Biology, BS

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The discipline of biology is extremely broad and deep. The curriculum in biology reflects this breadth with offerings ranging from introductory courses for biology majors and non-majors to advanced instruction in the various sub-disciplines in biology. Depth is provided within the biology major by courses that focus on progressively more specific aspects of selected subject areas within biology. The primary goal of the program in biology is to provide students with a broad background suitable for future work in any area of biology or in related fields. In the junior and senior years, students have the opportunity to deepen this general background or to begin specialization in various areas such as aquatic biology, plant biology, cellular and molecular biology, ecology, premedical and pre-professional studies, and zoology.

Furthermore, the sequential and developmental nature of the biology program emphasizes skills and techniques that are used to complete St. Mary’s Projects. Through a careful choice of courses, made in collaboration with their faculty advisers, students may prepare themselves for secondary school teaching, for graduate work in biology or related areas, for careers as professional biologists in laboratories or field stations, for work in environmental studies or conservation, and for professional training in health and medicine-related fields. The location of the College on the St. Mary’s River, a sub-estuary of the Chesapeake Bay, provides excellent opportunities for field studies in aquatic biology. Other research opportunities are available in laboratories at St. Mary’s College and, through the internship program, at government and privately funded research laboratories in Maryland and elsewhere. A cooperative agreement between the College and the University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Science provides opportunities for St. Mary’s College students to take special seminars and conduct research with faculty members at the nearby Chesapeake Biological Laboratory in Solomons. Each student is encouraged to participate in field and/or laboratory research in the biological sciences through independent study, internships, or St. Mary’s Projects. Biology students are expected to take seriously the opportunity to become broadly educated in the liberal arts. To earn a bachelors of science degree with a major in biology, a student must satisfy the following minimum requirements.

Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the theories, principles, and/or literature relevant to the biological subdiscipline
• Use core concepts to explain biological processes found in the biosphere
• Design experiments using the scientific method to address a biological problem
• Develop a curated bibliography from the scientific literature that supports a line of inquiry in the biological sciences
• Construct questions based upon analysis of primary literature in the biological sciences
• Construct an organized written product and deliver an organized oral presentation that convey scientific information at a level appropriate to the audience