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THE PROGRAM IN BIOLOGY: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ) Jump to a section: Biology 305, 310, and 390 Changes New Introductory Biology Course Offerings · Students who have completed BIO 162 · Advising recommendations for entering freshman 2007 · Advising recommendations for transfer students for fall 2007 Concentration and Academic Minor Offerings Declaring a Major Concentration or an Academic Minor Advising Course and GPA Requirements Transfer Credit Registering for Courses and Course Overrides Independent Research Honors Program Course Scheduling Biology 305, 310, and 390 ChangesEffective Fall Term 2008:Biology 305 for 4 credits will be Biology 305 for 3 credits Biology 310 for 4 credits will be MCDB 310 for 3 credits Biology 390 for 4 credits will be EEB 390 for 3 credits New Introductory Biology Course OfferingsI heard that BIO 162, the current introductory course for majors, is going to change to a new set of courses. Is this true?Yes. BIO 162 will be replaced by three new courses (BIO 171, BIO 172, and BIO 173) beginning Fall Term 2007. Why is BIO 162 being replaced with new introductory biology courses? The new introductory biology courses (BIOLOGY 171, 172, and 173) are designed to replace the current introductory biology course, BIOLOGY 162. This new series provides students with a broad introduction to modern biology with sufficient depth to continue a concentration in any of the biological sciences. The new series consists of two lecture courses and one laboratory.
The new introductory biology series will begin Fall Term 2007. When is the last time BIO 162 will be taught? BIO 162 will be taught for the last time Spring Term 2007. What are the new course numbers, titles, credits, and prerequisites? The new introductory biology series consists of one semester of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (BIO 171), and one semester of Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology (BIO 172). The lecture courses may be taken in any order. The laboratory (BIO 173) is an innovative lab that integrates both Ecology and Evolution and Cellular and Molecular Biology topics.
BIO 162 is 5 credits. The new introductory biology series is 10 credits. Will this increase in credits affect any of the concentrations offered through the program in Biology? Yes.
* Please see individual concentration descriptions for explanations of requirements. NOTE: A student who has taken BIO 162 must take 33 credits for the concentration. A student who has taken 171, 172, and 172 must take 30 credits for the concentration. The new biology courses will begin Fall Term 2007. The adjustment of credit hours, and the change in course names and numbers of the Genetics, Biochemistry, Evolution, and other courses offered through the Departments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Cellular, Molecular, and Developmental Biology, will commence Fall Term 2008. If I take an introductory biology course at another institution and want to transfer it back to U-M as a direct course equivalent, will the transferred class be evaluated under the BIO 162 syllabus or under the new course syllabi? Students who complete introductory biology at another institution before September 4th, 2007, and wish to have it evaluated for equivalency, will have their transferred course(s) evaluated under the BIO 162 syllabus. Students who complete an introductory course at another institution after September 4th, 2007, and wish to have the course evaluated for equivalency, will have their transferred course(s) evaluated under the new biology series syllabi. · Advising recommendations for students who have completed BIO 162I have already taken BIO 162. Will the new biology series affect me?Yes. Students who have completed BIO 162 this academic year (2006-2007) are strongly encouraged to take BIO 305, BIO 310 or 311, and BIO 390 next academic year (2007- 2008) before the course changes to Genetics, Biochemistry, and Evolution effective Fall Term 2008 (see above for concentration and course changes beginning Fall term 2008). If a student does not take these three courses next year but instead waits until Fall 2008, they will not have the same background as the students who have taken the new biology series. The course changes to Genetics, Biochemistry, and Evolution reflect that the new introductory biology series will prepare students more thoroughly for these midlevel biology courses. The instructors will expect students to have background knowledge based on the new series when taking these courses. A student who takes BIO 162 must take at least 33 credits for the concentration. For example, if a student takes BIO 305 (Genetics) during the 2007-2008 academic year, but waits until the 2008-2009 academic year to take Biochemistry and Evolution under the reduced credit hours, the student has the option of taking an additional course to earn the 33 credits required for the concentration. Normally we advise students to take a 200-level biology course after Bio 162 before taking a 300-level course; however, in this circumstance we advise students to take the Genetics, Biochemistry, and Evolution courses before they change. · Advising recommendations for entering freshman 2007I will be entering U-M as a freshman Fall Term 2007. What biology course should I sign up for?Students entering as freshmen Fall 2007 will take the new biology series. They may sign up for either BIO 171 or BIO 172 in no preferred order (BIO 172 has CHEM 130 as advisory prerequisite). Do not sign up for the BIO 173 (lab) until you have completed at least one of the lecture courses. I will be entering U-M Fall 2007 as a freshman and I have AP credit for introductory biology. What biology course should I sign up for? Beginning Fall Term 2007 AP credit for introductory biology it will transfer to U-M as BIO 195. Students with AP credit should enroll in BIO 173, the introductory lab, Fall Term 2007. I will be entering U-M Fall 2007 as a freshman. I have AP credit for introductory Biology, but I have not passed out of Chem 130/125/126. Should I sign up for BIO 173? No. If you have not passed out of or you do not have the equivalent experience of the Chem125/126 laboratory, take CHEM 125/126 before taking BIO 173. You will need basic chemistry skills to handle work in 173. · Advising recommendations for transfer students for fall 2007I will be a transfer student entering U-M fall 2007. I think I have taken an equivalent introductory biology. What biology class should I take?Students who complete introductory biology at another institution before September 4th, 2007, and wish to have it evaluated for equivalency, will have their transferred course(s) evaluated under the BIO 162 syllabus "old introductory course." Students who think they have BIO 162 equivalency need to bring their course syllabus to the Program In Biology to have it evaluated by a faculty member (course descriptions are not sufficient). Once the transferred course has been evaluated and found to be equivalent the student should enroll in one or more of the following: BIO 305 (Genetics), or BIO 311 or Biolchem 415 (Biochemistry), or BIO 390 (Evolution). Return to top Concentration and Academic Minor OfferingsWhat is the Program in Biology?The Program in Biology is made up of two departments: the Departments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department (EEB) and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB). There are seven concentrations and three minors offered through the Program in Biology. How many concentrations are offered through the Program in Biology? There are seven concentrations: Biology General Biology Cellular and Molecular Biology Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Microbiology Neuroscience Plant Biology How many minors are offered through the Program in Biology? There are three academic minors: Biology Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Plant Biology Return to top Declaring a Major Concentration or an Academic MinorI don't know what concentration to choose.If you are just beginning your career at U-M, it is not necessary to decide on a specific concentration right away. Instead, you should decide whether or not you are interested in pursuing a degree in science. If you are interested in any of the natural sciences, we suggest you begin the prerequisite courses as soon as possible. Specifically, we recommend taking the chemistry and math prerequisites in your freshman year and taking BIO 162 (Introductory Biology) no later than the first term of your sophomore year. Once you have taken a majority of the prerequisite courses, including Introductory Biology (BIO 162), you will be in a position to make an informed decision on what concentration to choose based on your interests. How do I declare my concentration or minor? Once you have decided on what major or minor concentration you wish to declare, you must make an appointment with a concentration advisor. During this meeting the advisor will help you fill out the appropriate paperwork to officially submit your declaration in a concentration or minor program. Is there a minimum GPA requirement to declare a concentration? Yes. You must have a concentration GPA of at least a 2.0 to declare a concentration, and prerequisite courses for the concentration are included in the GPA calculation. Do I need to complete all my prerequisites before declaring my concentration? No. You may declare before you finish all of the prerequisites. What is the difference between Biology and General Biology? The Biology and General Biology concentrations are very similar. They both have the same prerequisite requirements and the same core course requirements (see specific concentrations for details). The key differences are:
May I double-concentrate in two different concentrations offered through the Program in Biology? You cannot elect two concentrations offered in the same department. For example, if you declare a Biology concentration, you would not be able to elect a CMB or EEB concentration because the Biology concentration is administered by both the EEB and MCBD departments. One notable exception is the election of an EEB concentration and either a CMB or Neuroscience concentration. This is because the EEB concentration is administered solely by the EEB department, the CMB concentration is administered solely by the MCDB department, and the Neuroscience concentration is administered by the MCDB and Psychology departments. May I earn a concentration and minor from the same department? No. An academic minor in Biology, EEB, or Plant Biology is not open to students electing a concentration in Biology, General Biology, EEB, CMB, Microbiology, Neuroscience, Plant Biology, or Biochemistry, nor to students who are electing an academic minor in Environmental Studies or Global Change. Return to top AdvisingWhen should I see a concentration advisor?Students who are interested in pursuing a concentration in the biological sciences are encouraged to meet with a concentration advisor early in their academic career. It is never too early to make sure you are on the right track. Concentration advisors are here to answer an array of questions regarding course requirements, course scheduling, the honors program, career and graduate school options, and to help you decide which of the seven biology concentrations or three minors would best meet your interests and goals. In addition, concentration advisors fill out important paperwork including your concentration and/or minor declaration form, and your concentration release form before you graduate. How do I make an advising appointment? Students must come in person to the Program in Biology Office (1111 Kraus Natural Science Building) to make an appointment to see a concentration advisor. Because of the volume of students we accommodate, we cannot make an appointment for a student over the telephone or by fax or e-mail. I have so many advisors I don't know who I am supposed to see for what, or when.
Course and GPA RequirementsMay I use the honors versions of prerequisites to fulfill the prerequisite requirement for one of the biology concentrations (e.g., BIO 163 used to meet BIO 162 prerequisite)?Yes. May I take a prerequisite pass/fail? Prerequisites other than introductory biology may be taken pass/fail; however, it is not recommended especially for chemistry. Remember that you must earn at least a C- to pass a course you take pass/fail. May I take a cognate course that I am using to fulfill a concentration requirement pass/fail? No. What is a passing grade for a course taken in the Program in Biology? D- What is the minimum concentration GPA in order to graduate? A concentration GPA of 2.0 is required in order to declare a concentration and to graduate. Prerequisite and cognate classes used toward the concentration are included in calculating the concentration GPA. How is the concentration GPA calculated? Divide the total number of honor points ("MHP" on your transcript) by the total number of credit hours. All prerequisites, concentration courses, and cognate courses are used in the calculation. Note: If a course has been repeated, both grades will be used to calculate the concentration GPA. That is, if you earned a D+ in a class, repeated the course and earned a B, the credits and honor points for both the D+ and B will be included in the concentration GPA calculation. Do human physiology (Physiology 201, 502) or human anatomy (Medadm or Biomed 401) courses count toward my concentration? None of these courses count toward any concentration offered through the Program in Biology. Does Microbiology 301/350 count toward my concentration? These two classes do not count toward any concentration offered through the Program in Biology. Does UROP credit count toward my concentration? No. I am a double concentrator. How many classes may I overlap to fulfill both concentration requirements? There is not a hard rule on this. Technically you may overlap as many courses as you wish for both concentrations, provided that the courses you take meet a requirement for both concentrations. How many classes may I overlap to fulfill my concentration and my minor? Students may count one class to meet both a concentration and minor requirement. Return to top Transfer CreditMay I take prerequisite courses (Math, Physics, etc.) from a community college and transfer the courses back to U-M?Students may take a course at a community college and transfer the credit back to U-M if they have completed less than 60 credits at U-M. If they have completed 60 credits or more, they must take a course at a four-year institution. I took a course at another school and transferred the credits back to U-M. However, on my transcript it says "Departmental" credit rather than indicating a specific course title. For example, I took an Introductory Biology course I think is equivalent to BIO 162, but on my transcript it reads "BIO 101X Departmental." Why? Transferring a course to U-M is a two-step process. The first step is transferring the credits to U-M. The second step is determining whether or not the course is a direct course equivalent to a course offered at U-M. To do this you must supply a syllabus to an instructor at U-M who teaches the class you think is the direct course equivalent. For example, if you took a class that you think is equivalent to one of our biochemistry courses, you must contact the instructor at U-M who teaches biochemistry. He or she will determine whether or not the content of the course matches our biochemistry curriculum. If the instructor at U-M accepts the transferred course as an equivalent, you should have the instructor provide a note or an e-mail documenting this. The next time you meet with a concentration advisor, bring this documentation so an official exception can be made in your file. How do I know if a course at another school is a direct course equivalent at U-M? Visit the transfer credit webpage through LS&A. This website provides a list of schools with a list of their classes that are equivalent to classes at U-M. If the school or class you are looking for is not listed on the LS&A website, you must supply a syllabus to the instructor at U-M who teaches the class you wish to get credit for (e.g., if you would like to take biochemistry at another institution and you would like it to transfer back as a direct course equivalent at U-M, you must contact an instructor at U-M who teaches biochemistry. He or she will determine whether or not the content of the course matches our biochemistry curriculum). If the instructor at U-M accepts the course as an equivalent, you should have that person provide a note or e-mail documenting this. The next time you meet with a concentration advisor, bring this documentation so an official exception can be made in your file. Plan ahead: If you are considering taking a class from another institution (going abroad or taking a summer course elsewhere) and it is not listed on the LS&A transfer website, go through the approval process (see above paragraph) before you take the course! May I take a concentration course at another school? The Program in Biology prefers that you take all concentration courses on the Ann Arbor campus. However, you may take a concentration course elsewhere. To determine course equivalencies, read through the answers to questions 14 and 15 above. Return to top Registering for Courses and Course OverridesHow do I use my override?You will receive an e-mail message that indicates the course and the section for which the override was issued, and some instructions about the override. Read the message, then go ahead and register for the course through Wolverine Access as you would for any course. I got an override, but I'm still not registered. Why not? Receiving an e-mail notification that you've been granted an override does not mean you have been enrolled in the course. Please follow the directions in the e-mail, and register for the course through Wolverine Access as you would for any course. If my override is for the same section as the one I am waitlisted for, do I have to drop before I can register? No. If the override is for a different section than I'm waitlisted for, do I have to drop that section before I can register for the one I have the override for? Yes. I can't register for a certain course because, although I have taken the prerequisites, they do not appear on my transcript/in the system (departmental credit, honors BIO, etc.). How do I get into the course? You must come in person to the Program in Biology office (1111 Natural Science Building) with documentation that you have the prerequisite, and an override will be issued to you. You must provide the staff with the particular course and three-digit section number you wish to enroll in. Please note that an override cannot be granted to you until your registration appointment begins, and only if the class is not already full. I can't get on an electronic waitlist for a certain course because, although I have taken the prerequisites, they do not appear on my transcript/in the system (departmental credit, honors BIO, etc.). How do I get on a waitlist? You must come in person to the Program in Biology office (1111 Natural Science Building) with documentation that you have the prerequisite. You will be added to a paper waitlist for the course and section you wish to enroll in. The paper waitlist works just like the electronic waitlist; i.e., you will be eligible for an available seat in the class according to your registration appointment date and time. Return to top Independent ResearchHow do I go about doing undergraduate research?Please visit the Undergraduate Research guidelines for the specific requirements for independant research. If you have questions after reading through the guidelines, please stop in for walk-in advising or to make an appointment with a concentration advisor. If I'm doing research in another department/school of the University, can I get undergraduate research credit toward my biology concentration? Please visit the Undergraduate Research guidelines for the specific requirements for independant research. If you have questions after reading through the guidelines, please stop in for walk-in advising or to make an appointment with a concentration advisor. Does independent study credit count toward my concentration? A maximum of 3 credits may be used toward the concentration, with the exception of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Concentration (see specific requirements). How do I find an EEB/MCDB faculty sponsor/co-sponsor for independent research credit? There is no set policy on how to find a faculty sponsor for undergraduate research. We suggest looking over the faculty profiles on the EEB and MCDB web pages to find a faculty member whose interests meet your own and contact them. Return to top Honors ProgramWhat is an honors concentration?The Program in Biology administers an Honors Program to train students to conduct independent research in Biology; Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB); Microbiology; Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology (MCDB); Neuroscience; and Plant Biology. In addition to completing all the requirements for the concentration, an honors degree requires a concentration GPA of at least 3.3 (3.4 for Neuroscience), and the completion of a significant piece of independent research that is reported in an honors thesis and presented in a public forum. What concentrations in the Program of Biology offer an honors concentration? Biology Cellular and Molecular Biology Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Microbiology Neuroscience Plant Biology I was in the honors program as a freshman and/or sophomore. Does that mean I have to do an honors concentration? No. You are under no obligation to complete an honor thesis if you participated in the honors program as a freshman or sophomore. Do I have to declare an honors concentration even though I participated in the honors program as a freshman and/or sophomore? Yes. If you wish to complete an honors concentration, you must make an appointment with a concentration advisor to declare an honors concentration. It is recommended that you discuss the honors concentration with a concentration advisor early in your undergraduate career, and declare your participation in honors as soon as possible. May I do an honors concentration if I did not participate in the Honors Program as a freshman or sophomore? Yes, provided that you meet the requirements to declare an honors concentration. That is, you must have a concentration GPA of at least a 3.4 in order to declare an honors concentration. What are the guidelines/rules to complete an honors concentration? Please visit the Honors Guidelines for the specific requirements for the Honors Program. If you have more questions, please make an appointment with a concentration advisor or come to walk-in advising. Return to top Course SchedulingWhat are the prerequisite course requirements?This table specifies the prerequisite requirements and some of the most common required courses for the seven concentrations offered through the Program in Biology. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list. A student should consult the LS&A bulletin or the Program in Biology webpage (http://www.lsa.umich.edu/biology/) to learn about the specific requirements for each concentration.
YES: Indicates a course that is required. NO: Indicates a course that cannot count toward a concentration. ELEC: Indicates a course that is not required for the concentration, but may count as an elective. OPT: Indicates an optional required course (e.g., for EEB, a student can elect Biochemistry or Statistics 350 to fulfill a requirement). I looked at the LSA course guide under Biology and I only found a few courses listed. Where are all the Biology courses? Only some courses are listed under the subject "Biology;" these are courses that may be taught by EEB or MCDB faculty or a combination of both. The majority of courses are listed under "EEB" and "MCDB," with EEB courses being taught by EEB Department faculty, and MCDB courses being taught by MCDB Department faculty. There are so many BIO/EEB/MCDB classes. I don't know which ones to choose or when I should take them. What should I do? Make an appointment with a concentration advisor to discuss your options and plan a course schedule. Is it normal to take two or three science classes a term? Yes. There are many prerequisite and concentration requirements for the concentrations offered through the Program in Biology. If you plan your schedule early in your career, it is likely that you will take an average of two sciences classes per term. We recommend students meet with a concentration advisor early in their academic career (e.g., sophomore year) to draw up a proposed course plan. Return to top |
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FAQ
Concentrations
Concentration Forms
Minors
Honors Program
Undergraduate Research Policies
Courses
in Biology Biological Station Advising Academic Rules for Undergraduates
Fall 2008 textbooks
New Introductory Biology Courses
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Biology Undergraduate Program 830 North University Natural Science Building (Kraus) Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048 Phone: +1 (734) 764-2446 Fax: +1 (734) 647-0884 |
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