ACADEMIC PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY
FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY

The Biology Department at Francis Marion University offers programs leading to the bachelor of science and bachelor of arts degrees in biology. The department also offers a bachelor of science degree in medical technology. A cooperative program in forest management with Clemson University is available. Graduate level courses that apply to the master of education degree are part of the curriculum.

The objectives of the department are to provide a background in the life sciences as part of a liberal arts education, to prepare students to meet requirements for admission to professional schools, to encourage students to engage in research, and to prepare students to teach biology or to enter careers in the environmental field.

The following is a list of courses taught in the Department of Biology. Most courses include laboratory instruction:

Environmental Biology (103)
Human Biology (104)
Introduction to Life Science (105)
Organismal Biology (106)
Invertebrate Zoology (201)
Vertebrate Zoology (202)
Introductory Marine Biology (204)
Human Anatomy (205)
Fall Flora (206)
Spring Flora (207)
Summer Flora (208)
Entomology (209)
Conservation Biology (210)
Cell Biology (301)
Embryology (302)
The Plant Kingdom (303)
Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (305)
Special Topics (306)
Plant Anatomy and Physiology (307)
Aquatic Ecology (308)
Neuroscience (309)
Plant Morphology and Development (310)
Microbiology (311)
Herpetology (312)
Mycology (313)
Field Biology (314)
Ornithology (315)
Genetics (401)
Terrestrial Ecology (402)
Human Physiology (406)
Immunology (407)
Population Ecology (408)
Evolutionary Biology (409)
Vertebrate Physiology (410)
Ecology (411)
Special Studies (497)
Biology Internship (498)
Senior Seminar (499)
Ornithology (501)

THE MAJOR:

All biology majors must take a year of introductory biology as well as courses in botany, cell biology, genetics, and ecology. Additional electives in biology must total 24 semester hours above the 100 level. Biology majors must take a year of general chemistry and a semester of organic chemistry, as well as a year of physics. Courses in calculus, computer science, and a foreign language are also recommended for those planning for graduate school. A minimum of 120 semester hours is required for a bachelor's degree.