Bachelor of Science
College of Arts and Sciences
Biology is the study of life and serves as the basic science for such areas as medicine, agriculture and ecology. Life forms as diverse as bacteria, humans and plants are investigated from a variety of perspectives. Most biologists tend to concentrate in one or more of the sub-specialties of botany, zoology, molecular biology, ecology, genetics, neurobiology or microbiology. Some biologists conduct the basic research necessary to develop new technologies, while others use those discoveries in such areas as medicine and agriculture.
Career opportunities in biology are numerous and varied. The health field employs a large number of biology graduates as environmental health specialists and public health specialists. Research positions are available in both government and industry, including such areas as industrial microbiology, environmental toxicology and pollution control.
Some students continue their education in medical, dental, optometry or veterinary medicine school or attend graduate school to further specialize in an area of interest. Biology teachers are also needed in junior and senior high schools.
Career opportunities vary depending upon the particular specialization of the student. Graduates are employed in a variety of capacities from grain inspector to industrial hygienist for a pharmaceutical company. Specialists may find employment with governmental agencies in natural resource management, urban forestry, wildlife ecology, freshwater or marine biology and agricultural research.
The major is designed to provide training in the major areas of biology while allowing flexibility to accommodate the specific interests of individual students. All students are required to take the biology core program consisting of a biology seminar for entering freshman, two introductory courses covering biological principles and a course in genetics.
Within this framework a student may choose to take an array of courses in this discipline and may specialize in one of two areas: Ecology & Conservation Biology or Aquatic & Marine Biology. The biology major requires mathematics through calculus, organic chemistry and at least one course in physics. This rigorous curriculum is a positive aspect when viewed by prospective employers.
In addition to its highly qualified faculty and five-story teaching and research facility, the department boasts extensive instrumentation including: scanning and transmission electron microscopes, spectrophotometers, environmental growth chambers, cell culture room, fluorescence light microscope, DNA sequencers, thermocyclers, ultra centrifuges and equipment for radioactive tracer studies. Through lab exercises we teach students how to use this equipment.
Exposing students to the latest techniques and research opportunities, the department maintains a 3,000-gallon inland marine laboratory in conjunction with a cooperative program with the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs, Miss. A 65-acre forest preserve is available for field trips and students to use and research, as well as an ecological research center. Students interested in plant sciences and molecular biologn/genetics have access to a greenhouse complex to maintain and breed various plants. Also available is a 20,000-specimen herbarium.
A 7,200-square-foot approved animal facility with surgical, breeding, holding and treatment rooms is an annex to the Life Sciences Building. Opportunities also exist for off-campus study at affiliated biological field stations or by participation in one of the department’s field trips.
Several undergraduate awards as well as assistant-ships and scholarships are available to biology majors.
Students having interests in the biological sciences should try to enter college with at least one year each of high school biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics through advanced algebra. Students without this background may still do very well if they are skilled at reading, math, and writing and have an aptitude for science.
Completing the requirements for high school graduation is necessary for admission to BGSU, but only finishing the minimum coursework will leave you unprepared for college. Consider taking four years of mathematics instead of the three that are required. Two, three or even four years of the same foreign language is excellent preparation for college. You will also benefit from competency in computer use. Courses that provide exposure to or training in the visual and performing arts are excellent choices.
BGSU's website for future students contains University highlights, admissions procedures, financial aid information and many department profiles. It can be accessed at www.bgsu.edu.
Bowling Green State University is a vibrant university that engages, challenges and prepares students for meaningful futures. At BGSU, students enjoy an education that integrates personal growth, academic excellence and an environment that expands their thinking and potential. A mid-size residential university, BGSU has an enrollment of approximately 20,000 and a full-time faculty of more than 900 on its main campus. More than 200 undergraduate majors and programs are offered as well as master's and doctoral level programs.
NOTE: Information in this guide is subject to change without notice. To learn more about the official program of study for Biology, please check the undergraduate catalog online at www.bgsu.edu/catalog/A_S/A_S36.html.
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