Degree Requirements
All students are required to complete overall degree requirements in addition to their major. Please see Degree Completion Requirements for full details for students entering in the 2024-2025 catalog year.
Those students who started at Hiram prior to the 2024-2025 academic year will follow the Degree Requirements outlined in your catalog of record.
Major Requirements
Correlative Courses
Success in the discipline of biology requires some additional training beyond the biology classroom. Students must therefore complete two courses in chemistry and one course from the menu of quantitative reasoning courses offered below.
Elective Tracks
The core courses in the biology major expose students to a range of sub-disciplines and methods that span the breadth and depth of biology as a science. To complete their education, each student will select a track within biology and take three additional courses at the 20000-level or higher (except as noted) to gain additional experience and expertise within that chosen area. Elective tracks in biology:
- Organismal Biology
- Ecology and Evolution
- Genes, Genomes, and Cells
- Bio-Innovation
- Pre-Medical
- Pre-Veterinary
- Pre-Physical Therapy
Coursework recommended for each track is listed below. Note that students may opt to modify and redesign their own areas of expertise or take alternate courses to fulfill requirements within a track with the advice and consent of their biology program advisor.
Teaching Biology
Students interested in a career in teaching biology may need to obtain additional required classes for state licensure. They should meet with an advisor in the education program as early as possible in their career at Hiram to ensure timely completion of all licensure requirements.
Pre-Medical or Pre-Veterinary
Students interested in a career in human or veterinary medicine who major in biology may be required to take multiple additional correlative courses outside the biology major if they wish to be competitive in their application to med or vet school. These correlatives are set by the med or vet schools and are not required to complete the biology major at Hiram College. These correlatives may include PHYS 11300 PRINCIPLES PHYSICS I-W/LAB:SM/PHYS 11400 PRINCIPLES PHYSICS II-W/LAB:SM or PHYS 21300 FUNMNTLS OF PHYSICS-W/LAB I:SM/PHYS 21400 FUNMNTL OF PHYSICS-W/LAB II:SM as well as PSYC 10100 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY and SOCI 15500 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY:CA. Students should meet with their biology program advisor early in their college career to ensure they are on track to graduate from Hiram with all the necessary prerequisites for the med or vet schools of their choice.
Biomedical Engineering (as Part of Engineering 3+2 Program with CWRU or WUSTL)
Students can substitute the Human Anatomy and Physiology sequence (BIOL 13100 ANATOMY/PHYSIOLOGY I:W/LAB & BIOL 13300 ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY II-W/LAB) for the Introductory Biology sequence (BIOL 15100 INTRO BIOL I W/LAB: SM & BIOL 15200 INTRO BIO II W/LAB:SM). One BIOL elective and the APEX capstone are waived. Students interested in the biomedical engineering option should talk with Mark Taylor, Professor of Physics, as early as possible to make sure that they can complete the Hiram College portion of the 3+2 program on time.
Pre-Physical Therapy
Students interested in a career in physical therapy who major in biology may be required to take multiple additional correlative courses outside the biology major if they wish to be competitive in their application to PT school. These correlatives are set by the PT schools and are not required to complete the biology major at Hiram College. Some of these correlatives include PHYS 11300 PRINCIPLES PHYSICS I-W/LAB:SM/PHYS 11400 PRINCIPLES PHYSICS II-W/LAB:SM or PHYS 21300 FUNMNTLS OF PHYSICS-W/LAB I:SM/PHYS 21400 FUNMNTL OF PHYSICS-W/LAB II:SM, as well as PSYC 10100 GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY and SOCI 15500 INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY:CA, and MATH 10800 STATISTICS:MM. Students should meet with their biology program advisor early in their college career to ensure they are on track to graduate from Hiram with all the necessary prerequisites for the PT schools of their choice.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| BIOL 15100 | INTRO BIOL I W/LAB: SM | 4 |
| BIOL 15200 | INTRO BIO II W/LAB:SM | 4 |
| BIOL 23000 | MOLECULAR&CELLULAR BIOL-W/LAB | 4 |
| BIOL/EVST 27800 | ECOLOGY-W/LAB:SM | 4 |
| BIOL 36500 | GENETICS-W/LAB | 4 |
| BIOL 48110 | SENIOR CAPSTONE SEMINAR (APEX) | 2 |
| Correlative Courses | ||
| CHEM 12000 | GEN I:STRUCTURE/BOND-W/LAB:SM | 4 |
| CHEM 12100 | GEN II:INTR CHEM ANLS-W/LAB:SM | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| STATISTICS:MM | ||
| CALCULUS I:MM | ||
| PRINCIPLES PHYSICS I-W/LAB:SM | ||
| FUNMNTLS OF PHYSICS-W/LAB I:SM | ||
| Elective Tracks | ||
| Select one of the following tracks and take three additional courses at the 20000-level or higher of the following: | 9-12 | |
| Organismal Biology | ||
Select three of the following, including at least one plant course & one zoology course: | ||
| VERTEBRATE BIOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| INTRO WILDLIFE MGMT-W/LAB:SM | ||
| SEM: (Plant Biology w/Lab) | ||
| INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| PLANT PHYSIOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| MICROBIOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| SEM: (Ornithology) | ||
| SEM: (Herpetology) | ||
| Ecology and Evolution | ||
| EVOLUTION | ||
Select two of the following: | ||
| VERTEBRATE BIOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| INTRO WILDLIFE MGMT-W/LAB:SM | ||
| SEM: (Plant Biology w/Lab) | ||
| FIELD BIOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| FISHERIES BIOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| MARINE ECOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| CONSERVATION BIOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| Teaching Biology | ||
| ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
Select two of the following, including at least one plant biology course: | ||
| VERTEBRATE BIOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| SEM: (Plant Biology w/Lab) | ||
| INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| PLANT PHYSIOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| EVOLUTION | ||
| Genes, Genomes and Cells | ||
Select three of the following: | ||
| INTRO TO NEUROSCIENCE | ||
| TOPICS IN MEDICAL RESEARCH | ||
| CELLULAR & MOLECULAR NEUROBIO | ||
| MICROBIOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| DEVELOPMENTAL BIOL-W/LAB | ||
| IMMUNOLOGY | ||
| ADV MOLECULAR BIOL-W/LAB | ||
| BIOINFORMATICS | ||
| Bio-Innovation | ||
Select three biology electives at the 30000-level or higher 1 | ||
| Pre-Medical or Pre-Veterinary | ||
| BASIC BIOCHEMISTRY-W/LAB 2 | ||
Select two of the following: | ||
| VERTEBRATE BIOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| INTRO TO NEUROSCIENCE | ||
| ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| MICROBIOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| IMMUNOLOGY | ||
| SEM: (Cancer Biology) | ||
| PARASITOLOGY | ||
| Biomedical Engineering (as part of Engineering 3+2 program with CWRU or WUSTL) | ||
| CALCULUS I:MM | ||
| CALCULUS II:MM | ||
| CALCULUS III:MM | ||
| DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS:MM | ||
| INTRO TO ORGANIC CHEM-W/LAB | ||
| FUNMNTLS OF PHYSICS-W/LAB I:SM | ||
| FUNMNTL OF PHYSICS-W/LAB II:SM | ||
| JAVA SUPPLEMENT | ||
or CPSC 17200 | INTRO TO PROGRAMMING-W/LAB:MM | |
| ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| Select one of the following: | ||
| INTRO TO NEUROSCIENCE | ||
| VERTEBRATE BIOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| Pre-Physical Therapy | ||
| ANATOMY/PHYSIOLOGY I:W/LAB | ||
| ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY II-W/LAB | ||
Select one of the following: | ||
| VERTEBRATE BIOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| INTRO TO NEUROSCIENCE | ||
| ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY-W/LAB | ||
| DEVELOPMENTAL BIOL-W/LAB | ||
| IMMUNOLOGY | ||
| Total Hours | 43-46 | |
- 1
Chosen in consultation with a biology program advisor. Students in this track are highly encouraged to pursue an entrepreneurship minor.
- 2
CHEM 22000 INTRO TO ORGANIC CHEM-W/LAB and CHEM 32000 INTERMED ORGANIC CHEM-W/LAB are prerequisites for BCHM 36600 BASIC BIOCHEMISTRY-W/LAB and also requirements for all students applying to med or vet school.
APEX
The apprenticeship experience, or APEX, is designed as the culmination of a student's program in biology BIOL 48110 SENIOR CAPSTONE SEMINAR. The APEX allows each student to apply their expertise in a variety of contexts. This concrete experience can be achieved through an independent or collaborative research project on campus, a research techniques course and project, an internship off campus, or student teaching of biology in middle or secondary school. All students prepare and submit a scientific paper to the faculty supervisor and present a public lecture based upon the apprenticeship experience. Majors are required to meet with their biology faculty advisor no later than the advising period in the fall semester of the junior year to discuss options for the apprenticeship experience. APEX is also considered the capstone course for Biology majors.
Requirements for Honors in Biology
To be a candidate for honors in the APEX program in biology, a student must satisfy the College requirements for honors and must initiate and complete a high quality apprenticeship (APEX). The student must conduct themself in a professional manner from inception to culmination of the apprenticeship experience.
Phi Beta Kappa
To receive the honor of induction into the Hiram College chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, a biology major must complete the major (any track is acceptable), maintain a GPA of 3.7 or higher, take and pass a foreign language through the 20200-level, and take and pass a mathematics course at or above 19800-level.
Pathway
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall 12 Week | Hours | |
| BIOL 15100 | INTRO BIOL I W/LAB: SM | 4 |
| CHEM 12000 | GEN I:STRUCTURE/BOND-W/LAB:SM | 4 |
| UCS 10101 | FIRST-YEAR ENDURING QUESTIONS | 4 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Fall 3 Week | ||
| Hiram Core Requirement | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Spring 12 Week | ||
| BIOL 15200 | INTRO BIO II W/LAB:SM | 4 |
| CHEM 12100 | GEN II:INTR CHEM ANLS-W/LAB:SM | 4 |
| UCS 20201 | ADDRESSING URGENT QUESTIONS | 4 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Spring 3 Week | ||
| Hiram Core Requirement | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall 12 Week | ||
| BIOL 27800 | ECOLOGY-W/LAB:SM | 4 |
| PHYS 11300 | PRINCIPLES PHYSICS I-W/LAB:SM | 4 |
| Hiram Core Requirement | 4 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Fall 3 Week | ||
| Hiram Core Requirement | 3-4 | |
| Hours | 3-4 | |
| Spring 12 Week | ||
| BIOL XXXXX | Biology Elective 1 | 4 |
| Hiram Core Requirement | 4 | |
| Elective, Second Major, Minor Course | 4 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Spring 3 Week | ||
| Hiram Core Requirement | 3-4 | |
| Hours | 3-4 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall 12 Week | ||
| UCS 30301 | URGENT CHALLENGE SEMINAR:TT | 4 |
| BIOL 23000 | MOLECULAR&CELLULAR BIOL-W/LAB | 4 |
| BIOL XXXXX | Biology Elective 1 | 4 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Fall 3 Week | ||
| Hiram Core Requirement, Elective, or Minor Course | 3-4 | |
| Hours | 3-4 | |
| Spring 12 Week | ||
| BIOL 36500 | GENETICS-W/LAB | 4 |
| BIOL XXXXX | Biology Elective 1 | 4 |
| Hiram Core Requirement | 4 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Spring 3 Week | ||
| Elective, Second Major, Minor Course | 3-4 | |
| Hours | 3-4 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall 12 Week | ||
| BIOL 48110 | SENIOR CAPSTONE SEMINAR ((APEX)) | 2 |
| Elective, Second Major, Minor Course | 4 | |
| Urgent Challenge Seminar | 4 | |
| Hiram Core Requirement or Elective | 3-4 | |
| Hours | 13-14 | |
| Fall 3 Week | ||
| Elective, Second Major, Minor Course | 3-4 | |
| Hours | 3-4 | |
| Spring 12 Week | ||
| Major Course if needed or Hiram Core Requirement | 3-4 | |
| Elective, Second Major, Minor Course | 3-4 | |
| Elective, Second Major, Minor Course | 3-4 | |
| Elective, Second Major, Minor Course | 3-4 | |
| Hours | 12-16 | |
| Spring 3 Week | ||
| Elective, Second Major, Minor Course | 3-4 | |
| Hours | 3-4 | |
| Total Hours | 121-132 | |
- 1
Biology electives are chosen in conjunction with the student’s major advisor.