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2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Biology B.S., with Animal Biology Concentration
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Biology B.S.
TOTAL MAJOR HOURS: 120
Plans of Study
The Bachelor of Science in Biology provides a broad, robust foundation in the biological sciences. It prepares students for graduate programs in biology (e.g. zoology, botany, conservation biology, microbiology, marine biology, ecology and evolution) as well as professional degrees in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and pharmacology, or biology careers with industry and government agencies. The program emphasizes the development of critical thinking and communication skills, as well as competency in experimental design, data analysis and methodology for lab and field research. The concentrations allow students to focus coursework according to their interests. A wide range of skill-building opportunities are available to students through undergraduate research, internships, study abroad, service learning, and field courses.
University Admissions - College of Arts & Sciences
Admission to the University is based on the University’s Undergraduate Admission Requirements that may be found by clicking on the following:
For Admission information specific to the College of Arts & Sciences, see the information at College of Arts and Sciences .
State Mandated Common Course Prerequisites
Students wishing to transfer to USF should complete an A.A. degree at a Florida College System institution. Some courses required for the major may also meet General Education requirements thereby transferring maximum hours to the university.
If a student wishes to transfer without an A.A. degree and has fewer than 60 semester hours of acceptable credit, the student must meet the university’s entering freshman requirements including ACT or SAT test scores, GPA, and course requirements.
Transfer students are also required to comply with the immunization, foreign language, and continuous enrollment policies of the university.
Students should complete the following prerequisite courses at the lower level prior to entering the university. If these courses are not taken at a Florida College System institution, they must be completed before the degree is granted.
Unless stated otherwise, a grade of C- is the minimum acceptable grade in prerequisite courses.
- (BSC X010 and BSC X010L Biology I with Lab) or BSC X010C or BSC X040C - 4 credit hours
- (BSC X011 and BSC X011L Biology II with Lab) or BSC X011C or BSC X041C - 4 credit hours
- (CHM X045 and CHM X045L Chemistry I with Lab) or CHM X045C or (CHM X040 and CHM X041) - 4-6 credit hours
- CHM X046C or (CHM X046 & CHM X046L Chemistry II with Lab) - 4 credit hours
- MAC X311 or MAC X233 or MAC X253 or MAC X281 or MAC X241 - 3-4 credit hours
- (PHY X054 & PHY X053L & PHY X048L & PHY X053) or (PHY X048 & PHY X048L & PHY X049 & PHY X049L) or (PHY X049L & PHY X054 & PHY X048L & PHY X053) or (CHM X210C & CHM X211C) or (CHM X210 & CHM X210L & CHM X211 & CHM X211L) - 8-10 credit hours
- STA X024 or STA X321 or STA X023 or MAC X234 or MAC X312 or MAC X282 - 3-4 credit hours
Required Supporting Courses for the Major: 4 courses; 8-10 credit hours
Students choose one of two supporting course sequence options, based on the completed common course prerequisites. The two course sequence options are as follows.
A minimum grade of C- is required in each Required Supporting course.
Note: The course sequence that will count toward the Supporting Courses requirement is based on which sequence (Organic Chemistry or Physics) the student took to meet the Common Prerequisite requirement. If the Organic Chemistry sequence was taken to fulfill the Common Prerequisite requirement, the Physics sequence will meet the Supporting Courses requirement. The opposite is true if the Physics requirement was used to meet the Common Prerequisite requirement.
The following courses are supporting courses for this major. They are required for the major, but are not counted in the total major hours but are counted toward the total program hours of 120 credit hours. The degree will not be awarded if these courses have not been taken by the end of the student’s final semester.
1. Organic Chemistry I and II, with Laboratories (10 credit hours)
2. Physics I and II (Calculus-based or General), with Laboratories (8 credit hours)
Required Courses: (28 Credit Hours)
Note: A course used to complete one major requirement/area may not be used to fulfill other major requirements.
Major Core Courses: 5 Courses; 11 credit hours
Major (Restricted) Electives: (17 credit hours)
Students complete a General Biology program of study or complete one of four concentrations: Animal Biology, Medical Biology, Ecology and Evolution or Plant Biology. The concentrations are a minimum of 13 credit hours. Students who declare a concentration will take a maximum of 4 additional credit hours to meet the total major electives requirement (which is a minimum of 17 credit hours).
If students do not declare a concentration, they will follow the General Biology program of study and take a minimum of 17 credit hours to meet the major electives requirement.
Animal Biology Concentration: 5 courses; 17 credit hours
Concentration Core: 1 course; 4 credit hours
Select a minimum of one of the following courses.
NOTE: Course not completed in the Concentration Core may be taken toward the Restricted Electives requirement.
Restricted Electives: 3 courses; 9 credit hours
Select a minimum of three (3) courses from of the following list and/or chose unused courses from the concentration core section above.
*Registration in Selected Topics courses requires prior Departmental approval.
Note: A course used as a concentration core requirement cannot also be used to meet the restricted elective requirement.
Major Laboratory Course Requirement: 1 lab courses; 1 credit hour
A minimum of one course from the restricted electives and additional course requirement must include a laboratory component (Both “L” and “C” courses approved for the major count for this requirement).
Biology B.S. - Additional Information
GPA Requirements
Major GPA (All USF courses which are applied to major requirements): 2.0
General Education GPA (All USF courses which are applied to General Education requirements): 2.0
USF GPA: 2.0
Overall GPA: 2.0
Grading Requirements
C- or better to meet major course requirements unless specified elsewhere. Will vary by area.
Note: Some USF courses have higher grade criteria to meet prerequisite knowledge necessary for progression into higher level courses.
Residency Requirements
Department and College of Arts & Sciences Major Academic Residency Requirement - 50% of major must be completed at USF.
USF Academic Residency Requirement - 30 of the last 60 hours earned must be from USF.
Other Requirements
- A maximum of four credit hours of BSC 4910 Undergraduate Research and BSC 4940 Internship may be applied to the Biology major.
- No pass/fail or S/U minimum grades for major coursework.
- A course(s) used to complete one major requirement may not be used to fulfill another major requirement.
Research Opportunities
Undergraduate students in any degree program are able to participate in undergraduate research. Several options exist to show mentored undergraduate research activity on a student’s official transcript. Those who wish to enroll in an undergraduate research course should consult with their academic advisor to understand how the credit will apply towards the degree requirements. If no credit is needed, students may be eligible to enroll in the 0-credit IDS 4914 course. This course will not impact degree credits or GPA but will show on an official transcript and document the experience. The Office of Undergraduate Research is able to assist with further inquiries.
Internship Opportunities
A maximum of four credit hours of BSC 4910 Undergraduate Research and BSC 4940 Internship may be applied to the Biology major.
4 Year Plan of Study - Biology B.S.
NOTES:
Potential Entry Level Job Titles:
- Physician Assistant
- Project Manager
- Veterinarian
Potential Entry Level Salary Range:
Semester 1 (Fall)
Total Credit Hours: 15
Semester 2 (Spring)
Total Credit Hours: 14
Semester 4 (Fall)
Total Credit Hours: 15
Semester 5 (Spring)
Total Credit Hours: 15
Semester 6 (Summer)
Total Credit Hours: 3
Semester 7 (Fall)
Total Credit Hours: 13
Semester 8 (Spring)
Total Credit Hours: 14
Semester 9 (Summer)
- Upper-Level Elective Credit(s): 3
- Upper-Level Elective Credit(s): 3
Total Credit Hours: 6
Semester 10 (Fall)
- General/Unrestricted Elective Credit(s): 2
- Major Elective/Concentration Credit(s): 4
- Major Elective/Concentration Credit(s): 4
- Upper-level Elective Credit(s): 3
Total Credit Hours: 13
Semester 11 (Spring)
Total Credit Hours: 12
2 Year Plan of Study - Biology B.S.
NOTES:
Semester 1 (Fall)
Total Credit Hours: 14
Semester 2 (Spring)
Total Credit Hours: 15
Semester 3 (Summer)
- Upper-Level Elective Credit(s): 3
- Upper-Level Elective Credit(s): 3
Total Credit Hours: 6
Semester 4 (Fall)
- Major Elective/Concentration Credit(s): 4
- Major Elective/Concentration Credit(s): 4
- Major Elective/Concentration Credit(s): 3
- General/Unrestricted Elective Credit(s): 2
Total Credit Hours: 13
Semester 5 (Spring)
- PCB 4674 - Organic Evolution Credit(s): 3
- Upper-Level Elective Credit(s): 3
- Major Elective/Concentration Credit(s): 3
- Major Elective/Concentration Credit(s): 3
- Apply for Graduation
Total Credit Hours: 12
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