School:
College of Science

Department:
Biological Science

Student Type:
Undergraduate

Program:
Biology

Faculty:
Preston Aldrich, Ph.D.
Craig E. Broeder, Ph.D., Director, Clinical Exercise Physiology
Philip Novack-Gottshall, Ph.D.
Laura Gruss, Ph.D.
Cheryl A. Heinz, Ph.D.
Lawrence F. Kamin, Ph.D.
Alfred R. Martin, Ph.D.
John Mickus, Ph.D.
Robin Pals-Rylaarsdam, Ph.D.
Alice N. Sima, R.N., M.S.N., M.B.A., Director, Pre-Professional Health Programs
Lee Ann Smith, Ph.D.
Rev. Theodore D. Suchy, O.S.B., M.S., Curator, Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum
Donald B. Taylor, Ph.D.
Monica Lee Tischler, Ph.D.
Allison K. Wilson, Ph.D., Chair, Biological Sciences
Fr. Edmund J. Jurica, OSB, Professor Emeritus
Fr. Hilary J. Jurica, OSB, Professor Emeritus

Lecturers:
Jason Adams, M.S.
Christine Beatty, Ph.D.
Pat Blaney, D.D.S.
William Carvell Ph.D.
Vandana Chinwalla, Ph.D.
William Chura, Ph.D.
Thomas Cornwell, M.D.
Dominic Costabile, D.O.
Jennifer Craven, M.S.
Abigail Derby, Ph.D.
Philip DuPont, M.D. Ph.D.
Peter Gallos, D.D.S.
Kathryn Kennedy, D.D.S.
Tom Knudson, M.S.
Denise Leonard, Ph.D.
Sharon Luckhardt, O.D.
David Maze, O.D.
Daniel Olson, Ed.D.
Scott Padalik, M.D.
Patricia Pascoe M.S.
David Piazza, M.D.
Leonard Piazza, M.D.
Joseph Podojil, Ph.D.
Roli Prasad, Ph.D.
Terrence Puryear, Ph.D.
Stephen Rowley, M.D.
Jayashree Sarathy, Ph.D.
Nancy Schubert, D.O.
Regina Schurman, M.S., RCEP, CPA
Veronica Stellmach, Ph.D.
Greg Stevens, D.M.D.
Paula Tomczak, Ph.D.
Marjorie VanderWagen, M.S.
Daryl Wilson, M.D.

The Lecturers listed are individuals who have been employed as instructors on an as-needed basis, within the last several years, to teach courses at Benedictine University. Instructors listed may not currently be employed by Benedictine University. The University is fortunate to be able to provide our students with part-time faculty whose experience, credentials and commitment to eduction add to the high quality of our resident faculty.

The Lecturers listed are individuals who have been employed as instructors on an as-needed basis, within the last several years, to teach courses at Benedictine University. Instructors listed may not currently be employed by Benedictine University. The University is fortunate to be able to provide our students with part-time faculty whose experience, credentials and commitment to education add to the high quality of our resident faculty.

Research Associate:
James C. VandenBerge, Ph.D.

Objectives:
The Biology degree program is designed to:

1. Expose students to current biological issues within a liberal arts context;

2. Introduce the range of biological levels of organization - from molecular biology to organismic to population biology;

3. Expose students to current technologies to find information, demonstrate understanding of problems, identify appropriate strategies to solve problems and select proper tools and assessment to address problems.

4. Integrate the chemical, physical and mathematical principles necessary for a more complete understanding of the primary mechanisms of biology such as heredity, evolution and development.

The BS in Biology is designed to prepare students for graduate study in the biological sciences, for professional study in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, other biomedical specialties and related health careers as well as for careers as high school teachers. In addition, it prepares students to obtain jobs in research, pharmaceutical sales, quality assurance testing and as naturalists.

The BA in Biology prepares students to pursue careers in law, journalism, the environmental sector, graduate study in nursing and public health, and for jobs in pharmaceutical sales and the general work force.

The biology department also offers a variety of first-year biology courses for all University students, intended to introduce non-biologists to living organisms and current issues in biology.

Requirements - Major:
The B.S. in Biology major must complete 37 hours of biology courses with a grade of “C” or higher. A minimum of 30 semester hours in BIOL must be at the 200 level or above including nine hours at the 300 level. Coursework must include BIOL-C197(3), C198(3), C199(1), 229(3), 250(3), 251(1), 340(3), 341(1), 363(3), 364(1); CHEM- C113(3), C114(1), C123(3), C124(1), 242(3), 243(1), 247(3), 248(1); PHYS-C113(3), C114(1), C118(3), C119(1); MATH-111(3), 207(1), 210 (4) or 220(4) or proficiency in MATH 210 or higher; BCHM 261(3) or 361(3). Majors must also complete an organismal course to be chosen from BIOL-204(3), 208(4), 249(3), 271(3) or other approved courses and a systems course to be chosen from BIOL- 203(4), 228(4), 256 (3-4), 258(4), 325(3) or other courses approved by program faculty, plus 7-9 additional hours of biology electives at the 200 level or above. The writing intensive courses in the major are Biol 341 and Biol 364.

The B.A. in Biology major consists of 66 semester hours of coursework that must be completed with a grade of “C” or higher. A minimum of 23 semester hours in BIOL must be at the 200 level or above including six of the nine hours of 300 level credits required for the major. The other three hours may be a humanities course. Coursework must include BIOL-C197(3), C198(3), C199(1), 201(3) or 301(3) or 313(3), 205(3), 250(3); CHEM- C113(3), C114(1), C123(3), C124(1); CHEM- 242(3) 243(1) or 103(3), 104(1); PHYS-C113(3), C114(1) or PHYS 107(4); MATH-111(3) or proficiency in MATH 111 or higher; HUMN 220 (3), 230(3), 240(3), 250(3). Majors must complete three Humanities-Science core courses to be chosen from NTSC 210(3), PHIL 290(3), PHIL- 246(3) or 248(3), RELS 225(3) or other approved courses and one additional RELS or THEO course. Two semesters of one foreign language, including Greek or Latin, is required or if proficiency is demonstrated at or above the 200 level, one additional semester of a foreign language must be completed. Majors must also complete an organismal course to be chosen from BIOL-204(3), 208(4), 249(3), 271(3) or other approved courses and a systems course to be chosen from BIOL- 203(4), 228(4), 256 (3-4), 258(4), 325(3) or other courses approved by program faculty, one upper-level BIOL lab (>200 level), and a writing intensive interdisciplinary project (1). Additional electives necessary to fulfill the 66 total hours must be in BIOL or arts and humanities courses.

These two paragraphs apply to both BA and BS:
We encourage students to further their learning by assisting in labs. However, only two credits in BIOL 292 will count towards the BA or BS in Biology major.
A student majoring in Biology (BA or BS) may only earn one major in the biochemistry/molecular biology, biology, environmental science, health science, physics (biological physics concentration?) and medical humanities programs.

The following applies to both BA and BS Biology Students:

We encourage students to further their learning by assisting in labs. However, only two credits in BIOL 292 will count towards the BA or BS in Biology major.

A student majoring in Biology (BA or BS) may only earn one major in the biochemistry/molecular biology, biology, environmental science, health science, physics (biological physics concentration) and medical humanities programs.

A student may have only one major in the biochemistry/molecular biology, biology, environmental science, and health science programs.

We strongly encourage students to further their labs. However, only 2 credits of learning by assisting in BIO 292 will count towards the Biology major.

Requirements - Minor:
Students seeking a minor in biology must complete, with a grade of "C" or better: CHEM-C113(3), C114(1), C123(3), C124(1); BIOL-197(3), 198(3), 199(1), and at least 16 semester hours in biology at the 200-level or above, including at least three credit hours at the 300-level.

All Chemistry courses (8 hrs) and all Biology courses (20 hrs) must be passed with a grade of "C" or better.

A minor in Biology is available only to students whose major is outside the Department of Biological Sciences. However, Medical Humanities majors cannot minor in Biology.

Requirements - Teaching Certification:
Students desiring to be certified to teach biology on the secondary level (grades 6-12) are to declare themselves as biology majors and education minors and register with the Benedictine University Education Program as teaching certificate candidates. Advising is then a joint responsibility of the biology and the education programs.
Students must complete the requirement for a major in biology as well as the requirements of the Teacher Certification Program in Secondary Education which includes an education minor (see Education).

Majors must complete 37 hours in biology, of which 30 hours are at the 200 level or above, including 11 hours at the 300 level, and required cognates with a grade of “C” or higher. Coursework must include BIOL-C197(3), C198(3), C199(1), 204(3), 208(4), 250(3), 251(1), 258(4), 292(1), 313(3) or 301(3), 340(3), 341(1), 363(3), 364(1) and three hours of BIOL elective; CHEM- C113(3), C114(1), C123(3), C124(1), 242(3), 243(1), 247(3), 248(1); PHYS-107(4), C113(3), C114(1), C118(3), C119(1); MATH-111(3), 207(1), 210 (4) or 220(4) or proficiency in MATH 210 or higher; BCHM 261(3) or 361(3) and PHIL 290(3). The writing intensive courses in the major are Biol 341 and Biol 364.

Major Sheet:
http://www.ben.edu/major_sheets/Biol.pdf (will open in a new window)

The information contained on this page is from the 2008-2009 Undergraduate Catalog and is valid until August 1, 2009.

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