Degree: Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Major: Biology

Program Overview

The Biology BA degree program provides a general background in biology and has the most flexible scheduling of the three biology degrees offered. It is especially recommended for students who are pre-professional, have multiple majors, intend to study abroad or participate in an internship program, or have significant extracurricular commitments (e.g., varsity athletics, student government, Greek life, or other campus involvement). Since the Biology BA degree does not formally require undergraduate research, students interested in graduate research careers should plan to take at least one semester of undergraduate research as an elective (BIOL 388 or BIOL 388S) sometime during the senior year.

The Biology, BA has a core of foundation courses and provides options for specialization in a variety of areas, including biotechnology and genetic engineering, molecular and cellular biology, genetics, immunology, chemical biology, physiology and biophysics, neurobiology and animal behavior, developmental biology, population biology, ecology, and environmental science. Individual research projects form a significant part of the curriculum. Advanced biology majors may register, with permission, for graduate-level courses in the department and in the School of Medicine.

Ordinarily, all students begin their biology programs in their first year.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will be able to demonstrate and apply knowledge of fundamental biological concepts, including those inmolecular, cellular, organismal, ecological, and evolutionary biology.
• Studnets will be able to make key observations,propose hypotheses, design experiments to test hypotheses and develop models to generate predictions, collect and analyze data, and draw appropriate conclusions.
• Students will be able to critically analyze published scientific research in the biological sciences, connecting previously learned information to current research.
• Students will be able to communicate biological ideas, arguments and experimental data both in oral and written forms to diverse audiences ranging from experts to lay persons.
• Students will be able to synthesize biological principles across other fields of science to arrive at holistic conclusions based on sound rationale, data, or modeling approaches. In addition, students will be able to contextualize biological discoveries on society and understand ethical implications of research.

Advising

Biology faculty advisors are assigned to students at the time of major or minor declaration. All biology majors are required to meet with their departmental advisors at least once each semester to discuss their academic program, receive clearance for electronic course registration, and obtain approval for any drops, adds, or withdrawals. Please contact the undergraduate coordinator for the Department of Biology for information about major or minor declaration.

Teacher Licensure

Case Western Reserve University offers licensure programs in music education and art education as degree programs in each of those departments.  Additionally, CWRU’s Teacher Education Program offers a licensure track for students who wish to pursue a teaching career in their content area in grades 7-12 Adolescent to Young Adult.  Licensure areas are: English Language Arts (English major), Integrated Social Studies (history major), Integrated Mathematics (math major), Life Science (biology major), Physical Science (chemistry major), or Physical Science (physics major).  A Multi-Age license in grades PreK-12 is available in French, Spanish or Latin. Students must fulfill the degree requirements for their primary major and declare Teacher Education as a second major. The Teacher Education major consists of 36 hours in education, including a student teaching semester.  The program places students in mentored teaching situations at every stage of their training, capitalizing on the relationships the university has built with area schools.

For the subject area requirements for teacher licensure, please visit the program page for Teacher Education, BA.

Undergraduate Policies

For undergraduate policies and procedures, please review the Undergraduate Academics section of the General Bulletin.

Accelerated Master's Programs

Undergraduate students may participate in accelerated programs toward graduate or professional degrees. For more information and details of the policies and procedures related to accelerated studies, please visit the Undergraduate Academics section of the General Bulletin.

Program Requirements

Students seeking to complete this major and degree program must meet the general requirements for bachelor's degrees and the Unified General Education Requirements. Students completing this program as a secondary major while completing another undergraduate degree program do not need to satisfy the school-specific requirements associated with this major.

a

Can count as an elective or a laboratory course, not both.

b

Excluding BIOL 388, BIOL 388S, and  BIOL 390.

c

Excluding 100-level courses, BIOL 240, and BIOL 390.

At least 15 credit hours of the selected electives and additional laboratory courses must be at the 300 level or higher.

Concentrations in Areas of the Biological Sciences

Students are encouraged to utilize their elective courses in the biology major to take advantage of concentrations in various specialized areas. These concentrations have been developed between the biology department, the basic science departments of the School of Medicine, and other departments. Currently, concentrations have been developed in the following areas: biotechnology and genetic engineering; computational biology; developmental biology; genetics; cell and molecular biology; neurobiology and animal behavior; population biology, ecology and environmental science. Note: these concentrations are informal; they are not declared, and will not appear on the student’s diploma or transcript.

Departmental Honors

To receive a bachelor’s degree “with Honors in Biology” (formally noted on the transcript), the student must meet the following criteria:

1. Maintain a 3.4 overall grade point average, with a 3.6 in BIOL courses

2. Carry out two semesters of independent research (taken as BIOL courses) at Case Western Reserve University

3. Write a senior honors thesis with the approval of the faculty supervisor

4. Submit the thesis for review by an ad hoc honors committee

5. Successfully defend the thesis at an oral examination

Additional information and application forms are available from the biology department office.

Sample Plan of Study

a

Unified General Education Requirement.