Biology, B.S., Ecology & Environmental Biology Concentration

Department Contact:

Chair: Dr. Justin Merry, jmerry@francis.edu, 814-471-1105
Coordinator: Dr. Lane Loya, lloya@francis.edu, 814-472-3094

Program Description:

The Biology, B.S., Ecology & Environmental Biology Concentration has been designed for those students highly interested in the environmental side of biology. Students have the opportunity to complete specialized courses related to the environment such as Ecology, Field Biology, Freshwater Aquatics, and Conservation Biology, while still maintaining a solid foundation in the traditional Biological Sciences. This concentration prepares students for both jobs and graduate school in a wide variety of environmental-related fields such as wildlife biology, entomology, resource conservation, environmental law, and environmental education. Students in this program also have the opportunity to do ecological research with faculty and to participate in our Immersion Semester program at the Raystown Field Station.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Employ the scientific method, including the use of discipline-specific techniques, to discover and validate biological knowledge;
• Demonstrate scientific literacy through reading, writing, presenting, and discussing research;
• Demonstrate knowledge of how atoms and molecules interact to permit the function of living systems, and how cells sense, control, and respond to stimuli in their environments;
• Demonstrate knowledge of molecular genetics and how this leads to the expression and inheritance of traits;
• Explain how organisms reproduce and develop, how their anatomical structure permits function, how they maintain internal conditions, and how they sense and respond to external stimuli, across the full range of biological diversity;
• Describe how evolution by natural selection explains the unity and diversity of life on earth, and articulate how organisms interact at the population, community, and ecosystem levels.

Estimated Completion Time:

Typically 4 years of full-time study

Capstone Requirement:

The senior capstone requirement is completed by taking BIOL 402 Evolution.

Total Credits Required:

128 credits minimum