Undergraduate Degree Programs

B.A. in Biology [Degree Requirements] A Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology consists of 36-45 hours of biology courses of which 18 hours must be 3000-4000-level courses. The required courses are Biology (BIOL) 1450 and 1750. The remaining elective hours in biology must be scheduled and approved by the Department advisers. Also required are either Chemistry (CHEM) 1140-1144, 2210-2214, 3650-3654, or 1180-1184, 1190-1194, 2250, 2260, 2274; and Physics (PHYS) 1050-1054, or 1110-1154, 1120-1164, or 2110-1154, 2120-1164. BIOL 3150 is recommended as the advanced writing course for biology majors, but students may select any advanced writing course approved by the College of Arts and Sciences. One laboratory course in geology or physical geography and one approved course in calculus, statistics, or computer science are strongly recommended in addition to the college mathematics or computer science fundamental competency requirement.

B.S. in Biology [Degree Requirements] A Bachelor of Science degree in Biology consists of 36-45 hours of biology courses of which 18 hours must be 3000-4000-level courses. With the approval of the department chairperson, certain advanced courses in related fields may be included in the major. A foreign language is not required, but in lieu thereof a student must take nine hours of approved courses in mathematics/computer science/statistics. Also required are either Chemistry (CHEM) 1140-1144, 2210-2214, 3650-3654, or 1180-1184, 1190-1194, 2250, 2260, 2274; and Physics (PHYS) 1050-1054, or 1110-1154, 1120-1164, or 2110-1154, 2120-1164. One laboratory course in geology or physical geography is strongly recommended. All courses in biology have both lecture and laboratory unless otherwise indicated in the Course Description section of the undergraduate student catalog. BIOL 3150 is recommended as the advanced writing course for biology majors, but students may select any advanced writing course approved by the College of Arts and Sciences. Students interested in a teaching field in biology should contact the College of Education.

B.S. in Bioinformatics [Degree Requirements] This crossdisciplinary degree requires bioinformatics courses offered jointly by the biology department in the College of Arts and Sciences and the computer science department in the College of Information Science and Technology, as well as courses in mathematics, chemistry and biology from the College of Arts and Sciences. The bioinformatics degree is also available from the College of Information Science and Technology.

B.S. in Biotechnology [Degree Requirements] A Bachelor of Science degree in Biotechnology is offered within the Department of Biology at UNO. A cooperative agreement with the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) will allow students to participate in a biotechnology internship program in laboratories on the UNMC campus. The biotechnology internship (BIOL 4550) provides practical laboratory experience in molecular biology by allowing students to join a research laboratory for one semester. The internship should be taken during the senior year and enrollment will be limited. Advisers: Dr. William E. Tapprich and Dr. Mark J. Swanson.

B.S. in Environmental Studies [Degree Requirements] Environmental Studies is an accepted field of study at more than 200 colleges and universities across the country and is characterized by its breadth as well as its interdisciplinary approach. These programs are generally designed to introduce the student to the various disparate disciplines that interplay with respect to environmental problems and their solutions. These disciplines include sociology, ethics, economics, public administration as well as the natural sciences. Students completing a program in environmental studies are prepared for careers with national, state and local governmental agencies, private environmental organizations, as well as environmental consulting firms.

The Environmental Studies Major is designed so that a student specializes in one of the following areas of emphasis or Options: Life Sciences, Earth Sciences, Geography and Planning, or Analytic. Each Option is designed so that the student develops enough depth in that discipline so that the student could continue on to graduate school in that discipline. The courses required in each option, however, are also chosen with the intent that a student with a Bachelor's degree is competitive in the environmental job market. Adviser: Dr. John McCarty and Dr. Claudia Rauter. For more information, please visit the Environmental Studies Home Page.

Minors

The department offers three minors: Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Studies.

Biology Minor--A minor in biology requres a minimum of 26 semester credit hours. All courses counted toward a minor in biology must be applicable toward a major in biology. These hours must include Biology 1450, 1750 and 2140 and at least 12 credit hours of courses at the 3000 or 4000 level. At least one of the 3000/4000 level courses must have a laboratory.

Students transferring biology credits are required to take a minimum of two 3000 or 4000 level courses at UNO.

Biotechnology Minor--A minor in biotechnology requires a minimum of 26 semester credit hours. All courses counted toward a minor in biotechnology must be applicable toward a major in biotechnology. These hours must include Biology 1450, 1750, 2140 and 3020 and 9 credit hours of 3000 or 4000 level courses.

Students transferring biology credits are required to take a minimum of one 4000 level laboratory course at UNO.

Environmental Studies Minor--A minor in environmental studies requires a minimum of 21 semester credit hours. These hours must include Biology 1330, Chemistry 1010 or 3030, Geology 1010, and Philosophy 3180. In addition, 9 credit hours should be chosen from the following list, provided that those courses are not in the student’s major field of study: Biology 3340, 3530, 3730, 4100, 4120, 4210, 4220, 4230, 4270, 4340, 4350, 4370, 4540, 4610, 4780, 4790, 4800, 4820, 4840, 4880, 4910, 4920, 4940, 4980; Chemistry 3030, 3414, 3650/3654; Geography 3130, 3510, 3530, 3540, 3930, 4010, 4020, 4030, 4050, 4100, 4120, 4250, 4260, 4320, 4330, 4340, 4610, 4630, 4820; Geology 2600, 3300, 3310, 3400, 4540. Exceptions must be approved by the Environmental Studies Coordinating Committee.