Explore the fascinating world of biology with 91²Ö¿â's Biology B.A. program. Gain a deep understanding of the complexities of life, from the molecular level to the ecosystem level, through engaging coursework and hands-on experience. Our program prepares you for a variety of career paths, from healthcare to research and beyond. Enroll now for endless opportunities in biology.
Biology - B.A.
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- Edgar Kooijman | ekooijma@kent.edu |
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Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology
Discover the intricacies of life, from molecules to ecosystems, through dynamic coursework and practical experience. 91²Ö¿â’s Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology equips you with the skills for diverse careers in healthcare, research, and more. Prepare for your future with a comprehensive education in biological sciences.
Program Information for Biology - B.A.
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Program Description
Full Description
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology is for students who are interested in the biological sciences, but who also want a degree with a strong liberal arts component. The program provides a basic background in biology while offering the opportunity to take a wide range of classes in other disciplines.
The Biology major includes the following optional concentration:
- The Animal Ecology concentration focuses on animals and their environment. Students choose electives from several categories, including zoology, conservation and environmental management and botany.
Biologists work in a variety of settings, and career opportunities are available in government agencies, privately owned companies and non-profit groups. Graduates may also choose to further their education beyond a bachelor's degree by attending graduate or professional school. The Department of Biological Sciences has several mechanisms to help students prepare for their future careers.
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Admissions
for Biology - B.A.
Admission Requirements
The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.
First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the .
First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to 91²Ö¿â’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.
International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning a minimum 525 TOEFL score (71 on the Internet-based version), minimum 75 MELAB score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score or minimum 48 PTE Academic score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive Program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.
Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.
Former Students: Former 91²Ö¿â students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since 91²Ö¿â may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.
Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's .
Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the program's Coursework tab.
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Learning Outcomes
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Understand fundamental biological principles.
- Acquire the foundational skills necessary for laboratory and field investigations.
- Conduct proper experimental design, analyze biological data and communicate research results.
- Know and appreciate the role that biology plays in societal issues, such as those related to the environment, biodiversity, ethics and human health and disease.
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Coursework
On This Page
Program Requirements
Major Requirements
Course List Code Title Credit Hours Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA) BSCI 10110 BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (ELR) (KBS) (KLAB) 4 BSCI 10120 BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS (ELR) (KBS) (KLAB) 4 BSCI 30105 CAREER PATHWAYS IN BIOLOGY 1 BSCI 30156 ELEMENTS OF GENETICS 3 BSCI 40163 EVOLUTION 3 BSCI 40600 WRITING IN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES (WIC) 1 1 CHEM 10060 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I (KBS) 4 CHEM 10062 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB) 1 MATH 11010 ALGEBRA FOR CALCULUS (KMCR) 3 Biology (BSCI) Electives 2 5 Biology (BSCI) Upper-Division Electives (30000 or 40000 level) 2 10 Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA) UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1 Foreign Language (see Foreign Language College Requirement below) 14-16 6 9 6 General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours) 22 Additional Requirements or Concentration Choose from the following: 23 Minimum Total Credit Hours: 120 - 1
A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.
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Students should consult with a biology advisor to determine the most appropriate courses given their disciplinary interests and career aspirations. A maximum 6 credit hours of any combination of BSCI 40192, BSCI 40196 and BSCI 40199 may be used to fulfill electives.
Additional Requirements for Students Not Declaring a Concentration
Course List Code Title Credit Hours Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA) CHEM 10061 GENERAL CHEMISTRY II (KBS) 4 CHEM 10063 GENERAL CHEMISTRY II LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB) 1 MATH 11022 TRIGONOMETRY (KMCR) 3 Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA) General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours) 15 Minimum Total Credit Hours: 23 Animal Ecology Concentration Requirements
Course List Code Title Credit Hours Concentration Requirements (courses count in major GPA) BSCI 30360 GENERAL ECOLOGY 4 Botany Elective, choose from the following: 3-4 BSCI 30267PLANT PHYSIOLOGY BSCI 30270GENERAL PLANT BIOLOGY BSCI 30274FORESTRY BSCI 30275LOCAL FLORA (ELR) BSCI 30277ECONOMIC BOTANY BSCI 40270PLANT ECOLOGY Conservation and Management Elective, choose from the following: 3-4 BSCI 30362INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGY OF THE TROPICS BSCI 30370CLIMATE CHANGE BIOLOGY BSCI 40170STREAM BIOLOGY BSCI 40364LIMNOLOGY BSCI 40368WETLAND ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT (ELR) BSCI 40374CONSERVATION BIOLOGY (ELR) BSCI 40375ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT General Animal Ecology Electives, choose from the following: 6-7 BSCI 30361BIOGEOGRAPHY BSCI 30560INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY BSCI 40430ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY BSCI 40515ANIMAL BEHAVIOR BSCI 40556VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY Zoology Electives, choose from the following: 6-7 BSCI 30580ENTOMOLOGY BSCI 30582ORNITHOLOGY BSCI 40360ICHTHYOLOGY BSCI 40558MAMMALOGY BSCI 40560HERPETOLOGY Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA) 1 Minimum Total Credit Hours: 23 Graduation Requirements
Graduation Requirements Summary Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA 2.000 2.000 The following Biological Sciences (BSCI) courses may NOT be used in the elective category for majors or minors in the Department of Biological Sciences:
Course List Code Title Credit Hours BSCI 10001 HUMAN BIOLOGY (KBS) 3 BSCI 10002 LIFE ON PLANET EARTH (KBS) 3 BSCI 10003 LABORATORY EXPERIENCE IN BIOLOGY (KBS) (KLAB) 1 BSCI 10005 SMALL ANIMAL ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY FOR VETERINARY TECHNICIANS 4 BSCI 11010 FOUNDATIONAL ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I (KBS) (KLAB) 3 BSCI 11020 FOUNDATIONAL ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY II (KBS) (KLAB) 3 BSCI 16001 HORTICULTURAL BOTANY 3 BSCI 20019 BIOLOGICAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION 4 BSCI 20021 BASIC MICROBIOLOGY 3 BSCI 20022 BASIC MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY 1 BSCI 21010 ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I (KBS) (KLAB) 4 BSCI 21020 ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY II 4 BSCI 26002 ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES OF PEST MANAGEMENT 3 BSCI 26003 PLANT IDENTIFICATION AND SELECTION I 3 BSCI 26004 PLANT IDENTIFICATION AND SELECTION II 3 BSCI 30050 HUMAN GENETICS 3 BSCI 40020 BIOLOGY OF AGING 3 Foreign Language College Requirement, B.A.
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in the College of Arts and Sciences must complete 14-16 credit hours of foreign language.1
To complete the requirement, students need the equivalent of Elementary I and II in any language, plus one of the following options2:- Intermediate I and II of the same language
- Elementary I and II of a second language
- Any combination of two courses from the following list:
- Intermediate I of the same language
- ARAB 21401
- ASL 19401
- CHIN 25421
- MCLS 10001
- MCLS 20001
- MCLS 20091
- MCLS 21417
- MCLS 21420
- MCLS 22217
- MCLS 28403
- MCLS 28404
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All students with prior foreign language experience should take the foreign language placement test to determine the appropriate level at which to start. Some students may start beyond the Elementary I level and will complete the requirement with fewer credit hours and fewer courses. This may be accomplished by (1) passing a course beyond Elementary I through Intermediate II level; (2) receiving credit through one of the programs offered by 91²Ö¿â; or (3) demonstrating comparable to Elementary II of a foreign language. When students complete the requirement with fewer than 14 credit hours and four courses, they will complete remaining credit hours with general electives.
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Certain majors, concentrations and minors may require specific languages, limit the languages from which a student may choose or require coursework through Intermediate II. Students who plan to pursue graduate study may need particular language coursework.
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Roadmaps
Roadmaps
Biology Major (No Concentration)
This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.
Plan of Study Grid Semester One Credits Note: Placement in MATH courses may require additional coursework before the spring semester during first year of enrollment ! BSCI 10110 BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (ELR) (KBS) (KLAB) 4 BSCI 30105 CAREER PATHWAYS IN BIOLOGY 1 MATH 11010 ALGEBRA FOR CALCULUS (KMCR) 3 UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Credit Hours 15 Semester Two ! BSCI 10120 BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS (ELR) (KBS) (KLAB) 4 MATH 11022 TRIGONOMETRY (KMCR) 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Credit Hours 16 Semester Three ! CHEM 10060 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I (KBS) 4 ! CHEM 10062 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB) 1 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 General Elective 3 Credit Hours 14 Semester Four ! BSCI 30156 ELEMENTS OF GENETICS 3 ! CHEM 10061 GENERAL CHEMISTRY II (KBS) 4 ! CHEM 10063 GENERAL CHEMISTRY II LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB) 1 General Electives 7 Credit Hours 15 Semester Five BSCI 40600 WRITING IN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES (WIC) 1 Biology (BSCI) Electives 5 Foreign Language 4 General Elective 3 Credit Hours 13 Semester Six Biology (BSCI) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) 3 Foreign Language 4 General Electives 9 Credit Hours 16 Semester Seven BSCI 40163 EVOLUTION 3 Biology (BSCI) Upper-Division Electives (30000 or 40000 level) 4 Foreign Language 3 General Electives 6 Credit Hours 16 Semester Eight Biology (BSCI) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) 3 Foreign Language 3 General Electives 9 Credit Hours 15 Minimum Total Credit Hours: 120 Animal Ecology Concentration
This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.
Plan of Study Grid Semester One Credits BSCI 10110 BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (ELR) (KBS) (KLAB) 4 BSCI 30105 CAREER PATHWAYS IN BIOLOGY 1 MATH 11010 ALGEBRA FOR CALCULUS (KMCR) 3 UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Credit Hours 15 Semester Two BSCI 10120 BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS (ELR) (KBS) (KLAB) 4 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 General Elective 2 Credit Hours 15 Semester Three ! CHEM 10060 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I (KBS) 4 ! CHEM 10062 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY (KBS) (KLAB) 1 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 3 Kent Core Requirement 1 General Elective 3 Credit Hours 15 Semester Four BSCI 30156 ELEMENTS OF GENETICS 3 General Electives 12 Credit Hours 15 Semester Five ! BSCI 30360 GENERAL ECOLOGY 4 BSCI 40600 WRITING IN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES (WIC) 1 Biology (BSCI) Elective 3 Concentration Elective 3-4 Foreign Language 4 Credit Hours 15 Semester Six Concentration Electives 6-7 Foreign Language 4 General Electives 5 Credit Hours 15 Semester Seven BSCI 40163 EVOLUTION 3 Biology (BSCI) Elective 2 Concentration Electives 6-7 Foreign Language 3 Credit Hours 14 Semester Eight Biology (BSCI) Upper-Division Electives (30000 or 40000 level) 10 Concentration Elective 3-4 Foreign Language 3 Credit Hours 16 Minimum Total Credit Hours: 120 -
Program Delivery
- Delivery:
- In person
- Location:
- Kent Campus (major and optional concentration)
- Stark Campus (major only)
- Delivery:
Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Biology - B.A.
Students completing the Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology can work in research laboratories, support scientific investigations, educate future generations in secondary education, and more, leveraging their expertise in biology across various fields.
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Biological scientists, all other
2.2%
slower than the average
44,700
number of jobs
$85,290
potential earnings
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Biological technicians
4.9%
about as fast as the average
87,500
number of jobs
$46,340
potential earnings
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Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education
3.8%
about as fast as the average
1,050,800
number of jobs
$62,870
potential earnings
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Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' . Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.