Biology Undergraduate Majors Manual
Academic Year 2013-2014
Updated July 2013
Message from the Chair
Dear Biology Major,
I am pleased to welcome you to the Department of Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You have made an excellent decision to major in biology! Our department is considered to be a premiere department in one of the most highly ranked public universities in the nation. It was formed in 1980 by the merger of the Departments of Zoology and Botany and thus includes a remarkable diversity of disciplines in the Biological Sciences. You will have the opportunity to learn from some of the top scholars in virtually any field of Biology, not only in the classroom, but in the field and in the laboratory as well.
Although we have a large group of undergraduate majors and thus the introductory and core courses in the major tend to be rather large, I want to emphasize that the Biology faculty have an interest in each of you as an individual. As you progress through the major, you will enroll in a number of smaller upper level courses. These courses provide you with the opportunity to get to know individual Biology faculty members. I encourage you to take the time to speak with them after class, visit their office hours to discuss common interests, or arrange to meet for coffee on campus. I myself treasure the many lasting relationships that I have made with students and enjoy keeping in touch with them years after they have left UNC.
Please do not hesitate to contact me by email if I can be of assistance to you. I am interested in hearing both about what we are doing well and also what we might be able to do better. I also encourage you take advantage of the resources offered by the staff in Academic Advising, who you should consult regularly concerning degree requirements in the major as well as our own department advisor, Dr Gidi Shemer. Any of our Biology faculty would be delighted to discuss your specific interests in the field of biology and how you might explore them now and in the future.
I also encourage you to investigate two special opportunities that are available here in the Department of Biology. The first is our local chapter of Beta Beta Beta, the National Biological Honor Society (details provided later in this manual). The second is our highly regarded undergraduate research program. Considered to be one of the top undergraduate research programs on campus, it provides you with the opportunity to contribute to the production of new knowledge in Biology, working in collaboration with Biology faculty members, postdoctoral associates and graduate students in the laboratory and the field. For further information, see the areas dedicated to research on our website.
We are delighted that you have joined our department. This manual will introduce you to some of the opportunities and resources that are available to you, but I encourage you to explore actively the many additional opportunities that are available here in the department. I wish you the very best for your remaining years here in Chapel Hill.
Victoria L. Bautch
Professor and Chair
Department of Biology
502 Fordham Hall
Message from the Director of Undergraduate Studies
Dear Biology Major,
We are glad to have you join the Biology department as an undergraduate major. This manual has been prepared to help you with some of the questions most frequently asked by Biology majors and to make you aware of opportunities that you might otherwise miss. This manual will be updated only once a year. Therefore, if you need the latest information, consult me or an advisor.
The contents of this manual are as follows:
· Biology mission statement
· Facilities and location including a map
· Faculty including photographs
· Majoring in Biology
· Biology and the General Education Requirements
· Advising
· Biology Department Undergraduate Student Services
· Research and Honors in Biology including Biology 295, 395, 495, 691H
· UNC-BEST Program
· Undergraduate Organizations of Interest to Biology Majors
· Biology Related Careers
We hope you will find this manual helpful. If you have questions, suggestions or corrections please share them with me. It is only through continued input from undergraduate students that we can help all of you to find the things you need as a student.
I hope that you will have an enjoyable and useful educational experience in the Department of Biology. Please let me know if I can be of assistance to you.
Sincerely,
Ann G. Matthysse
Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies
Department of Biology
103 Coker Hall
Mission Statement of the Department of Biology
The undergraduate program in the Department of Biology is dedicated to providing high quality instruction to all undergraduate students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill using a faculty who are actively engaged in research. The department serves the students, the College, the University, and the State of North Carolina by providing instruction in large lecture courses that are staffed by faculty. This allows us to reach the maximum number of students in a setting in which high quality instruction is delivered by an instructor who practices, in her/his daily life, the science that is being taught. In our view, no one is better qualified to teach Biology than someone actively engaged in research. Smaller lecture classes and even smaller discussion classes follow the large lecture classes, in sequence, as the scope of the material taught becomes more refined. These classes, populated primarily by students such as you who have chosen to major in Biology, are also taught by our faculty. Ultimately, the department provides individualized one-on-one experiences in the laboratory under the direct supervision of our research-active faculty through our undergraduate research program. While not all of our majors take advantage of the opportunity to work side-by-side with one of our faculty, a significant percentage of our students do. The overarching goal of our undergraduate program is to provide high quality instruction at the leading edge of modern Biology, both in the classroom and in the laboratory, and in all sub-disciplines of Biology. We achieve this goal with faculty who are based broadly in the Biological Sciences and who are fully committed to a career that includes both research and teaching.
Most of our undergraduate students choose the Biology B.S. program, which offers a rigorous curriculum with an interdisciplinary flavor. These students must demonstrate proficiency in Math, Physics, and Chemistry in addition to demonstrating a broad proficiency in Biology. The curriculum is consistent with our goal of providing an outstanding undergraduate education in all sub-disciplines of modern Biology. The Department of Biology feels strongly that our undergraduate students are best served by exposure to a broad curriculum in Biology before narrowing their focus in the last two years to a more specialized area of Biology. This provides a suitable basis for making a careful decision regarding the sub-discipline of Biology in which they wish to focus during their last two years. In addition it insures that they are well prepared to work at the intersections between sub-disciplines of Biology and, indeed, between the more traditional scientific disciplines.
Finally, the Department of Biology is committed to providing access to cutting edge research opportunities for all undergraduate Biology majors who wish to participate in our undergraduate research program. The program is recognized as one of the best, perhaps the best, in the University.
Department of Biology - People and Places
Biology Department Faculty
Please see our Faculty Directory on our website: http://bio.unc.edu/people/faculty/
Biology Buildings: Classrooms /Teaching & Research Laboratories/Offices
The Department of Biology is housed in four buildings including Coker Hall, Fordham Hall, Wilson Hall and Genomics Sciences. Classrooms, offices, research and teaching laboratories are included in Coker Hall, Wilson Hall, and Genomics Sciences. Research labs and offices are located in Fordham Hall.
Science Libraries
There are two libraries dedicated to natural and mathematical sciences. The Kenan Science Library (123 South Road) is located across the street from Coker Hall in G301 Venable Hall. The Science Library Annex (201 South Road) is also located across the street from Coker Hall in Wilson Library (see map – Wilson Library is a different building from Wilson Hall!). For further info, please see http://www.lib.unc.edu/science/
Biology Undergraduate Student Services Office
Summer Montgomery () is our Biology Registrar. Her office is in 213 Coker Hall and she will be an important resource for you as Biology major. When emailing Summer, please include your PID number as this helps her to access your records in Connect Carolina. Also please include the class section and lab/recitation you want if you are requesting to be registered for a BIOL class. Summer can assist you with most issues related to course enrollment, drop-add, and research applications – but not advising.
Biology Undergraduate Advising Office
Dr Gidi Shemer () is the Departmental Advisor for Biology undergraduate majors and minors. His office is 213A Coker Hall. For more details, please see the Advising section of this manual and/or go to the following website: http://bio.unc.edu/people/faculty/shemer.
Biology Administrative Office
The Department of Biology Administrative Office is located in 203 Coker Hall. Felicia Crawford (), the department administrative assistant, is located here. A Lost and Found box is kept in 203 Coker where you may claim items left in Biology buildings and classrooms.
The Graduate Student Services Office is located in 212 Coker Hall. Julie Lawrence () can assist you with graduate student and teaching assistant issues.
For issues regarding Human Resources and payroll, please see Melissa Wolcott or Marie Fholer in 205 Coker Hall.
The Biology Accounting staff offices are located in 216 Coker Hall.
The Biology Photolab is located in 211 Wilson Hall. Research posters are printed here. Undergraduate research (BIOL 691H and research commendation) student pictures that are displayed in Coker Hall are also made here.
The Biology Major and Minor
BS/BA/Q Track
Majoring in Biology: Bachelor of Science
This program is designed for students who intend to continue graduate study in biological or health sciences.
Core Requirements
• BIOL 101/101L (gateway course, with a C grade or better in BIOL 101)
• BIOL 201, 202, and 205 (the core courses)
• One organismal structure and diversity course chosen from 271, 272, 273, 274, 277/277L, 278/278L, 279/279L, 471, 472, 473/473L, 474/474L, 475, 476/476L, 478, 479/479L, or 579
• Four biology electives numbered above 205 (not including 213, 291, 292, 293, 295, 296, and 495,), at least two of them with a laboratory. At least two courses out of the five courses (four electives and one organismal course) must be numbered above 400 (not including 501 and 691H).
Additional Requirements
• CHEM 102/102L, 241/241L, 261, 262/262L
• PHYS 104 and 105, or 116 and 117
• Two additional courses in biology, other natural sciences, or mathematics
• Students must fulfill all General Education requirements (Foundations, Approaches, and Connections) with these restrictions and additions:
• Quantitative reasoning: MATH 231 or 241, and one of the following: MATH 232 or 283; COMP 110, 116; STOR 155 or 215
• Approaches: Physical and Life Sciences: CHEM 101/101L, CHEM 102/102L with a C grade or better in CHEM 101 or CHEM 102 is required for BIOL 201 and BIOL 202
• Enough free electives to accumulate 123 academic hours
Suggested Program of Study for B.S. Majors:
First Year
• BIOL 101/101L; CHEM 101/101L, 102/102L; ENGL 105; language levels 2, 3; MATH 231 plus a second course in mathematics, computer science, or statistics/operations research; lifetime fitness
Sophomore Year
• Two of the three biology core courses (201, 202, 205); at least two of CHEM 241/241L, 261, 262/262L; Approaches (one course)
Junior Year
• Remaining biology core course, organismal biology course, biology electives (two courses); PHYS 104 and 105, or 116 and 117; remaining advanced chemistry course; Approaches and Connections (three courses)
Senior Year
• Biology electives (two courses); natural science or biology electives (two courses); Approaches and Connections (two courses); free electives as needed to complete 123 academic hours
B.S. Major in Biology: Quantitative Biology Track
This program is designed for students with a strong interest in a multidisciplinary approach to biological problems in preparation for graduate study in biological or health sciences.
Core Requirements
• BIOL 101/101L (gateway course, with a C grade or better in BIOL 101)
• BIOL 201, 202, and 205 (core courses for biology majors)
• Two laboratory courses. One must be a quantitative laboratory chosen from BIOL 226, 452, 525, 526, 527/527L, or 528. The other can be any biology laboratory course, including two semesters of BIOL 395.
• A choice of three biology electives, of which at least two quantitative electives must be chosen from BIOL 226, 431, 452*, 454, 465, 525*, 526*, 527*, 528*, 542, 551, 562, or 563. (*asterisked courses cannot count as both a quantitative laboratory and a quantitative elective). BIOL 395 and 691H together count toward the laboratory course requirement.
Additional Requirements
• BIOS 600 or STOR 155
• CHEM 102/102L and 261
• COMP 116 or 401
• MATH 233
• PHYS 104 and 105, or 116 and 117
• A choice of two allied sciences electives or additional biology courses numbered above 205 (not including 213, 291, 292, 293, 295, 296, and 495). Premedical students are encouraged to take CHEM 241/241L and 262/262L
• Students must fulfill all General Education requirements (Foundations, Approaches, and Connections) with these restrictions and additions:
• Quantitative reasoning: MATH 231 and MATH 232
• Approaches: Physical and life sciences: CHEM 101/101L with a grade C or better in CHEM 101 or CHEM 102 is required for BIOL 201 and BIOL 202
• Enough free electives to accumulate 127 academic hours
Suggested Program of Study for the Quantitative Track:
First Year
• BIOL 101/101L; CHEM 101/101L, 102/102L; ENGL 105; language levels 2, 3; MATH 231 or 232; lifetime fitness; Approaches (two courses)
Sophomore Year
• Two of three biology core courses (201, 202, 205); BIOS 600 or STOR 155; CHEM 261, 262/262L if premed; COMP 116 or 401; MATH 233; Approaches (one course)