnique | ||
| Physiology of Aquatic Animals | ||
| Cell Physiology | ||
| Advanced Field Study in Ecology | ||
| Advanced Histology | ||
| Comparative Animal Physiology | ||
| BISC 4980 | Major Field Achievement Test 1 | 0 |
| Minimum of 18 hours of BISC electives at the 3000+ level | 18 | |
| Total Hours | 42 | |
- 1
Capstone Assessment. Must be taken as a senior.
- 2
Seminars, BISC 4920 Directed Study in Biological Sciences II, and courses for nonmajors do not satisfy the biology electives requirement.
Major Requirements II
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 2611 & MATH 2612 | Unified Calculus & Analytic Geometry I and Unified Calculus & Analytic Geometry II (with a C or better) | 6 |
| or MATH 3750 | Introduction to Statistics I | |
| CHEM 1050 | General Chemistry I (with a C or better) | 3 |
| CHEM 1060 | General Chemistry II (with a C or better) | 3 |
| CHEM 1051 | General Chemistry Laboratory I (with a C or better) | 1 |
| CHEM 1061 | General Chemistry Laboratory II (with a C or better) | 1 |
| CHEM 2210 | Elementary Organic Chemistry I (with a C or better) | 3 |
| CHEM 2211 | Elementary Organic Chem. Laboratory I (with a C or better) | 1 |
| Choose one of the following: 1 | 3 | |
| Rhetoric of Professional Communication | ||
| Writing in Professional Contexts | ||
| Writing in the Health Professions | ||
| Technical Writing | ||
| Editing and Proofreading | ||
| Scientific Writing (recommended) | ||
| Grant Writing (recommended) | ||
| One course in the following: 2 | 3 | |
| Intro. to Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Remote Sensing | ||
| Biometry | ||
| Economic Statistics I | ||
| Measurement & Statistics in Exercise Sci | ||
| Applied Statistics | ||
| Introduction to Statistics I | ||
| Statistical Computing and Data Analysis | ||
| Statistics for Behavioral Sciences | ||
| Intermed. Statistical Methods for Psy | ||
| Statistics | ||
| Data Visualization & Interpretation: GIS | ||
| Topics in Bioinformatics | ||
| Programming for Engineering and Sciences | ||
| Programming for Biomedical Engineering | ||
| Successfully complete 8-9 credits from the following with a C or better: | 8-9 | |
| Elementary Organic Chemistry II | ||
| Elementary Organic Chem. Laboratory II | ||
| Biophysical Chemistry | ||
| Intermediate Biochemistry | ||
| Biochemistry I | ||
| Biochemistry II | ||
| Molecular Biochemistry I | ||
| Physics for Science & Engineering I and Lab Physics for Science & Engineering I | ||
| General Physics I and Laboratory Physics I | ||
| Physics for Science & Engineering II and Lab Physics for Science & Engineering II | ||
| General Physics II and Laboratory Physics II | ||
| Introduction to Biophysics | ||
| Historical Geology and Historical Geology Laboratory | ||
| Environmental Geology - Resources and Environmental Geology - Resources Lab | ||
| Dinosaurs and Dinosaurs Laboratory | ||
| Geomorphology | ||
| Invertebrate Paleontology | ||
| Sedimentology and Stratigraphy | ||
| Intro. to Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Biological Anthropology | ||
| Environmental History of the South | ||
| Archaeozoology: Animal Use in History | ||
| Environmental Anthropology | ||
| Indigenous Societies and the Environment | ||
| Medical Anthropology | ||
| The Anthropology of Drugs | ||
| Ancient Health & Disease-Paleopathology | ||
| Forensic Anthropology | ||
| Bone Detectives I: Human Osteology | ||
| Dental Anthropology | ||
| Bone Detectives II: Biological Profiles | ||
| Total Hours | 32-33 | |
- 1
WRIT 3800 Scientific Writing or WRIT 4100 Grant Writing recommended.
- 2
Courses used to satisfy the statistics, data visualization, or data processing requirement cannot be used to satisfy the requirements for biology electives, additional requirements, or related subjects.
- 3
Course numbers with the R suffix represent inquiry-driven, course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) courses, where students conduct original, open-ended, discovery-based research and may present their findings to the broader community
Overall Major GPA
Please contact your academic advisor for grade point requirements.
Resident Major GPA
Please contact your academic advisor for grade point requirements.
Other Academic Requirements
Students must achieve a grade of C or better in all coursework counted
for the major in biological science, and every biological science course
requires a grade of C or better in all prerequisite courses, including
those prerequisite courses from other departments. For example, BISC 1600 Biological Sciences I and BISC 1610 Biological Sciences I Laboratory must be passed with a grade of C or better before BISC 1620 Biological Sciences II and BISC 1630 Biological Sciences II Laboratory may be taken. In addition, BISC 1600 Biological Sciences I, BISC 1610 Biological Sciences I Laboratory, BISC 1620 Biological Sciences II, and BISC 1630 Biological Sciences II Laboratory must be passed with a grade of C or better before any additional biology course at the 3000 level or above is attempted. Seminars, BISC 4920 Directed Study in Biological Sciences II, and nonmajors courses do not satisfy the biology electives requirement.
Additional coursework in physics is recommended for students with the following
emphasis areas or interests: ecology and evolutionary biology, organismal
biology, or pre-health biological sciences.
Additional coursework in geology is recommended for students with the following
emphasis areas or interests: ecology and evolutionary biology or organismal
biology.
Biology majors may choose to specialize by using their biology electives
to add one optional emphasis, which requires a minimum of three courses
from the approved list for the emphasis. The same course may not satisfy
the biology core courses and an emphasis area. Students who complete
relevant special topics, travel courses, or independent research courses will
consult with their academic adviser prior to enrollment in the course to
determine if it fulfills a course for an emphasis area.
Emphasis-Integrative Biology
Complete 3 courses with a grade of C or better one from each of the following emphases: Ecology & Evolutionary Biology; Molecular, Cellular, Microbiology; and Organismal Biology, excluding BISC 3000 Research Methods in Biology.
Emphasis-Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select 3 courses from the following: | ||
| Research Methods in Biology | ||
| Evolution | ||
| Science in Practice | ||
| Introductory Marine Biology | ||
| Introductory Aquatic Biology | ||
| Biology of Invasive Species | ||
| Symbiosis: From Parasitism to Mutualism | ||
| Coastal Ecology | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Evolution and Medicine | ||
| Research in Freshwater Biology | ||
| Ecology of Plant Communities of MS | ||
| Introduction to Coral-Reef Ecology | ||
| Tropical Studies in Biology | ||
| Ecotoxicology | ||
| Principles of Ecological Genetics | ||
| Biometry | ||
| Spatial Ecology | ||
| Aquatic Microbiology | ||
| Theoretical Ecology | ||
| Limnological Methods | ||
| Population Genetics | ||
| Conservation Biology: Viable Populations | ||
| Aquatic Botany | ||
| Conservation and Restoration Ecology | ||
| Conservation Physiology | ||
| Advanced Field Study in Ecology | ||
| Freshwater Insects | ||
| Plant-Insect Interactions | ||
| Chemical Ecology | ||
| Biological Oceanography | ||
| Ecological Physiology | ||
| Microbial Experimental Evolution | ||
| Evolutionary Biology | ||
| Evolutionary Biology Laboratory | ||
| Infectious Disease Ecology | ||
Emphasis-Molecular, Cellular, & MicroBio
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select 3 courses from the following: | ||
| Research Methods in Biology | ||
| Science in Practice | ||
| Virology | ||
| General Microbiology | ||
| Introductory Molecular Genetics | ||
| Introductory Cell Biology | ||
| Immunology and Serology | ||
| Introduction to Molecular Systematics | ||
| Human and Vertebrate Genetics | ||
| Microbial Physiology | ||
| Developmental Biology | ||
| Topics in Bioinformatics | ||
| Cell Biology of Cancer | ||
| Microbial Genetics | ||
| Applied Microbiology | ||
| Medical Microbiology | ||
| Cell Physiology | ||
| Microbial Ecology | ||
| Molecular Microbiol. of Soils & Sediment | ||
| Cell Biol. of Neurodegenerative Disease | ||
| Microbial Diversity | ||
| Plant Cell and Developmental Biology | ||
| Diseases of the Nervous System | ||
| Cell and Molecular Biology | ||
| Radiation Biology | ||
| Microbial Experimental Evolution | ||
Emphasis-Organismal Biology
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select 3 courses from the following: | ||
| Symbiosis: From Parasitism to Mutualism | ||
| Medical Botany | ||
| Plant-Insect Interactions | ||
| Research Methods in Biology | ||
| Science in Practice | ||
| Human Anatomy | ||
| Botany | ||
| Introductory Neuroscience | ||
| Biology of Fishes | ||
| Principles of Physiology | ||
| Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates | ||
| Comparative Embryology of Vertebrates | ||
| Ornithology | ||
| Human Reproduction | ||
| Introductory Entomology | ||
| Invertebrate Zoology | ||
| Phycology | ||
| Plant Diversity | ||
| Biology of Sharks and Their Relatives | ||
| Mammalogy | ||
| Coastal Ecology | ||
| Vertebrate Histology | ||
| Elementary Parasitology | ||
| Methods in Comparative Neuroscience | ||
| Mycology | ||
| Biometry | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
| Plant Physiology | ||
| Microtechnique | ||
| Physiology of Aquatic Animals | ||
| Conservation Physiology | ||
| Endocrinology | ||
| Plant Morphology | ||
| Plant Taxonomy | ||
| Advanced Neuroscience | ||
| Hormones and Behavior | ||
| Functional Neuroanatomy | ||
| Herpetology | ||
| Advanced Histology | ||
| Protozoology | ||
| Comparative Animal Physiology | ||
Emphasis-Pre-Health Biological Sciences
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select 3 courses from the following: | ||
| Cell and Molecular Biology | ||
| Medical Botany | ||
| Diseases of the Nervous System | ||
| Research Methods in Biology | ||
| Science in Practice | ||
| Virology | ||
| Human Anatomy | ||
| Introductory Neuroscience | ||
| Principles of Physiology | ||
| Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates | ||
| Comparative Embryology of Vertebrates | ||
| General Microbiology | ||
| Human Reproduction | ||
| Introductory Cell Biology | ||
| Immunology and Serology | ||
| Vertebrate Histology | ||
| Evolution and Medicine | ||
| Human and Vertebrate Genetics | ||
| Developmental Biology | ||
| Cell Biology of Cancer | ||
| Medical Microbiology | ||
| Cell Physiology | ||
| Endocrinology | ||
| Advanced Neuroscience | ||
| Cell Biol. of Neurodegenerative Disease | ||
| Functional Neuroanatomy | ||