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Biology

The biology program will produce biologists with the chemistry, mathematics, and physics background needed to solve biotechnological problems in the coming decades. Those students wishing to strengthen their engineering skills can earn the area minor in biomedical engineering.

Biology

The twenty-first century will see unparalleled advances in the biological sciences. Disciplines such as biology and biomedical engineering are burgeoning and will greatly impact the way we live in the future. The areas of functional genomics and proteomics will drive discoveries in molecular medicine, gene therapy and tissue engineering. Drug discovery will be facilitated by the elucidation of new target molecules and many pharmaceutical compounds will be produced using biological processes. Environmental management, remediation and restoration will also benefit from advances in biology. Biologists will be at the forefront of these advances and will drive the medical, agricultural, environmental and industrial applications of biological sciences.

The biology program will produce biologists with the chemistry, mathematics, and physics background needed to solve biotechnological problems in the coming decades. Those students wishing to strengthen their engineering skills can earn the area minor in biomedical engineering. Other students may choose to pursue a second major in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The program will prepare graduates for professional careers in government and industrial research laboratories, and in the biotechnology and health-related industries.

Those wishing to continue their studies in graduate or health professions programs will be exceptionally well qualified to do so.

A BIO science/technical elective is any Rose-Hulman course that has a prefix of BE, BIO, BMTH, CE, CHE, CHEM, CSSE, ECE, GEOL, MA, ME, PH, OE, EP, ES, EM or any EMGT course that is not cross-listed with an RH, GS, IA or SV course. Courses that do not count as science or technical electives are those courses with AS, MS, RH, GS, IA, SV, GE, JP, SP, FL, GRAD and CLSK prefixes.

SUMMARY

Required BIO courses   52 credits
BIO electives   12 credits
Free electives   8 credits
HSS electives   24 credits
Required HSS   12 credits
Required MA, CHEM, PH   63 credits
Required RHIT 100   1 credit
Sci/Tech electives   16 credits
Total   188 credits
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (Second Major Only)

The biochemistry & molecular biology program exists to give students an opportunity to augment their education in this technologically-important field. To support this effort, Rose-Hulman provides students with access to a modern and well-equipped biochemistry lab, along with an excellent biological sciences facility.

Biochemistry & molecular biology is available to Rose-Hulman students as a second major. This means that the student will receive a first degree in some other discipline and then can augment their education with this program. Students whose first degree programs are in chemistry or chemical engineering will find the program easiest since there is considerable overlap between those programs and the biochemistry & molecular biology requirements. Students from other disciplines are also encouraged to participate, but will have to take more courses. All students are encouraged to take individual courses in the program, regardless of whether or not they wish to fulfill the second major requirements, or to participate in related research projects under faculty supervision.

Two degree or double major programs in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Biochemistry are not allowed.

Required Courses

Course Description Hours
CHEM 111, 113, 115 General Chemistry 12
CHEM 251, 252, 253 Organic Chemistry 9
CHEM 251L, 252L, 253L Organic Chemistry Lab 3
CHEM 330, 430, 433 Biochemistry 9
CHEM 361, 362
or
CHEM 360
and
   
CHE 303, 304 Physical Chemistry 8
BIO 110, 120, 130 Biology 12
BIO 210 Genetics 4
BIO 220, 230 Molecular Biology 8
BIO 411 Genetic Engineering 4
Total   69

Elective Courses

Choose 12 credits* from the following courses:

Course Description
BIO 330 Evolutionary Biology
BIO 421 Microbiology
BIO 431 Genomics and Proteomics
BIO 441 Virology
BIO 451 Cancer Biology
BIO 492 Directed Study in Biology
CHEM 225 Analytical Chemistry
CHEM 291 Introduction to Research
CHEM 331 Biochemistry II
CHEM 431 Biochemical Instrumentation
CHEM 451 Organic Structure Determination
CHEM 290 
or
 
CHEM 490 Chemical Research
PH 302 Biophysics

Total Credits for Second Major 81

*Students with a major in chemistry need to take 8 credits of electives, with 4 credits from the BIO electives listed, and 4 credits chosen from any BIO or BE course.

STUDENTS WITH A MAJOR IN BIOLOGY must take 12 credits of electives, with 8 credits from the elective courses listed above with a CHEM prefix, and 4 credits from any 300 level or above BIO course (total: 29 hours required beyond Biology major).

Biology Minor

Biology is an exciting subject that has applications relevant to all other fields of study at the Institute. Students who are interested in enriching their major area of study with a knowledge of life sciences can do so with the Biology Minor. With proper course selection, the Minor will provide another marketable dimension to any Bachelor of Science degree granted by the Institute.

The Minor in Biology has the following requirements.

  1. All students must complete BIO110 (Cell Structure and Function) or BIO130 (Evolution and Diversity) and four more courses in biology (BIO) or allied areas, above those courses already specifically required to fulfill the student's major, subject to the following requirements:

    a. At least three of the four electives must be BIO courses. 
    b. At least three of the electives must be 200-level or above. 
  2. Students electing to pursue the minor in Biology must follow a plan of study that is approved by the Minor Advisor. Current advisor information and a form for the planning and approval of a minor can be obtained from the BBE Department Secretary.
  3. Allied area courses could include:

    BE310

    Analysis of Physiological Systems I

    IA236

    Communicating STEM to a Public Audience

    BE320

    Analysis of Physiological Systems II

    IA239

    Rhetoric of Science

    BE570

    Intro to Tissue Engineering

    IA401

    Philosophy of Science

    BMTH310

    Mathematical Biology

    IA471

    Computational Psychology

    BMTH311

    Systems Biology

    MA482/BE482

    Bioengineering Statistics

    BMTH312

    Bioinformatics

    ME447

    Visualizing Data

    BMTH413

    Computational Biology

    PH302

    Biophysics

    CE460

    Intro to Environmental Engineering

    SV304

    Bioethics

    CHE545

    Intro to Biochemical Engineering

    SV371

    Social Psychology

    CHEM264

    Intro to Environmental Science

    SV373

    Abnormal Psychology

    CHEM330

    Biochemistry

    SV472

    Studying Human Behavior

    CHEM430

    Advanced Biochemistry

    SV386

    Human Evolution

Additional courses not listed here can be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Minor

Completion of BIO110, CHEM111, CHEM113 and CHEM115. In addition, the student must complete five courses from the following list that are not already named required courses by the student's major or minor programs:

Course   Description
BIO 210   Mendelian and Molecular Genetics
BIO 220 
or
  Prokaryotic Cell and Molecular Biology
BIO 230   Eukaryotic Cell and Molecular Biology
BIO 411 
or
  Genetic Engineering
BIO 431   Genomics and Proteomics
CHEM 230 
or
  Introduction to Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry
CHEM 251 
and
  Organic Chemistry I
CHEM 252   Organic Chemistry II
CHEM 330   Biochemistry
CHEM 430 
with
  Advanced Biochemistry
CHEM 433   Biochemistry Laboratory

Biology is an exciting subject that has applications relevant to all other fields of study at the Institute. Students who are interested in enriching their major area of study with a knowledge of life sciences can do so with the Biology Minor. With proper course selection, the Minor will provide another marketable dimension to any Bachelor of Science degree granted by the Institute.

Plan of Study

Freshman Open Close
Sophomore Open Close
Junior Open Close
Senior Open Close

Total credits required: 188

NOTES

A BIO science/technical elective is any Rose-Hulman course that has a prefix of BE, BIO, BMTH, CE, CHE, CHEM, CSSE, ECE, GEOL, MA, ME, PH, OE, EP, ES, EM or any EMGT course that is not cross-listed with an RH, GS, IA or SV course. Two of the four science/technical electives must be 300-level or above, to allow BIO students to specialize in a supporting topic. Courses that do not count as science or technical electives are those courses with AS, MS, RH, GS, IA, SV, GE, JP, SP, FL, GRAD and CLSK prefixes.

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