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BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

The biological sciences department offers four majors: biological sciences, ecology and evolution, microbiology, and molecular biology. General information about each major field follows:

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 develop a curriculum of great breadth or to choose an area of specialization not currently offered by the department. The general biological sciences major is most often chosen by undergraduates, including those interested in health professional school, secondary education, or public health programs. 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. The major is suitable for those planning to look for a job in which general familiarity with biological topics is helpful or even required, such as jobs in scientific journalism, biological and pharmaceutical supply industries, biological or medical research laboratories, scientific libraries and museums, or in any industry where the products or by-products have potential environmental impact.

Ecology and Evolution

The ecology and evolution major provides a selection of courses on various aspects of these two exciting fields of biology. This is a good choice of major for those interested in the fundamental questions of the evolutionary origins of organisms and how they survive (or, as is increasingly the case, how they don't survive) in the environments in which they are found. Students have the opportunity to study the following: the morphological and physiological adaptations of a wide variety of animals, plants, and microorganisms; the behavioral adaptations of organisms; the genetic mechanisms of evolution; and the ecological relationships of organisms - from the individual through populations and communities, to ecosystems all the way to the global scale.

Employment opportunities in the environmental 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, natural history and science museums, etc., are just a few of the career opportunities. Graduate departments of ecology, evolution, environmental sciences, genetics, botany, public health, and the like are actively seeking well-qualified students. By taking appropriate chemistry, physics, and mathematics courses, a major in ecology and evolution incorporates 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. Because these organisms are so minute and most are unicellular, the methods used to study and manipulate them 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 products for which they code. The ability to move genes from one microorganism to another permits application of microbial skills to human problems in a variety of ways. 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 create (or engineer) microorganisms that will process wastes, fertilize agricultural land, and solve other problems inexpensively and safely.

Microbiologists pursue careers in many fields, including: public health; agricultural, environmental, food, and industrial microbiology; 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

This major emphasizes the study of molecules that make up organisms, the forces that operate among these molecules, the chemical changes involved in the dynamic processes of life, and, increasingly, the genetic control of all of these. Virtually every biological question, whether in biochemistry, cell biology, developmental biology, or some other discipline, involves molecular biology, often as the prime approach, in its solution. Biochemical and molecular developments have revolutionized biological research and have also led to an explosive growth in the biotechnology industry and to the rapid increase of molecular medicine. There is now the realistic prospect of gene therapy to cure some human genetic disorders.

The molecular biology major, with its two tracks (biochemistry or cell and developmental biology) provides a strong background for many science careers. It incorporates 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 http://www.pitt.edu/~biology/.

Major 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 major requirements for biology courses that must be taken for each major field 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 and is not repeated, the course will be used in calculating the overall QPA 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)
  -  MATH 0230 (Analytic Geometry and Calculus 2) or STAT 1000 (Applied Statistical Methods)
  -  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 QPA of 2.00 must be maintained in all biology courses and in the combined corequisite courses. The S/N option may be used for only one biology course, and for any of the corequisite courses.
  
  
• The CAS 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 internships count as credit towards 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.
  

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 & 2)
  BIOSC 0050 and 0060 (Foundations of Biology Lab 1 & 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.

Ecology and Evolution - 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 1130 (Evolution)
  BIOSC 1000 (Biochemistry)
  BIOSC 1320 (Population Biology)
  BIOSC 1550 (Ecology and Evolution Seminar)
  
  

  A three-credit upper-level field course offered summers at the Pymatuning Laboratory of Ecology (PLE) or an equivalent site pre-approved by the department.
  
  

  An additional four credits of upper-division elective courses.

Microbiology - 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 and Function and Metabolic Pathways)
  BIOSC 1570 (Microbiology Seminar)
  BIOSC 1850 (Microbiology)
  BIOSC 1865 (Microbial Physiology)
  BIOSC 1860 (Microbiology Lab)
  
  

  In addition, six BIOSC credits must be taken. These are chosen (depending on the track - general or medical) 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 - 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 and 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 1980 (Molecular Biophysics) or CHEM 1410 (Physical Chemistry 1) and 1420 (Physical    Chemistry 2)

  -  BIOSC 1580 (Biochemistry Seminar)
  

  • Two laboratories selected from:
    

  -  BIOSC 1830 (Biochemistry Laboratory)

  -  BIOSC 1950 (Molecular Genetics Laboratory)

  -  BIOSC 1990 (Molecular Biophysics Laboratory)

• Cell and Developmental Biology Track

-  BIOSC 1500 (Cell Biology)

-  BIOSC 1520 (Developmental Biology)

-  BIOSC 1560 (Cell and Developmental Biology Seminar)

-  Two laboratories selected from BIOSC 1510 (Cell Biology Lab), 1530 (Developmental Biology     Lab), 1830 (Biochemistry Lab), and 1950 (Molecular Genetics Lab)

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