Our traditional major offers a thorough grounding in the biological sciences and prepares students for a variety of career paths, including graduate studies and employment in areas such as veterinary medicine and animal care, conservation biology and wildlife management.
Students are at the center of all that we do at OCU Biology. Our focus is to help you succeed in and out of the classroom and guide you through your curricular paths and career preparation. All of our faculty members serve as advisors for undergraduate biology majors and welcome undergraduates interested in research. Our students enjoy small class sizes in a variety of traditional, online, hybrid and field-trip formats.
A deep understanding of the principles of biology delivers a foundation for any career in the life and health sciences. The majority of our students come to OCU knowing that they will continue on after graduation to attend medical school, dental school, pharmacy school, physician assistant school or one of the many other health profession programs, with 85% of our students accepted into their preferred graduate or professional program.
Students must earn 40-42 credit hours in biology, including 27 credit hours of core courses plus 14 credit hours of upper division (junior and senior level) biology courses.
An additional 18-19 credit hours of chemistry and physics courses are required. Because of its flexible design, this major will prepare you for a variety of career paths, including medical studies, graduate studies and secondary science teaching.
| MAJOR REQUIREMENTS (REQUIRED BIOLOGY HOURS: 25) | CREDIT HOURS: 59 (60) |
|---|---|
| BIOL 1101 ORIENTATION TO BIOLOGY | 1 |
| BIOL 1214 FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOLOGY | 4 |
| BIOL 2214 GENERAL BOTANY | 4 |
| BIOL 2414 GENERAL ZOOLOGY | 4 |
| BIOL 3003 GENETICS | 3 |
| BIOL 3103 INTRODUCTORY BIOCHEMISTRY | 3 |
| BIOL 3114 GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY | 4 |
| BIOL 4052 ANALYSIS OF SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE | 2 |
| BIOL 4502 BIOLOGY CAPSTONE | 2 |
Any combination of 3000- and/or 4000-level BIOL-prefix courses. No more than 6 credit hours total may be in BIOL-prefix directed study, research and/or internship courses.
| REQUIRED ANCILLARY HOURS | 18 (19) |
|---|---|
| CHEM1104 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I | 4 |
| CHEM 1141 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LAB | 1 |
| CHEM 1204 GENERAL CHEMISTRY II | 4 |
| CHEM 1241 GENERAL CHEMISTRY II LAB | 1 |
| CHEM 3103 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I | 3 |
| CHEM 3141 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I LAB | 1 |
| PHYS 1503 GENERAL PHYSICS I or | 3 |
| PHYS 2104 UNIVERSITY PHYSICS I | (4) |
| PHYS 1541 GENERAL PHYSICS I LAB or | 1 |
| PHYS 2141 UNIVERSITY PHYSICS I LAB | (1) |
General Education classes to total 15-16 credit hours
General Education classes to total 15-16 credit hours
General Education classes to total 15-16 credit hours
General Education classes to total 15-16 credit hours
General Education classes to total 15-16 credit hours
General Education classes to total 15-16 credit hours
Upper-level Biology Elective(s) credit hours
General Education classes to total 15-16 credit hours
1Organic Chemistry II + lab, and General Physics II + lab are not required for this degree plan. However, they are necessary courses for some students in order to fulfill prerequisites for certain graduate degree programs.
214 CH of 3000- and/or 4000-level BIOL-prefix courses are required for the degree. No more than six credit hours may be BIOL- prefix Directed Study, Research and/or Internship courses.
The Biology major is ideal if you're interested in pursing an advanced degree or career in traditional medicine or veterinary medicine. Be sure to consult with your admissions counselor for advice on selecting your major based on your goals and future plans.
