Learning Goals

1.  Biology majors will gain a broad background in the  fundamental concepts of biology.  Students will:

• gain conceptual knowledge at the different levels of biological organization: cellular/molecular, organismal, and ecological.

• demonstrate a knowledge of form and function for at least  one major non-vertebrate group of living organisms.

• be able to compare and contrast features of living organisms that acknowledge a common origin while recognizing evolutionary differences.

2.  Biology majors will gain knowledge and experience in the basic methods, instrumentation and quantitative analytical skills used to conduct scientific research in biology.   Students will:

• be able to frame scientific questions or problems.

• investigate biological questions or problems experimentally, and be able to collect, analyze and interpret quantitative data.

• demonstrate an understanding of the process of science.

• receive training and engage in hands-on laboratory work using scientific equipment and methods.

3.   Biology majors will develop critical thinking and communication skills, and be able to convey biological information to professional scientists and the general public in both written and oral forms.   Students will:

• be able to communicate the results of scientific investigations orally and in writing.

• be able to evaluate scientific arguments critically.

• demonstrate critical thinking by successfully applying fundamental biological concepts to novel scenarios.

4.  Biology majors will develop intellectual independence, scientific literacy and an appreciation for the connections between biological science and society. Students will:

• acquire and understand information from published biological  literature.

• be able to apply scientific thinking to every day problems. 

• appreciate the relevance of biology to society.