AFRICANA STUDIES

Africana studies is the study, research, interpretation, and dissemination of knowledge concerning African American, African, and Caribbean affairs and culture. Using the tools of the social sciences and humanities, Africana studies examines the structure, organization, problems, and perspectives of Blacks in Africa and the African Diaspora. Africana studies also stresses analytical interpretations and policy prescriptions for social change in African American communities and in various African and Caribbean nations. The term Africana incorporates the three-tier interdisciplinary thrust of the department: African, African American, and Caribbean social sciences and humanities.

Africana studies prepares social science majors for advanced graduate studies in international affairs, education, social work, social policy studies, and legal and professional training. In the humanities, preparation in the creative arts and literature gears students to practical development in such fields as communication, teaching, theater, and dance. Africana studies occupies a central role in understanding modern American life and African and Caribbean linkages. As an interdisciplinary major, Africana studies offers intellectual paradigms for the multicultural approach to historical, political, and economic reality. It is also critical and corrective of the inadequacies, omissions, and distortions of mainstream American education leading into the 21st century. Africana studies is committed to producing liberally educated women and men with a lifetime dedication to working on African American, African, and Caribbean affairs. For more information on the major and the Department of Africana Studies, see the department’s Web site at www.pitt.edu/~bjgrier/bj.htm.

Major Requirements

Students are urged to meet with the departmental advisor no later than the beginning of the junior year to confirm a plan of study. The Africana studies major requires the following:

A total of 30 credits with a focused area of study in either humanities or social science. A 2.00 grade point average for all Africana studies courses. (The department recommends that courses for the major not be taken on an S/NC basis (formerly the S/N option).) Students who choose social sciences must take two humanities courses: one lower level and one upper level. Students concentrating in the humanities are required to take two social sciences: one lower level and one upper level. All majors, regardless of concentration, are required to take three core courses:

• AFRCNA 0031 Introduction to Africana Studies
• AFRCNA 1068 Africana Senior Research Seminar
• AFRCNA 1900 Internship

For the A&S-required related area outside the major, students might consider completing the related area in a single department as it may lead to the option of a double major.

AFRICANA STUDIES-ENGLISH JOINT MAJOR

The joint major offers an especially coherent experience in interdisciplinary learning by bringing together Africana studies and English in two interrelated ways. Students get a rich and rigorous exposure to African and African Diaspora literature written in English through literature produced in the United States, Africa, Canada, Great Britain, and the Caribbean. Additionally, students examine some of the significant relationships between African and African Diaspora works and a range of English-language literary traditions.

The major is designed to expose students to important questions and traditions in literary interpretation and to offer them political, social, and cultural contexts for the literature they will be reading. Like most liberal arts majors, it helps students learn to think analytically and to make and assess arguments, skills that are important in many jobs and courses of graduate study. The major is also useful for prospective teachers who would be interested in developing and teaching curricula that include African Diaspora literature within other English-language traditions. Students who complete the joint major will have fulfilled most of the School of Education’s undergraduate requirements for secondary education certification in English.

The Africana studies-English joint major requires 45 credits distributed as follows: four core courses, four literature courses from the Department of Africana Studies, three literature courses from the English department, and four electives, one of which must be a history course in the Department of Africana Studies. No more than two upper-division courses can count toward the major before a student has completed the introductory courses, and three of the required courses in each department excluding the core courses must be taken before a student enrolls in a senior seminar.

Joint Major Requirements

Required Core Courses (12 credits)

• AFRCNA 0031 Introduction to Africana Studies
• ENGLIT 0500 Introduction to Critical Reading
• ENGLIT 1900 Junior Seminar

One of the following:

• AFRCNA 1068 Africana Senior Research Seminar
• ENGLIT 1909 Senior Seminar
• ENGLIT 1910 Senior Seminar

Africana Studies Courses (12 credits)

Students must take four of the following:

• AFRCNA 0016 Introduction to African American Theater
• AFRCNA 0022 Introduction to African Literature
• AFRCNA 0050 Introduction to Africana-American Literature
• AFRCNA 1004 Africana World Literature
• AFRCNA 1006 World Literature in English
• AFRCNA 1020 African American Literary Criticism
• AFRCNA 1044 The African Novel
• AFRCNA 1049 Contemporary Caribbean Literature

English Literature Courses (9 credits)

Students must take three of the following:

• ENGLIT 1125 Renaissance in England
• ENGLIT 1150 Enlightenment to Revolution
• ENGLIT 1175 Nineteenth Century British Literature
• ENGLIT 1200 American Literature to 1860
• ENGLIT 1220 Emergence of Modern America
• ENGLIT 1325 The Modernist Tradition
• ENGLIT 1380 World Literature in English

Elective Courses (12 credits)

• Students must take four electives, choosing from courses in the Africana studies and English departments. One of these electives must be a history course offered by the Department of Africana Studies. Students might also use electives to pursue more extensive work in particular areas of study, such as African, African American, British, Caribbean, or U.S. literature.
• Students interested in careers in education should pay particular attention to courses required by various School of Education certification programs.
• In light of the interdisciplinary and international character of the joint major, it would also be appropriate for students to petition to have a closely related course taught in a foreign language (for example, a course on Francophone-Caribbean literature in the Department of French and Italian Languages and Literatures) count as one of the electives toward the joint major.

ANTHROPOLOGY

Anthropology is concerned with how humans and human societies evolve, with the differences and similarities among human cultures, and with the cultural and biological basis for human behavior. Anthropology integrates a wide range of perspectives on human behavior, culture, and society. Students become familiar with the basic concerns of four subgroups of anthropology:

• Archaeology offers courses covering many geographic regions (Latin America, North America, and China), techniques of analysis, and issues in prehistory. Museum collections, internships in cultural resource management, and a summer field school provide opportunities for student involvement in archaeological work.
• Physical anthropology offers classes on evolutionary theory; evolutionary psychology; human genetics; osteoarchaeology; and human and nonhuman primate evolution, anatomy, morphology, and behavior.
• Cultural anthropology offers a wide variety of courses on cultural areas including the Pacific, Latin America, China, Japan, South Asia, Eastern Europe, and the United States. Classes provide cross-cultural studies of topics such as medical anthropology, food, social and political organization, gender roles, kinship, ethnicity and nationalism, folklore, religion, and conflict and violence.
• Anthropological linguistics offers courses on the nature of languages around the world, focusing on the relationship of language to other aspects of culture and society. Among the courses offered are Gypsy Language and Culture and Writing Systems of Ancient Mesoamerica.

For more information on the major and the Department of Anthropology, visit www.pitt.edu/~pittanth.

Major Requirements

The anthropology major requires the following:

• A total of 30 credits including the following required core courses:
  • ANTH 0780 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
  • ANTH 0680 Introduction to Physical Anthropology
  • ANTH 0582 Introduction to Archaeology

The core courses satisfy prerequisites for most upper-level courses and are generally taken during the freshman and sophomore years.

• ANTH 1750 or one of the other designated under-graduate seminars.
• An additional 18 credits in any anthropology courses will complete the major. A student may choose to concentrate in one of the four subgroups listed above. One of the courses must be a writing (W) course offered within the department. Linguistics and quantitative analysis courses, though not required for the major, are highly recommended.

The requirements of the program make it possible to pursue a double major in many disciplines such as biology, psychology, religious studies, history, and geology. Students who declare anthropology as a second major should consult with the anthropology advisor as soon as possible to ensure fulfillment of anthropology requirements.

A major in anthropology also combines well with a variety of area studies certificate programs as well as with certificates in women’s studies, global studies, geographic information systems, and historic preservation.

Students with an overall GPA of 3.25 or above and a GPA in anthropology courses of 3.50 or above will be graduated from the department with honors, pending the submission and acceptance of a paper representing substantial student research. The honors paper may be an expanded version of a paper from a course or may result from independent research. The successful completion of a linguistics course is recommended.

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

The study of biology seeks to understand the unifying processes that underlie the great diversity of living things. Biological knowledge has exploded as we enter the third millennium. We have sequenced the complete genomes of several organisms including our own. We have identified multipotent stem cells that hold the promise for new treatments for devastating disease. Even our understanding of the process of evolution, how life came to be on this planet, and how it is changing has been revolutionized by the techniques of molecular biology. Beyond providing an understanding of our place and our responsibilities within this world, biology can be a powerful tool to improve the condition of our planet and our fellow organisms.

The Department of Biological Sciences offers four majors, allowing students to explore the aspect of biology that most interests them. These majors are ecology and evolution, microbiology, molecular biology, and an individualized major in biological sciences. Completing any of these majors fulfills the basic science requirements required for graduate work in biology or in the health professions.

Biological Sciences

The biological sciences major is intended for the biology student who wishes to develop an individualized combination of courses at the advanced level. The student is free to plan a curriculum of great breadth or to choose an area of specialization not offered as a major by the department. Most of the undergraduates in our department choose the biological sciences major. This major is suitable for those planning a career in which general familiarity with biological topics is desirable, such as jobs in scientific journalism, biological and pharmaceutical supply industries, biological or medical research, scientific libraries and museums, or in any industry where the products or by-products have potential biological impact. Completing the biological sciences major fulfills the basic science requirements for admission to medical, dental, and other health professional schools and to graduate biology programs.

Ecology and Evolution

The field of ecology explores the interactive web of organisms and the environment. Studies in evolution consider the processes by which modern organisms have developed from ancestral ones. The ecology and evolution major is a good choice for students interested in the fundamental questions of the evolutionary origins of organisms and how they survive, or don’t survive, in their changing habitats. Within this major, students have the opportunity for in-depth study of the morphological and physiological adaptations of a variety of animals, plants, and microorganisms to a changing world; the ecological relationship of organisms from the individual to the global scale; and the mechanisms that drive evolutionary change.

Employment opportunities in the ecological sciences have increased greatly in recent years. There continues to be a demand for well-trained professionals at all levels (BS, MS, and PhD). Government environmental agencies, commercial consulting and testing firms, waste management industries, research laboratories, and natural history and science museums are just a few of the career opportunities. Graduate departments of ecology, evolution, environmental sciences, genetics, botany, public policy, and public health are actively seeking well-qualified students. The required chemistry, physics, and mathematics courses incorporate the requirements for admission to medical, dental, and other health professional schools. An ecology and evolution major could also serve as a springboard to a career in law.

Microbiology

Microbiology is the study of the biology of microscopic organisms, viruses, bacteria, algae, fungi, slime molds, and protozoa. The methods used to study and manipulate these minute and mostly unicellular organisms differ from those used in most other biological investigations. Recombinant DNA technology uses microorganisms, particularly bacteria and viruses, to amplify DNA sequences and generate the encoded products. Moving genes from one microorganism to another permits application of microbial skills to solve medical and environmental problems. Many microorganisms are unique among living things in their ability to use gaseous nitrogen from the air or to degrade complex and resistant macromolecules in such materials as wood. By rearranging the genes that control these and other processes, scientists seek to engineer microorganisms that will process wastes, fertilize agricultural land, produce desirable biomolecules, and solve other problems inexpensively and safely.

Microbiologists pursue careers in many fields, including agricultural, environmental, food, and industrial microbiology; public health; resource management; basic research; education; and pharmaceuticals. Jobs in all these fields are available at the BS level as well as the MS and PhD levels. The microbiology major also incorporates the requirements expected for admission to medical, dental, and other health professional schools and to graduate schools in microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and related disciplines.

Molecular Biology

Molecular biology emphasizes the study of molecules that make up an organism and the forces operating among these molecules. Increasingly, molecular biologists can also explore the genetic control of these molecules and thus define the developmental, cellular, and subcellular changes that occur during the dynamic processes of life. Virtually every question, whether in biochemistry, cell biology, developmental biology, or some other biological discipline, applies molecular biology, often as the prime approach, in its solution. Biochemical and molecular developments have revolutionized biological research, fueling the explosive growth in the biotechnology industry and rapid increase of molecular medicine.

The molecular biology major, with its two tracks (biochemistry or cell and developmental biology) provides a strong background for many science careers. Both tracks incorporate the requirements expected for admission to medical, dental, and other health professional schools and to graduate schools in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, and related disciplines. Positions for molecular biologists at the BS, MS, and PhD levels are available in the biotechnology industries as well as in universities, medical schools, hospitals, government laboratories, research institutes, and public health institutions.

For more information on the Department of Biological Sciences and the majors it offers, see www.pitt.edu/~biology.

General Requirements

Students in all four majors within the Department of Biological Sciences must follow general rules and fulfill certain general requirements in addition to those in their specific major:

• A total of 32 credits in biology must be taken (see specific course requirements for each major below). All biology courses taken for the major must be completed with a C or better. If a C- or lower is earned in a biology elective course that is not repeated, the course will be used in calculating the overall GPA in the major but will not be counted as part of the 32 credits required for the major.
• Corequisite courses must be taken in chemistry, physics, and mathematics and/or statistics, including
• CHEM 0110 and 0120 General Chemistry 1 and 2, includes labs,
  • CHEM 0310, 0330, 0320, and 0340 Organic Chemistry 1 and 2 and labs,
  • MATH 0220 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1,
  • Either MATH 0230 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 2 or STAT 1000 Applied Statistical Methods, and
  • Either the algebra-based physics, PHYS 0110 and 0111 Introduction to Physics 1 and 2, or the calculus-based physics, PHYS 0174 and 0175 Basic Physics for Science and Engineering 1 and 2.
• A minimum GPA of 2.00 must be maintained in all biology courses and in the combined corequisite courses. The S/NC option (formerly the S/N option) may be used for only one biology course and for any of the corequisite courses.
• The A&S-required related area is fulfilled by the corequisite courses in chemistry. Departmental writing (W) courses may be selected once the major is declared. Opportunities for faculty-sponsored directed research and internship experiences are available and strongly encouraged. Academic credit awarded from the departmental W, directed research, and internship courses count as credit toward graduation, but not in determining the 32 biology credits required for the major. Students interested in departmental honors should contact department advisors for information.
• University Honors College equivalents for any of the above courses are accepted. Credit by examination is available only through appropriate AP scores for equivalents to BIOSC 0150, 0050, 0160, and 0060 Foundations of Biology 1 and 2 and labs.

Updated information about the department, major requirements, and course offerings is available on the department’s Web site, www.pitt.edu/~biology.

Biological Sciences Major
Biology Course Requirements

Completion of the biological sciences major requires a total of 32 credits in biology, including

• 17 credits of required courses:
  • BIOSC 0150 and 0160 Foundations of Biology 1 and 2
  • BIOSC 0050 and 0060 Foundations of Biology Lab 1 and 2
  • BIOSC 0350 Genetics
  • BIOSC 0370 Ecology or 1130 Evolution
  • BIOSC 1000 Biochemistry
• A minimum of 15 credits of upper-division courses, which must include two labs or one lab and one field course. Students may begin to take elective courses when they have completed the appropriate prerequisite courses; for example, some upper-division courses have only 0150 and 0160 as prerequisites whereas others have additional requirements.

Ecology and Evolution Major
Biology Course Requirements

Completion of the ecology and evolution major requires a total of 32 credits in biology, including

• 25 credits of required courses:
  • BIOSC 0150 and 0160 Foundations of Biology 1 and 2
  • BIOSC 0050 and 0060 Foundations of Biology Lab 1 and 2
  • BIOSC 0350 Genetics
  • BIOSC 0370 Ecology
  • BIOSC 0390 Ecology Lab
  • BIOSC 1000 Biochemistry
  • BIOSC 1130 Evolution
  • BIOSC 1320 Population Biology
  • BIOSC 1550 Ecology and Evolution Seminar
• A 3-credit upper-division field course offered during the summer at the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology (PLE) or an equivalent site pre-approved by the department.
• An additional 4 credits of upper-division elective courses.

Microbiology Major
Biology Course Requirements

Completion of the microbiology major requires a total of 32 credits in biology, including

• 26 credits of required courses:
  • BIOSC 0150 and 0160 Foundations of Biology 1 and 2
  • BIOSC 0050 and 0060 Foundations of Biology Lab 1 and 2
  • BIOSC 0350 Genetics
  • BIOSC 0370 Ecology or 1130 Evolution
  • BIOSC 1000 Biochemistry or 1810 and 1820 Macromolecular Structure Function and Metabolic Pathways
  • BIOSC 1570 Microbiology Seminar
  • BIOSC 1850 Microbiology
  • BIOSC 1860 Microbiology Lab
  • BIOSC 1865 Microbial Physiology
• In addition, 6 BIOSC credits must be taken. These are chosen from a selected list of microbiology electives, including at least one lab or field course. Students may begin to take elective courses when they have completed the appropriate prerequisite courses.

Molecular Biology Major
Biology Course Requirements

Completion of the molecular biology major requires a total of 32 credits in biology, including

• 20 credits of required courses:
  • BIOSC 0150 and 0160 Foundations of Biology 1 and 2
  • BIOSC 0050 and 0060 Foundations of Biology Lab 1 and 2
  • BIOSC 0350 Genetics
  • BIOSC 1810 Macromolecular Structure Function
  • BIOSC 1820 Metabolic Pathways
  • BIOSC 1940 Molecular Biology

• In addition, students select one upper-division elective (either BIOSC 0370 Ecology or any BIOSC course numbered above 1010) and complete the course work in one of the following two tracks:

Biochemistry Track

• BIOSC 1470 Biophysical Chemistry or CHEM 1410 Physical Chemistry 1 and 1420 Physical Chemistry 2
• BIOSC 1580 Biochemistry Seminar
• BIOSC 1830 Biochemistry Lab
• BIOSC 1950 Molecular Genetics Lab

Cell and Developmental Biology Track

• BIOSC 1500 Cell Biology
• BIOSC 1520 Developmental Biology
• BIOSC 1560 Cell and Developmental Biology Seminar
• Two laboratories selected from among
  • BIOSC 1510 Cell Biology Lab
  • BIOSC 1530 Developmental Biology Lab
  • BIOSC 1830 Biochemistry Lab
  • BIOSC 1950 Molecular Genetics Lab

CHEMISTRY

Chemistry, as a central science, is involved in natural processes occurring in living things, the earth, the oceans, and the atmosphere. The chemical industry provides materials to feed, clothe, and house mankind; drugs to combat disease; and processes to provide energy. Chemistry plays a role in high technology fields such as molecular biology, microelectronics, drug design, and ceramics.

The American Chemical Society (ACS)-certified chemistry degree includes core chemistry courses and electives. Special options are available for students with specific interests in combining chemistry with other subjects, such as bioscience, business, communication, computer science, education, and polymer science. These options allow students to take additional courses that provide an in-depth introduction to the subject of choice and are directly relevant to individual career goals.

The Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry prepares students for a career in business or industry or for advanced study in chemistry. Combined with core biology courses, the chemistry major is frequently selected as the preferred major for admission to the graduate health professions, including medical and dental school. In combination with an education option, the chemistry major prepares students for a certification program leading to a career in secondary science teaching. Chemists at all levels of training have a wide variety of industrial and corporate career opportunities in agricultural chemistry, food chemistry, environmental science, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and electronics, and fine chemicals, as well as in basic research. Many opportunities are available for chemistry majors with skills in business (sales, technical marketing, management), communications (technical writing, journalism), and computer science (programming, database management, information science). For more information on the ACS-certified degree and degree options as well as the Department of Chemistry, see www.chem.pitt.edu.

Major Requirements

The requirements for the ACS-certified major in chemistry are as follows:

• These chemistry courses must be taken:
  • CHEM 0110 and 0120 General Chemistry 1 and 2 or 0710 and 0720 UHC General Chemistry 1 and 2
  • CHEM 0250 and 0260 Introduction to Analytical Chemistry and Lab
  • CHEM 0310 and 0320 Organic Chemistry 1 and 2 or 0730 or 0740 UHC Organic Chemistry 1 and 2
  • CHEM 0330 and 0340 Organic Chemistry Lab 1 and 2 or CHEM 0330 and 0750 Organic Chemistry Lab 1 and UHC Organic Lab 2
  • CHEM 1130 Inorganic Chemistry
  • CHEM 1140 Advanced Inorganic Laboratory
  • CHEM 1250 and 1255 Instrumental Analysis and Lab
  • CHEM 1410 and 1420 Physical Chemistry 1 and 2
  • CHEM 1430 and 1440 Physical Chemistry Lab 1 and 2
• Corequisite courses must be taken in math and physics:
  • MATH 0220, 0230, and 0240 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1, 2, and 3
  • PHYS 0174 and 0175 Basic Physics for Science and Engineering 1 and 2
  • PHYS 0219 Basic Lab Physics Science and Engineering
• For ACS certification, the elective course must be a course in biochemistry (BIOSC 1000 Biochemistry or BIOSC 1810 Macromolecular Structure Function).
• At least 2 credits must be selected from an approved list of chemistry or science electives.
• The chemistry major must earn a 2.00 GPA in all departmental courses. Chemistry majors may use the S/NC option (formerly the S/N option) in all required physics and mathematics courses and in CHEM 0110 and 0120 General Chemistry 1 and 2.

Students who complete the requirements of the chemistry major automatically complete the requirements for a related area in mathematics. To graduate with departmental honors, the student must have an overall GPA of at least 3.00, have a GPA of at least 3.25 in required chemistry courses, earn 2 credits in CHEM 1710 Undergraduate Research, and earn 1 credit in CHEM 1711 Undergraduate Research Writing Practicum.

The chemistry department offers options in bioscience, business, communications, computer science, education, and polymer science. Each chemistry option allows for a waiver of CHEM 1440 Physical Chemistry Lab 2, CHEM 1140 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry, and the 2-credit science elective required for the ACS-certified degree. Specific information on the options program is available from the department.

Minor in Chemistry

Due to the integral role that chemistry plays in many other majors (including life sciences, physical sciences, and engineering), students wishing to receive formal recognition of their work in chemistry may choose to pursue the official minor as outlined below:

18–19 Credits

• CHEM 0110 General Chemistry I with Lab—4 credits
• CHEM 0120 General Chemistry II with Lab—4 credits
  OR
• CHEM 0710 Honors General Chemistry I with Lab—4 credits
• CHEM 0720 Honors General Chemistry I with Lab—4 credits
  OR
• CHEM 0760 Honors General Chemistry I for Engineers—4 credits
• CHEM 0770 Honors General Chemistry II for Engineers—4 credits
  OR
• CHEM 0960 General Chemistry I for Engineers—3 credits
• CHEM 0970 General Chemistry II for Engineers—3 credits

Three of the following LECTURE courses:

• CHEM 0310 Organic Chemistry I—3 credits
• CHEM 0320 Organic Chemistry II—3 credits
• CHEM 0250 Analytical Chemistry—3 credits
• CHEM 1250 Instrumental Analysis—3 credits
• CHEM 1410 Physical Chemistry I—3 credits
• CHEM 1420 Physical Chemistry II—3 credits
• CHEM 1130 Inorganic Chemistry—3 credits
• CHEM 1590 Molecular Biophysics—2 credits
• BIOSC 1000 Principles of Biochemistry OR BIOSC 1810 Macromolecular Structure—3 credits

Two of the following LABORATORY courses:

• CHEM 0330 Organic Chemistry I Lab—1 credit
• CHEM 0340 Organic Chemistry II Lab—1 credit
• CHEM 0260 Analytical Chemistry Lab—1 credit
• CHEM 1255 Instrumental Analysis Lab—1 credit
• CHEM 1430 Physical Chemistry I Lab—1 credit
• CHEM 1440 Physical Chemistry II Lab—1 credit
• CHEM 1140 Inorganic Chemistry Lab—2 credits
• CHEM 1595 Molecular Biophysics Lab—3 credits