NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Students must complete WVU General Education Foundations requirements, College B.S. requirements, STEM Foundations requirements, major requirements, and electives with a minimum of 120 hours. For complete details on these requirements, visit the B.S. Degrees tab on the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences page.
Students intending to graduate with a B.S. in Biology must earn a minimum of 53 hours of coursework in biology or approved courses in the biological sciences, with a minimum of 120 hours total required for graduation.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 48 | |
| ECAS B.S. Requirements | 11 | |
| Biology Major Requirements | 61 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7 | 18 | |
| BIOL 191 | First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| General Electives | 29 | |
| Total Hours | 48 | |
Major Requirements fulfill additional ECAS BS Science requirements.
STEM foundation courses are common to most STEM majors and excluded from the calculation of the percentage of upper-division courses.
Up to 6 credits of research ( BIOL 386 , or BIOL 484 and BIOL 485 ) can be used towards the Upper-Division Biology Electives.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BIOL 191 | 1 | BIOL 117 & 117L (GEF 8; B.S. First Area 2) | 4 |
| BIOL 115 & 115L (GEF 2; B.S. First Area 1) | 4 | CHEM 116 & 116L (GEF 8; B.S. Second Area 2) | 4 |
| CHEM 115 & 115L (GEF 8; B.S. Second Area 1) | 4 | ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 |
| MATH 150 or 155 | 3 | GEF 5 | 3 |
| GEF 4 | 3 | General Elective | 1 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BIOL 219 & 219L | 4 | BIOL 221 | 3 |
| ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | BIOL 327 | 1 |
| ECAS BS Requirement 1 | 4 | BIOL 223 | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | ECAS BS Requirement 2 | 4 |
| AoE Cousre 1 ** | 3 | ||
| General Elective | 2 | ||
| 14 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BIOL 387 | 1 | AoE Course 4 | 4 |
| AoE Course 2 | 3 | BIOL 315 | 3 |
| AoE Course 3 | 3 | GEF 6 | 3 |
| BIOL 302 | 3 | General Elective | 4 |
| General Elective | 3 | ||
| General Elective | 3 | ||
| 16 | 14 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| BIOL 487 | 1 | Upper-Division Biology Elective | 3 |
| Upper-Division Biology Elective | 4 | Upper-Division Biology Elective | 3 |
| GEF 7 | 3 | BIOL Capstone * | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 4 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 14 | 16 | ||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||
Capstone options include BIOL 320, BIOL 321 or BIOL 486
At least two upper division lab courses must be taken, one of which can be 386 or 485.
This Area of Emphasis will prepare students for health professions, pharmacy and pharmacology, and graduate school in cellular or molecular biology, virology, genetics, immunology and a variety of related fields.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AGBI 410 | Introductory Biochemistry | 3 |
| BIOL 310 | Advanced Cellular/Molecular Biology | 3 |
| or BIOL 335 | Cell Physiology | |
| BIOL 316 | Developmental Biology | 3 |
| or BIOL 425 | Developmental Genetics | |
| BIOL 324 | Molecular Genetics | 3 |
| or BIOL 418 | Medical Genetics | |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
This Area of Emphasis will prepare students for government and industry careers in natural climate solutions, conservation, and environmental consulting, as well as graduate school in ecology, biogeochemistry, climate change and a variety of related fields.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 338 | Behavioral Ecology | 3 |
| or BIOL 361 & 361L | Plant Ecology and Plant Ecology Laboratory | |
| or BIOL 456 | Microbial Symbiosis | |
| or BIOL 457 | Ecology of Parasites | |
| or WMAN 446 & 446L | Freshwater Ecology and Freshwater Ecology Laboratory | |
| BIOL 365 & 365L | Conservation Biology and Conservation Biology Laboratory | 3 |
| or BIOL 448 | Plant-Microbial Interactions | |
| or BIOL 462 | Ecosystem Models | |
| or BIOL 463 | Global Ecology | |
| BIOL 436 | General Animal Physiology | 3 |
| or BIOL 350 & 350L | Plant Physiology and Plant Physiology Laboratory | |
| BIOL 461 | Principles of Evolution | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
This Area of Emphasis provides an overview of the sub-fields available to biologists. This area of emphasis will prepare students for careers in health care, government, consulting and industry. It also provides preparation for Master's Degree programs in biomedical science or ecology and environmental science.
Course options for each of the groups of biology electives are listed on the B.S. Biology page, under the section "Upper-Division Biology Electives."
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select one course from the Cell & Molecular Electives | 3 | |
| Select one course from the Organismal Electives | 3 | |
| Select one course from the Ecology and Ecosystems Electives | 3 | |
| Select one course from the Integrative Biology Electives | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Upon successful completion of the B.S. degree, Biology majors will demonstrate competency in these areas:
1. Biological Foundations: Students will demonstrate competency in the content areas (listed below) at three biological levels - cellular/molecular, organismal/physiological, ecosystem/ populations)
2. Integrative skills: Students will demonstrate interpersonal skills including: effective communication with both professional and general audiences in written and oral forms, the ability to work in collaborative teams, global perspective, and application of knowledge and skills from across the curriculum to social issues.
3: Scientific Tools: Students will be able to apply science process skills, including: scientific literacy, experimental design, collecting and analyzing data quantitatively and statistically, application of critical and analytical thinking.