The biology major prepares students for careers in medical professions, food and quality control, pharmaceuticals, environmental science, biological research, and more. Biology is a growing field with new breakthroughs in genomics, medicine, molecular biology, and biotechnology. Our faculty achieve the highest knowledge and technical skills, contribute significantly to their chosen fields, and honor the Creator in their work.
Pre-professional programs related to biology include our pre-medical and pre-nursing curriculum where you can earn a dual degree: a bachelor of arts with a major in biology, and a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) with one of our nursing partnership programs.
Over the past 10 years, around 87% of GU students who applied to medical school earned admittance. Graduates from GU serve worldwide as doctors, chiefs of medicine, surgeons, bio-technicians, lab supervisors, environmental biologists, and more.
Multiple career options
Recent graduates have gone on to advanced studies in botany, molecular genetics, and other fields of biology. Others have entered competitive professional school programs in medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, and veterinary medicine.
Research opportunities
Work with faculty on various types of biological research as a paid intern in our summer research program.
Why GU
Nursing. We have connections with St. John’s School of Nursing, Saint Louis University School of Nursing, and Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (SIU-E) School of Nursing. Biology majors may also complete an accelerated three-year bachelor’s degree program in biology followed by an accelerated bachelor’s degree in nursing from SIUE. Obtain both degrees in four and a half years. Learn more about GU’s nursing partnerships here.
Connections. We have articulation agreements with Logan School of Chiropractic Medicine and A.T. Still University/ Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, both in Missouri, and AUA School of Medicine in Antigua.
Unique coursework. Students from GU can participate in intensive field-based courses in Biology with the Au Sable Institute in one of four campuses: Northern Michigan, Pacific Rim, Costa Rica, and India. Courses include Animal Ecology, Aquatic Biology, Marine Mammals, Alpine Ecology, and 19 others.
Deepen your education. We’re a liberal arts school. That means you get a holistic education that introduces you to many subjects and ideas, helping you grow your interests and skills.
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Success Stories
I'm so grateful for my experience in the biology department. The small class sizes gave us the opportunity to fully engage with our peers and professors, and they gave us valuable hands on experience during the labs. The professors truly care for the students and want to see us succeed, both in and out of the classroom. Their doors were always open, whether we had questions about class, graduate school, or life in general.
The biology major requires 35 credits of biology and eight credits of chemistry. It is strongly recommended that all biology majors take at least one semester of mathematics, computer science, physical science, or physics. The biology major leads to a bachelor of arts degree.
Biology, BA Courses
This course deals with the basic principles of biology. Consideration is given to cell biology and structural and functional organization of plants and animals. Principles of reproduction, genetics, and ecology are introduced as well as a brief survey of the kingdoms of living organisms. Beginning course for all biology majors. Meets the general education laboratory science requirement. (Three hours lecture and two hours lab per week.) (Offered every semester.) Corequisite: BIOL 110L
This course is a continuation of BIOL 110. It introduces gene replication, expression, and regulation; evolution; diversity of life, with phylogeny, characteristics, and importance of major phyla; and structure and function of selected plant and/or animal systems. (Three hours lecture and two hours lab per week.)
Prerequisite: BIOL 110. Corequisite: BIOL 112L (Offered spring semester.)
The facts of heredity; reproduction; the molecular mechanism of heredity; hybridization and Mendel's laws; heredity in man and in its broader social applications. (Three hours lecture and three hours lab per week.)
Prerequisite: BIOL 110 and 112. (Offered spring semester.)
Corequisite: BIOL 305L
Behavior and activity of microorganisms more or less common in the natural environment. Special attention given to the physiology of bacteria. Includes concepts of immunology and epidemiology. Required of all biology majors in secondary education and all pre-med and med-tech students. (Two hours lecture and four hours lab per week.)
Prerequisite: BIOL 110, BIOL 112, CHEM 112. Corequisite: BIOL 360L. (Offered fall semester.)
Organisms do not exist or function in a vacuum, but are strongly influenced by their environment and, in turn, alter that environment and affect the growth and development of other organisms. In this course we will consider the interaction of organisms and their environments. We will study ecological processes functioning at levels of individuals, populations, communities, and ecosystems. (Three hours lecture and three hours lab per week.)
Prerequisite: BIOL 112. (Offered fall semester.) Corequisite: BIOL 370L
A capstone course for majors in Biology and Environmental Biology, with an emphasis on technical writing and scientific communication. Students select a topic and utilize the primary literature to develop a technical review article and a presentation on the topic. Secondary education and pre-medical/technical biology majors should take this course during their junior year. Cross-Listed as CHEM 409. Meets the general education upper division writing intensive requirement.
Prerequisite: 16 credits of biology
Basic principles of chemical reactions and descriptive chemistry are integrated in terms of atomic structure, bonding theory, molecular geometry, reaction rates, equilibrium, and thermodynamics. Meets the general education laboratory science requirement. (Three lecture hours and three lab hours per week.) (Offered fall semester.) Corequisite: CHEM 111L
Basic principles of chemical reactions and descriptive chemistry are integrated in terms of the periodic table, atomic structure, bond types, molecular geometry, reaction rates, and thermodynamics. (Three lecture hours and three hours lab per week.) (Offered spring semester). Corequisite: CHEM 112L
Advances in biology have pushed the development of statistical methods and depended on those methods for decades. Biostatistics focuses on three core areas: 1) general statistical concepts; 2) correct use and interpretation of statistical methods commonly used in biological sciences; and 3) basic familiarity with the R statistical software language, which has become an important tool in dealing with many kinds of data, including genetic data. Meets the general education quantitative reasoning requirement.
Prerequisite: MATH106. (Offered spring semester.)
Course content focuses upon basic concepts and operations in descriptive and inferential statistics. The areas of study will include measures of central tendency and dispersion, probability, correlation and regression analysis, parametric (t-tests and ANOVA) and non-parametric (chi-square) tests of significance. A basic introduction to Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software is provided. Cross listed with SCWK 202. Meets the general education quantitative reasoning requirement.
Course content focuses upon basic concepts and operations in descriptive and inferential statistics. The areas of study will include measures of central tendency and dispersion, probability, correlation and regression analysis, parametric (t-tests and ANOVA) and non-parametric (chi-square) tests of significance. A basic introduction to Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software is provided. Cross listed with PSYC 202. Meets the general education quantitative reasoning requirement. (Offered every semester.)
AIES355 Watersheds in Global Development (4 Credits)
AIES359 Marine Mammals (4 Credits)
In this course the major emphasis is on a survey of the vascular plants and common families of flowering plants. Topics included are principles of flowering plant taxonomy, mechanisms of adaptation and plant ecology. (Three hours lecture and two hours lab per week.)
Prerequisite: BIOL 110 & BIOL 112. (Offered spring semester of even calendar years.) Corequisite: BIOL 215L
The purpose of this class is to build skills in field ornithology: observation and identification of birds, and collection and reporting of field observation data. (Offered spring semester of even calendar years.)
$20 Course Fee
Fieldwork will involve identification of the common plants and animals and consideration of ecological principles (e.g., succession, etc.) as seen in the field. Field trips will be made to various ecosystems.
Prerequisite: BIOL 110, and BIOL 112. (Offered irregularly)
Corequisite: BIOL 300L
This course provides an overview of the biology of Class Mammalia. In order to provide a broad understanding of mammalian biology, this course will use lectures, fieldwork, and field trips to deliver content on mammalian anatomy, physiology, diversity, and natural history. Students will receive hands-on experience with field research techniques, and multiple zoo field trips will allow an opportunity for discussion of current issues in conservation of mammals. Prerequisite: BIOL 112 Corequisite: BIOL 322L
Earth is filled with a spectacular variety of lifeforms, but loss of the biological diversity is now one of the most rapid forms of environmental change in the modern era. Human domination of ecosystems has significantly altered natural landscapes and the organisms that inhabit them. This course covers the causes and consequences of biodiversity loss, and develops a stewardship perspective to prepare students to understand and influence decision-making processes in Conservation Biology. Students will receive hands-on experience with field research techniques, and multiple field trips to zoos and other conservation areas will allow discussion of current issues in conservation.
Prerequisite: BIOL 112. Corequisite: BIOL 326L
BIOL399 Open Titled (3 Credits)
This course is designed to deal with all the human body systems as to structure and function. Material covered is intended for those planning to teach biology in high school or enter the allied health professions. (Three lectures and one two-hour lab per week.) (Offered fall semester) Corequisite: BIOL 245L
This will be a study of the similarities of anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of major vertebrate groups. Specifically, it will compare phylogeny, ontogeny, and morphology in groups ranging from protochordates to highly derived vertebrates. It will examine structure of anatomical features, emphasizing how anatomy relates to function including comparisons of specialized features in organisms adapted to different conditions. Laboratories will involve detailed dissections.
Prerequisite: BIOL110, and BIOL 112. (Offered fall semester of odd calendar years.)
Corequisite: BIOL 309L
An introduction to the basic principles and concepts of the nervous system with emphasis on the structures and functions of the mammalian nervous tissue.
Prerequsite: BIOL112 and CHEM 112 (Offered irregularly.)
This course covers the cellular and molecular processes involved in generating an embryo, in creating various tissues and organs, and the effect of external stimuli on development. Topics include: genome structure, gene expression and regulation, cell cycle control, pattern formation, signal transduction, gametogenesis, organogenesis, and methods used in studying developmental biology. (Three hours lecture and three hours lab per week.)
Prerequsite: BIOL 110 and BIOL 112. (Offered spring semester of odd calendar years.) Corequisite: BIOL 330L
Studies the structure and function of the cell, while examining the highly significant and diversified roles that cells play in living organisms. Includes information about major macromolecules, organelles and their functions, such as protein synthesis, cellular respiration, replication, and characteristics of different type cells. Lab includes biotechnological and biochemical experiments. (Three hours lecture and three hours lab per week.)
Prerequisite: BIOL 360 and CHEM 112. CHEM 201 recommended. (Offered spring semester.) Corequisite: BIOL340L
This course covers the major types of instrumentation utilized in chemistry, biology and physics by providing "hands-on" experience as well as emphasizing the underlying principles. (Three hours of lecture and three hours lab per week.) Cross listed with CHEM 342.
Prerequisite: CHEM 112 and PHYS 200. CHEM 201 recommended. (Offered spring semester of odd calendar years.)
Corequisite: BIOL 341L
This course is a survey of the chemical reactions in living systems. The general biochemistry including a detailed look at DNA, transcription, translation, protein synthesis, lipid metabolism (e.g., cholesterol synthesis) and amino acid and nucleic acid metabolism will be studied. (Three hours lecture and three hours lab per week.)
Prerequisite: CHEM 201 or concurrent enrollment. Corequisite: CHEM 314L. (Offered fall semester.)
This course presents a chemically detailed overview of the metabolic transformations of fatty acids, complex lipids, amino acids, and the purine and pyrimidine nucleotides. The course also includes discussion of the structure and function of proteins, the chemical mechanisms and regulation of enzyme catalysis, the structure and metabolism of carbohydrates, and the bioenergetics and ATP synthesis and utilization. (Three hours lecture and three hours lab per week.)
Prerequsite: CHEM 301. Corequisite: CHEM 315L. (Offered spring semester of even calendar years.)
This course covers the major types of instrumentation utilized in Chemistry, Biology and Physics by providing "hands-on" experience as well as emphasizing the underlying principles. (Three hours lecture and three hours lab per week.) Cross listed with BIOL 341.
Prerequisite: CHEM 112, and PHYS 200. Chemistry 201 recommended. Corequisite: CHEM 342L. (Offered spring semester of odd calendar years.)
Selected readings chosen by student and instructor.
Biology majors may earn a maximum of eight semester credits while engaged in a practicum/internship experience related to their specific field of interest. The potentials for the internships are unlimited. The internship may involve work or volunteer service, or shadowing in any biologically related career. Each internship will need the approval of the Department chair. It is the student's responsibility to initiate a request for the internship suggest prospective openings, and declare in writing their learning objectives for their internship experience.. The internship will be taken for pass/fail credit.
Prerequisite: 16 credits of biology
Biology majors may earn a maximum of eight semester credits while engaged in a practicum/internship experience related to their specific field of interest. The potentials for the practicum are unlimited. The practicum may involve work or volunteer service in any biologically related career. Each practicum will need the approval of the Department chair. It is the student's responsibility to initiate a request for the practicum, suggest prospective openings, and declare in writing their learning objectives for their practicum experience. Students taking BIOL 405 will write a research paper on a topic related to their practicum experience, and will receive a letter grade.
Prerequisite: 16 credits of biology
