Biology Courses and Requirements

We have framed the educational goals for our majors as six skills-based learning outcomes. The curricular content expected of our majors is encompassed in the requirements of the major, with essential content covered in the introductory sequence and students having the option to pursue more specialized goals through the upper-level curriculum.

Learning outcomes

  • Students will learn how to develop well-reasoned experimental hypotheses and design experiments and define experimental predictions by which to test them
  • Students will understand the importance of a statistical sample, the meaning of statistical significance, and how to apply appropriate statistical treatments to different data sets
  • Students will be able to communicate clearly and explicitly, both orally and in writing, following conventional scientific formats.
  • Students will show proficiency in reading, understanding and critically evaluating scientific literature across major areas of the curriculum
  • Students will demonstrate an ability to collaborate effectively in cooperative laboratory and field-based experimental projects
  • Students will demonstrate proficiency in independent research, understanding a research topic and the associated methods to a level that allows them to problem-solve and take ownership of a project