麻豆社

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Biology

Bachelor of Science

Degree Type:
B.S.
College:
College of Arts & Sciences
Department:
Biology

Combine your passion and purpose with a world of career possibilities.

Save lives through medicine and research. Restore the health of the environment. Advocate for equitable public health. You can do all this and more when you major in biology at 麻豆社. Our hands-on, student-focused program prepares you for success in graduate, medical, and professional school, as well as for a wide range of scientific careers.

Rich Research Opportunities

Assist your professor with their research or develop a project of your own. These experiences can lead to presentations at regional and national conferences, and even at DISCOVER, an annual event showcasing undergraduate research, creativity, and academic achievement across campus.

Unique Field Experiences

Travel to Costa Rica with the Tropical Field Biology class over spring break. Monitor drought conditions in the Mojave Desert in California. Explore the Lake Erie shoreline. Our faculty members regularly lead study tours and class activities in the field, locally, and beyond.

Immersive Internships

Spend the summer or a semester interning with a research or healthcare organization, museum or educational facility, park or nature preserve, or another location related to your career goals. You'll not only learn by doing, but also make career connections along the way.

Engaged Student Groups

Get involved with the Pre-Health Society, Environmental Issues Group, or the national biology honor society, TriBeta. Whether you're looking for professional development, service opportunities, or just camaraderie, these groups will enrich your JCU experience.

  • Rich Research Opportunities

    Assist your professor with their research or develop a project of your own. These experiences can lead to presentations at regional and national conferences, and even at DISCOVER, an annual event showcasing undergraduate research, creativity, and academic achievement across campus.

  • Unique Field Experiences

    Travel to Costa Rica with the Tropical Field Biology class over spring break. Monitor drought conditions in the Mojave Desert in California. Explore the Lake Erie shoreline. Our faculty members regularly lead study tours and class activities in the field, locally, and beyond.

  • Immersive Internships

    Spend the summer or a semester interning with a research or healthcare organization, museum or educational facility, park or nature preserve, or another location related to your career goals. You'll not only learn by doing, but also make career connections along the way.

  • Engaged Student Groups

    Get involved with the Pre-Health Society, Environmental Issues Group, or the national biology honor society, TriBeta. Whether you're looking for professional development, service opportunities, or just camaraderie, these groups will enrich your JCU experience.

  • 98% Acceptance rate for students entering medical or health professional schools

  • 90% of students complete two or more high-impact learning experiences (such as research or internships)

  • 8-12 Students in upper-level lab classes

  • 700+ Biomedical companies in Cleveland, a world-renowned hub of innovation

Program Overview & Outcomes

When you major in biology at JCU, you'll join a vibrant, welcoming community eager to guide each step of your academic and personal growth. Whatever your goals are after graduation, you'll have a dedicated advisor to help you plot your path.

Learn the bedrock skills and habits required for scientific discovery, including problem-solving techniques and how to draw fresh ideas from seemingly random material. You'll apply these good thinking habits in the lab, during field work, at internships, and through faculty-mentored research.

Curriculum: What You Will Learn

You'll explore the three core areas of biology: cellular and molecular biology; organismal biology; and evolutionary biology, ecology, and biodiversity. You can also choose courses that fit your career goals or grad school interests, such as medical microbiology, plant physiology, or global climate change.

  • Concentration: Neuroscience

    Sci: Principles Of Biology I

    3 Credits

    BL1500

    For science majors. BL1500 is prerequisite to BL1600 and BL1700. Three hours of lecture per week. Basic chemical principles; cell structure and organization; metabolism of plants and animals. Corequisite: BL1505.

    Principles Of Biology Laboratory Ii

    1 Credits

    BL1605

    Three hours of laboratory per week. Laboratory study of plant and animal anatomy and physiology. Prerequisite: BL157 or BL1505. Corequisite: BL1600. Additional fees apply to this course. Please see the section schedule for amount details.

    Sci: General Chemistry I

    4 Credits

    CH1410

    Four hours of lecture per week. Stoichiometry, thermochemistry, states of matter, atomic structure, chemical bonding, molecular structure, oxidation-reduction, acid-base, solutions. Corequisite: CH 1430. Offered: Fall.

    General Chemistry Lab Ii

    1 Credits

    CH1440

    Three hours of laboratory per week. Laboratory experiments illustrating principles developed in the corequisite lecture courses. Offered: Spring, Prerequisites: (CH 1410 or CH 141) and (CH 1430 or CH 143). Corequisites: CH 1420. Additional fees apply to this course. Please see the section schedule for amount details.

  • Concentration: Medical Laboratory Sciences

    Sci: Principles Of Biology I

    3 Credits

    BL1500

    For science majors. BL1500 is prerequisite to BL1600 and BL1700. Three hours of lecture per week. Basic chemical principles; cell structure and organization; metabolism of plants and animals. Corequisite: BL1505.

    Principles Of Biology Laboratory Ii

    1 Credits

    BL1605

    Three hours of laboratory per week. Laboratory study of plant and animal anatomy and physiology. Prerequisite: BL157 or BL1505. Corequisite: BL1600. Additional fees apply to this course. Please see the section schedule for amount details.

    Sci: General Chemistry I

    4 Credits

    CH1410

    Four hours of lecture per week. Stoichiometry, thermochemistry, states of matter, atomic structure, chemical bonding, molecular structure, oxidation-reduction, acid-base, solutions. Corequisite: CH 1430. Offered: Fall.

    General Chemistry Lab Ii

    1 Credits

    CH1440

    Three hours of laboratory per week. Laboratory experiments illustrating principles developed in the corequisite lecture courses. Offered: Spring, Prerequisites: (CH 1410 or CH 141) and (CH 1430 or CH 143). Corequisites: CH 1420. Additional fees apply to this course. Please see the section schedule for amount details.

  • Major Required Courses

    Sci: Principles Of Biology I

    3 Credits

    BL1500

    For science majors. BL1500 is prerequisite to BL1600 and BL1700. Three hours of lecture per week. Basic chemical principles; cell structure and organization; metabolism of plants and animals. Corequisite: BL1505.

    Principles Of Biology Laboratory I

    1 Credits

    BL1505

    Three hours of laboratory per week. Laboratory study of the scientific method as applied to biology, focusing on development of skills through inquiry-based learning. Corequisite: BL1500. Additional fees apply to this course. Please see the section schedule for amount details.

    Sci: Principles Of Biology Ii

    3 Credits

    BL1600

    For science majors. Three hours of lecture per week. Plant and animal anatomy and physiology. Prerequisite: BL155 or BL 1500. Corequisite: BL1605.

    Principles Of Biology Laboratory Ii

    1 Credits

    BL1605

    Three hours of laboratory per week. Laboratory study of plant and animal anatomy and physiology. Prerequisite: BL157 or BL1505. Corequisite: BL1600. Additional fees apply to this course. Please see the section schedule for amount details.

    Bl1700

    BL1700

    Bl1705

    BL1705

    Three hours of laboratory per week. Evolutionary relationships among bacteria, algae, protists, fungi, and multicellular plants and animals. Prerequisite: BL157 or BL1505, or BL158 or BL1605. Corequisite: BL1700. Additional fees apply to this course. Please see the section schedule for amount details.

    Genetics

    4 Credits

    BL2130

    Four hours of lecture per week. Principles of molecular, transmission, quantitative, and population genetics; social and ethical implications of genetics. Prerequisite: BL155 or BL1500, BL157 or BL1505, BL156 or BL1600, and BL158 or BL1605.

    Bl2310

    BL2310

    Three hours of lecture per week. Integrated discussion of human anatomy and physiology. Note: Completion of only BL2310 and BL2315 means the single semester will not count toward the BL major or BL minor. This class is intended for students planning to enter health professional programs, such as anesthesiologist assistant, dentistry, nursing, occupational/physical therapy, optometry, and physician assistant. Prerequisite: BL155 or BL1500, BL157 or BL1505, BL156 or BL1600, BL158 or BL1605. Corequisite: BL2315.

    Bl2320

    BL2320

    Bl3020

    BL3020

    Bl3500

    BL3500

    Medical Physiology

    4 Credits

    BL3600

    Must be a declared Biology, Cell & Molecular Biology, Environmental Science, or Chemistry major or have a declared Neuroscience concentration. Three hours of lecture per week. Integration of the biological and regulatory functions which achieve homeostasis in the human body, from the cellular level to the entire organism. Special focus on muscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, and excretory systems, interwoven with their control by neurological and hormonal processes in health and disease. Prerequisite: BL155 or BL1500, BL157 or BL1505, BL156 or BL1600, and BL158 or BL1605. Corequisite: BL3605.

    Bl4100

    BL4100

    Bl4200

    BL4200

    Bl4710

    BL4710

    Three hours of lecture per week. Concepts of humoral and cell-mediated immunity with emphasis on the cellular basis of the immune response. Experimental evidence emphasized. Prerequisite: BL213 or BL2130.

    Bl4750

    BL4750

    Three hours of lecture per week. The endocrine glands, hormones, and their mechanisms of action in mammals. Prerequisite: BL155 or BL1500, BL157 or BL1505, BL156 or BL1600, and BL158 or BL1605.

    Bl2220

    BL2220

    Bl2240

    BL2240

    Global Climate Change

    3 Credits

    BL3310

    Three hours of lecture/discussion per week. Historical overview of climate change; effects of greenhouse gases, aerosols, and radiative forcing mechanisms on climate processes and feedbacks; effects of rapid climate change on selected ecosystems; predicted future changes; climate denial; political and ethical considerations in implementation of mitigation policies. Prerequisite: BL155 or BL1500, BL157 or BL1505, BL156 or BL1600, BL158 or BL1605, BL159 or BL1700, and BL160 or BL1705.

    Bl3700

    BL3700

    Bl4060

    BL4060

    Three hours of lecture per week; spring break field trip to a tropical rain forest in Central or South America required. Introduction to the biology and ecology of the tropics, with an emphasis on tropical field research. Includes experimental design, data analysis, write-up, and presentation. Group research project and program fee required. Prerequisite: BL155 or BL1500, BL157 or BL1505, BL156 or BL1600, BL158 or BL1605, BL159 or BL1700, and BL160 or BL1705 and permission of instructor. BL2220 is recommended.

    Bl4170

    BL4170

    Three hours of lecture per week. Introduction to analysis of spatial data using ArcGIS software. Students will acquire hands-on experience with a variety of analytical techniques and spatial data types, and apply their skills to investigate environmental and social problems using GIS. Prerequisite: BL155 or BL1500, BL157 or BL1505, BL156 or BL1600, BL158 or BL1605, BL159 or BL1700, and BL160 or 1705. Corequisite: BL4175. Additional fees apply to this course. Please see the section schedule for amount details.

    Bl4190

    BL4190

    Bl4230

    BL4230

    Bl4240

    BL4240

    Three hours of lecture per week. Study of aquatic organisms and their environment. Study of algae, insects, and fish as biological indicators of water and habitat quality in stream, lake, and wetland ecosystems. Impacts of water pollution, acidification, and other anthropogenic disturbances on aquatic systems. Prerequisites: BL155 or BL1500, BL157 or BL1505, BL156 or BL1600, BL158 or BL1605, BL159 or BL1700.

    Bl4260

    BL4260

    Bl4350

    BL4350

    Bl4400

    BL4400

    Bl4440

    BL4440

    Three hours of lecture/discussion per week. Topics include predator-prey interactions, global change, niche theory, competition, null models, and community assembly rules. Prerequisite: BL222 or BL 2220, and DATA228 or DATA2280. Corequisite: BL4445. Additional fees apply to this course. Please see the section schedule for amount details.

    Bl4470

    BL4470

    Two hours of lecture per week. Emphasis is on taxonomy and ecology of diatoms, but cyanobacteria, green algae, euglenoids, and other indicator taxa will also be examined. Prerequisites: BL159 or BL1700, and BL160 or BL1705. Corequisite: BL4475.

    Bl4540

    BL4540

Related Programs

Still deciding on your program of study at JCU or considering a second major? Here are some other academic areas to explore.

Complementary Minors

  • “The 麻豆社 biology department gave me the opportunity to pursue my passions in both medicine and the widely expansive field of biological sciences. ”

    Jacob Clark ’24 Biology Major

Career Opportunities

Our graduates work at leading organizations including:

Cleveland Clinic

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