Program: Biology, Organismal Biology and Ecology Concentration, B.S. - Middle Tennessee State University

Apr 04, 2025

2017-18 Undergraduate Catalog

Department of Biology
615-898-2847
Dennis Mullen, program coordinator
Dennis.Mullen@mtsu.edu

Every Biology major is required to declare a concentration area. Each area requires hours to be selected from a set of designated courses. Four tracks are available under the Organismal Biology and Ecology concentration: botany, zoology, ecology, or general.

All Biology majors are assigned a professional advisor. The student is responsible for seeking the assistance of the advisor. This catalog is not intended to provide the detail necessary for self-advising.

Academic Map

Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses:

Biology, Organismal Biology and Ecology, B.S., Academic Map

Degree Requirements

General Education (41 hours)

General Education requirements include courses in Communication, History, Humanities, and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences categories.

The following General Education courses are included in this major:

MATH 1910 (Math)
BIOL 1110 and BIOL 1111 (Nat Sci)
CHEM 1110 and CHEM 1111 (Nat Sci)

Major Requirements (42 hours)

Biology Core (29 hours)

BIOL 1000 - Introduction to the Biology Major 1 credit hour
BIOL 1110 - General Biology I 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 1111 - General Biology I Lab 0 credit hours (4 credit hours may be counted in General Education)
BIOL 1120 - General Biology II 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 1121 - General Biology II Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 2230 - Microbiology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 2231 - Microbiology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 3250 - Genetics 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 3251 - Genetics Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 3400 - General Ecology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 3401 - General Ecology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 3500 - Evolution 3 credit hours
BIOL 4200 - Senior Seminar 1 credit hour
BIOL 4110 - General Physiology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4111 - General Physiology Lab 0 credit hours
OR
BIOL 4210 - Cell and Molecular Biology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4211 - Cell and Molecular Biology Lab 0 credit hours
OR
BIOL 4500 - Plant Physiology 4 credit hours

Organismal Biology and Ecology Concentration (10 hours)

Students may select from the Organismal Biology and Ecology concentration courses or may choose one of the tracks below.

BIOL 3020 - Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 3021 - Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 3040 - Entomology 3 credit hours
BIOL 3050 - Parasitology 3 credit hours AND
BIOL 3051 - Parasitology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 4080 - Mycology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4081 - Mycology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 4090 - Forest Ecology 4 credit hours
BIOL 4140 - Invertebrate Zoology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4141 - Invertebrate Zoology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 4180 - Vertebrate Zoology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4181 - Vertebrate Zoology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 4220 - Ichthyology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4221 - Ichthyology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 4330 - Biome Analysis 1 to 4 credit hours
BIOL 4390 - Ethology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4391 - Ethology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 4420 - Plant Ecology and Evolution 4 credit hours
BIOL 4570 - Principles of Toxicology 3 credit hours AND
BIOL 4571 - Principles of Toxicology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 4580 - Marine Biology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4581 - Marine Biology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 4590 - Principles of Environmental Toxicology 4 credit hours

Botany Track (10 hours)

BIOL 4080 - Mycology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4081 - Mycology Lab 0 credit hours
See advisor for additional course(s)

Ecology Track (10 hours)

BIOL 4580 - Marine Biology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4581 - Marine Biology Lab 0 credit hours

Choose two of the following:

BIOL 3020 - Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 3021 - Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 3040 - Entomology 3 credit hours
BIOL 3050 - Parasitology 3 credit hours AND
BIOL 3051 - Parasitology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 4080 - Mycology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4081 - Mycology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 4140 - Invertebrate Zoology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4141 - Invertebrate Zoology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 4180 - Vertebrate Zoology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4181 - Vertebrate Zoology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 4220 - Ichthyology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4221 - Ichthyology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 4390 - Ethology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4391 - Ethology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 4570 - Principles of Toxicology 3 credit hours AND
BIOL 4571 - Principles of Toxicology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 4590 - Principles of Environmental Toxicology 4 credit hours

General Biology Track (11-12 hours)

This track satisfies teacher education requirements.

Area One (4 hours)

Choose one:

BIOL 3020 - Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 3021 - Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates Lab 0 credit hours
OR
BIOL 4180 - Vertebrate Zoology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4181 - Vertebrate Zoology Lab 0 credit hours

Area Two (4 hours)

BIOL 4080 - Mycology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4081 - Mycology Lab 0 credit hours

Area Three (3-4 hours)

Choose one:

BIOL 3040 - Entomology 3 credit hours
OR
BIOL 3050 - Parasitology 3 credit hours AND
BIOL 3051 - Parasitology Lab 0 credit hours
OR
BIOL 4140 - Invertebrate Zoology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4141 - Invertebrate Zoology Lab 0 credit hours

Zoology Track (10 hours)

BIOL 3020 - Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 3021 - Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 3040 - Entomology 3 credit hours
BIOL 3050 - Parasitology 3 credit hours AND
BIOL 3051 - Parasitology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 4140 - Invertebrate Zoology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4141 - Invertebrate Zoology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 4180 - Vertebrate Zoology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4181 - Vertebrate Zoology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 4220 - Ichthyology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4221 - Ichthyology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 4390 - Ethology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4391 - Ethology Lab 0 credit hours

BIOL UD elective (1-3 hours)

To make 42 hours

Supporting Courses (13 hours)

MATH 1910 - Calculus I 4 credit hours (3 credit hours counted in General Education, 1 credit hour remaining)
CHEM 1120 - General Chemistry II 4 credit hours AND
CHEM 1121 - General Chemistry II Lab 0 credit hours
CHEM 2030 - Elements of Organic Chemistry 4 credit hours AND
CHEM 2031 - Elements of Organic Chemistry Lab 0 credit hours
OR
CHEM 3010 - Organic Chemistry I 4 credit hours AND
CHEM 3011 - Organic Chemistry I Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 4350 - Biometry 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4351 - Biometry Lab 0 credit hours
OR
MATH 1920 - Calculus II 4 credit hours
OR
MATH 2050 - Probability and Statistics 3 credit hours

Electives (28 hours)

Total hours in program: 120

Curriculum: Biology, Organismal Biology and Ecology

Curricular listings include General Education requirements in Communication, History, Humanities, and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences categories.

Freshman

ENGL 1010 - Expository Writing 3 credit hours (Comm)
ENGL 1020 - Research and Argumentative Writing 3 credit hours (Comm)
COMM 2200 - Fundamentals of Communication 3 credit hours (Comm)
MATH 1910 - Calculus I 4 credit hours (Math)
BIOL 1000 - Introduction to the Biology Major 1 credit hour
BIOL 1110 - General Biology I 4 credit hours (Nat Sci) AND
BIOL 1111 - General Biology I Lab 0 credit hours (Nat Sci)
BIOL 1120 - General Biology II 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 1121 - General Biology II Lab 0 credit hours
CHEM 1110 - General Chemistry I 4 credit hours (Nat Sci) AND
CHEM 1111 - General Chemistry I Lab 0 credit hours (Nat Sci)
CHEM 1120 - General Chemistry II 4 credit hours AND
CHEM 1121 - General Chemistry II Lab 0 credit hours

Subtotal: 30 Hours

Sophomore

ENGL 2020 - Themes in Literature and Culture 3 credit hours (Hum/FA) OR
ENGL 2030 - The Experience of Literature 3 credit hours (Hum/FA) OR
HUM 2610 - Foreign Literature in Translation 3 credit hours (Hum/FA)
Humanities and/or Fine Arts 3 credit hours
Electives 6 credit hours
BIOL 2230 - Microbiology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 2231 - Microbiology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 3250 - Genetics 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 3251 - Genetics Lab 0 credit hours
CHEM 3010 - Organic Chemistry I 4 credit hours AND
CHEM 3011 - Organic Chemistry I Lab 0 credit hours
OR
CHEM 2030 - Elements of Organic Chemistry 4 credit hours AND
CHEM 2031 - Elements of Organic Chemistry Lab 0 credit hours
Choose 6 hours from:
HIST 2010 - Survey of United States History I 3 credit hours OR
HIST 2020 - Survey of United States History II 3 credit hours OR
HIST 2030 - Tennessee History 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 30 Hours

Junior

BIOL 3500 - Evolution 3 credit hours
Social/Behavioral Sciences (2 prefixes) 6 credit hours
Humanities and/or Fine Arts 3 credit hours
Electives 6 credit hours
BIOL concentration course 3-4 credit hours
BIOL 3400 - General Ecology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 3401 - General Ecology Lab 0 credit hours
BIOL 4110 - General Physiology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4111 - General Physiology Lab 0 credit hours
OR
BIOL 4210 - Cell and Molecular Biology 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4211 - Cell and Molecular Biology Lab 0 credit hours
OR
BIOL 4500 - Plant Physiology 4 credit hours (strongly recommended for Botany track students)
BIOL 4350 - Biometry 4 credit hours AND
BIOL 4351 - Biometry Lab 0 credit hours
OR
MATH 1920 - Calculus II 4 credit hours
OR
MATH 2050 - Probability and Statistics 3 credit hours

Subtotal: 32-34 Hours

Senior

BIOL 4200 - Senior Seminar 1 credit hour
BIOL upper-division 3-4 credit hours
Electives* 15-16 credit hours
BIOL concentration courses 6-8 credit hours

Biology, Organismal Biology and Ecology Concentration, B.S.

Academic Map

Degree Requirements

General Education (41 hours)

Major Requirements (42 hours)

Biology Core (29 hours)

Organismal Biology and Ecology Concentration (10 hours)

Botany Track (10 hours)

Ecology Track (10 hours)

Choose two of the following:

General Biology Track (11-12 hours)

Area One (4 hours)

Area Two (4 hours)

Area Three (3-4 hours)

Zoology Track (10 hours)

BIOL UD elective (1-3 hours)

Supporting Courses (13 hours)

Electives (28 hours)

Total hours in program: 120

Curriculum: Biology, Organismal Biology and Ecology

Freshman

Subtotal: 30 Hours

Sophomore

Subtotal: 30 Hours

Junior

Subtotal: 32-34 Hours

Senior

Subtotal: 25-28 Hours