Biology Minor

Biology Minor

Required:
Introductory track:8
General Biology: Organismal Diversity
General Biology: Cell Structure and Function
Chemistry and Biochemistry:8
General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry II *
Electives in Biology: **10-12
Total Hours26-28
*

Students with excellent preparation in chemistry may substitute CHEM 1130 General Chemistry I-II plus 3 additional credit hours of biology electives for CHEM 1110 General Chemistry I and CHEM 1120 General Chemistry II.

**

BIOL 3000/4000-level, excluding BIOL 3101 Human Anatomy and Physiology I, BIOL 3179 Cooperative Education, BIOL 3185 Readings in Biology, BIOL 3190 Undergraduate Research in Biology, and BIOL 4198 Independent Study

Policies

Majors

  1. Students should indicate their interest in majoring in biology by filling out a Declaration of Curriculum form any time after their admission to UNI.
  2. A student's freshman year shall be devoted primarily to completing the required course work in general biology (BIOL 2051 General Biology: Organismal Diversity and BIOL 2052 General Biology: Cell Structure and Function) and chemistry (CHEM 1110 General Chemistry I and CHEM 1120 General Chemistry II, or CHEM 1130 General Chemistry I-II). UNIFI/General Education and/or math classes should be taken by students to complete their schedules.
  3. For the BS Biology, the BS Environmental Science, the BA Biology, the BA Biology Biomedical Emphasis, the BA Biology-Teaching, and the BA Biology Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology emphasis, students must receive a grade of C- (1.67) or higher in courses that are applied to their major. Prior to enrollment in a course, all prerequisites must be completed with a C- (1.67) or higher.
  4. ALEKS is a mathematics placement exam used at the University of Northern Iowa. Your academic advisor will use your score on the ALEKS assessment to determine your placement in UNI mathematics, chemistry, and physics courses.
  5. A student enrolled in a biology class during fall or spring semester, or who drops a biology course after the first seven days of classes, should contact the department if they want to take the class again in an immediately subsequent semester. The student will only be allowed to register if space remains after all advanced registrations are completed.
  6. To graduate from UNI with a BS Biology, a BA Biology, a BA Biology Biomedical Emphasis, or a BA Biology Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology emphasis, students must have both a cumulative and a major UNI GPA of 2.00 or higher, with a grade of C- (1.67) or higher in all courses that are applied to the major.  To graduate from UNI with a BA Biology-Teaching, students must have both a cumulative and a major UNI GPA of 2.50 or higher, with a grade of C- (1.67) or higher in all courses that are applied to the major.
  7. With the exception of the Biology 3+1 Joint program, to graduate from UNI with a biology major, students must take at least seven (7) hours of 4000-level biology coursework pertinent to their major, with four (4) of those hours being taken at UNI.
  8. Transfer students entering UNI shall be subject to the acceptance requirements listed in #3.

Minors

To graduate from UNI with a biology minor, students must have both a cumulative and a minor UNI GPA of 2.00 or higher, with a grade of C- (1.67) or higher in all courses that are applied to the minor.

Notes:

  1. A student can declare only one major within the Department of Biology with the exception of the BA Biology Teaching major, which can be paired with another degree in biology.
  2. A student with a major within the Department of Biology cannot declare a Biology minor or a Biology-Teaching minor.
  3. A student with a major in the interdisciplinary B.A. Environmental Resource Management: Ecosystems Track may not also declare a major or minor in biology.
  4. A student with a major in the interdisciplinary B.S. Environmental Science: Environmental Life Science Track may not also declare a major or minor in biology.

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