Department of Biological Science

For more information about degree offerings from the faculty of biological science, visit the Department of Biological Science webpage.

Biological science offers a personalized departmental advising system, ease of access to all professors, high quality student peers, student clubs, and research opportunities for undergraduate students to work in the laboratories of faculty members. Facilities include electron microscopes, equipment for studies in cellular and molecular biology, immunology, genetics, and field biology. Faculty research and expertise are diverse, spanning such areas as ecology and systematics, developmental biology, and molecular and cellular biology.

Mission

The undergraduate mission of the Department of Biological Science is to provide a broad foundation in the biological principles that will permit students to successfully pursue a variety of career options including academic work in a diversity of graduate and professional programs.

Undergraduate Academic Programs

The faculty of biological science offer courses leading to the Bachelor of Science in Biological Science (B.S.B.S.) degree and the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in biology, Degree requirements are purposely flexible, providing the student with career choices in biotechnology, organismic biology, cellular biology, environmental biology, medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, or further graduate training. Coursework in the major, combined with studies in the University-wide Tulsa Curriculum, gives the student the background required to excel in writing and reasoning and to adjust to the complexity of modern society and its component technologies.

Because of the variation and frequent changes in entrance requirements among professional schools, students interested in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, physical therapy, or other professional fields should obtain a preprofessional advisor within the Department of Biological Science as early in their college careers as possible.

Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the undergraduate program in biological science or biology will demonstrate skills relevant to:

Display fundamental understanding of basic genetics and evolution through (a) responses on lecture quizzes and tests, (b) responses on laboratory quizzes and practical exams, or (c) written reports from laboratory exercises.
Demonstrate basic knowledge of cell structure and function and molecular biology through (a) responses on lecture quizzes and tests, (b) responses on laboratory quizzes and practical exams, or (c) written reports from laboratory exercises.
Demonstrate basic knowledge of comparative organismic diversity through (a) responses on lecture quizzes and tests, (b) responses on laboratory quizzes and practical exams, or (c) written reports from laboratory exercises.
Demonstrate an understanding of basic organismal adaptations to ecological environments through (a) responses on lecture quizzes and tests, (b) responses on laboratory quizzes and practical exams, or (c) written reports from laboratory exercises. 5. Analyze and evaluate scientific data and/or current literature; this will be assessed through experimental design, problem solving, presentations, class discussions, class essays, or term papers.

Teacher Education Program

Students seeking secondary teacher certification in biology must declare education as a second major. This double major leads to teacher certification in Oklahoma (and preparation for certification in other states). In order to qualify, students must complete all the tasks listed on the Department of Education page in this Bulletin, including acceptance into the Teacher Education Program and to the Student Teaching Semester.

Biology education majors are assigned two faculty mentors, one in the Department of Biological Sciences and one in the Department of Education .

Programs

Major

Minor

Biology Minor

Courses

Biological Science

Common Questions