Biology Programs

Major in Biology (BA)

Required courses: 54-59 credit hours

BIOL 2620C Ecology and Evolution (4)

BIOL 2110C Principles of Biology Cellular and Molecular Biology (4)

BIOL 3000C Genetics (4)

BIOL 3130 Diversity and Systematics (3)

CHEM 1215 General Chemistry 1 (3)

CHEM 1215L Chemistry Lab 1 (2)

CHEM 1225 General Chemistry 2 (3)

CHEM 1225L Chemistry Lab 2 (2)

FOR 3400 Quantitative Methods (3)

Choose one of the following:

BIOL 2130C Introduction to Biochemistry (4) or

BIOL 4400 Conservation Biology (3) or

CHEM 3410C Organic Chemistry 1 (4)

Choose one of the following:

BIOL 3010C General Microbiology (4) or

BIOL 3020C Animal Structure and Function (4) or

BIOL 3030C Plant Structure and Function (4)

Choose one of the following:

BIOL 3890C Ecology (4) or

BIOL 4760 Evolution (3)

Choose one of the following:

BIOL 4050C Bacterial Physiology (4) or

BIOL 4230C Molecular and Cell Biology (4)

Choose one of the following:

MATH 1250C Trigonometry & Pre-Calculus (5) or

MATH 1430 Applied Calculus (3)

Choose one of the following (select one sequence):

PHYS 1230C Algebra-based Physics 1 (4) and

PHYS 1240C Algebra-based Physics 2 (4)

or

PHYS 1310C Calculus-based Physics 1 (5) and

PHYS 1320C Calculus-based Physics 2 (5)

Electives: 8 credit hours

In consultation with your biology advisor, choose any combination of elective to receive a minimum of eight upper-division credit hours (>3000). It may include all Biology upper-level courses not used as part of the required courses and CHEM 3410C Organic Chemistry I, for students that have already taken BIOL 2130C, and CHEM 3420C Organic Chemistry 2.

Major Total: 62-67 credit hours

Core Requirements: 21 credit hours

Flex Requirements: 10 credit hours

Extended Requirements: 8 credit hours

Proficiency Requirements: 11-17 credit hours

General Electives to 120: 3 – 8 credit hours

Total for degree: 120-128 credit hours*

*A minor is not required. The number of proficiency credit requirements will vary based on student placement scores. New Mexico Highlands University requires a minimum of 45 upper-division units for the degree.

Major in Biology (BS)

Biology majors must take the following required courses and electives.

Required courses: 65-71 credit hours

BIOL 2110C Principles of Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology (4)

BIOL 2620C Ecology & Evolution (4)

BIOL 3000C Genetics (4)

BIOL 3130 Diversity and Systematics (3)

BIOL 4910 Senior Project (2)

BIOL 4980 Applied Biological Research (1-4)

CHEM 1215 General Chemistry 1 for STEM Majors (3)

CHEM 1215L Chemistry Lab 1 for STEM Majors (2)

CHEM 1225 General Chemistry 2 for STEM Majors (3)

CHEM 1225L Chemistry Lab 2 for STEM Majors (2)

FOR 3400 Quantitative Methods (3)

MATH 1250C Trigonometry & Pre-Calculus (5)

MATH 1510 Calculus I (4)

Choose one of the following:

BIOL 2130C Introduction to Biochemistry (4) or

BIOL 4400 Conservation Biology (3) or

CHEM 3410C Organic Chemistry 1 (4)

Choose one of the following:

BIOL 3010C General Microbiology (4) or

BIOL 3020C Animal Structure and Function (4) or

BIOL 3030C Plant Structure and Function (4)

Choose one of the following:

BIOL 3890C Ecology (4) or

BIOL 4760 Evolution (3)

Choose one of the following:

BIOL 4050C Bacterial Physiology (4) or

BIOL 4230C Molecular and Cell Biology (4)

Choose one of the following:

PHYS 1230C Algebra-based Physics 1 (4) and

PHYS 1240C Algebra-based Physics 2 (4)

or

PHYS 1310C Calculus-based Physics 1 (5) and

PHYS 1320C Calculus-based Physics 2 (5)

Electives: 12 credit hours

In consultation with your biology advisor, choose any combination of electives to receive a minimum of 12 upper-division credit hours (>3000) with at least eight hours from biology. The remainder can be from any other science including biology. If BIOL 3310C, 3320, and 4320 are three of the chosen electives for the BS degree in biology, they will be counted as only a total of 8 credits toward the 12 credits required, thus requiring an additional class be taken. All Biology upper-level courses not used as part of the required courses. CHEM 3410C Organic Chemistry I, for students that have already taken BIOL 2130C. CHEM 3420C Organic Chemistry II.

Major Total: 77-83 credit hours

Core Requirements: 21 credit hours

Flex Requirements: 10 credit hours

Extended Requirements: 8 credit hours

Proficiency Requirements: 11-17 credit hours

Total for degree: 127-139 credit hours*

*A minor is not required. New Mexico Highlands University requires a minimum of 45 upper-division units for the degree.

Major in Wildlife Biology and Conservation (BS)

BIOL 2110C Principles of Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology (4)

BIOL 2130C Introduction to Biochemistry (4)

BIOL 2620C Ecology and Evolution (4)

BIOL 3000C Genetics (4)

BIOL 3020C Animal Structure and Function (4)

BIOL 3130 Diversity and Systematics (3)

BIOL 3890C Ecology (4)

BIOL 4400 Conservation Biology (3)

BIOL 4760 Evolution (3)

BIOL 4980 Applied Biological Research (1-4)

FORS 3170 Principles of Wildlife Management (3)

FORS 3300 Natural Resources Management Law and Policy (3)

Select 18 elective credits from the following Clusters (at least 6 credits must be from Wildlife)

Wildlife Cluster

BIOL 4110C Herpetology (4)

BIOL 4120C Ornithology (4)

BIOL 4130C Mammalogy (4)

BIOL 4450 Vertebrate Biology (4)

BIOL 4550 Wildlife Diseases (3)

BIOL 4700C Comparative Animal Behavior (4)

BIOL 4940C Field Zoology (3)

Botany Cluster

BIOL 3030C Plant Structure and Function (4)

BIOL 4220C Plant Physiology (4)

BIOL 4740 Tropical Ecology (3)

BIOL 4750 Field Tropical Ecology (1-4)

BIOL 4880C Soil Ecology (3)

BIOL 4930C Field Botany (3)

FORS 3130C Dendrology (3)

FORS 4020 Silviculture (3)

Habitat Management Cluster

BIOL 4300 Livestock Management (3)

FORS 3070 Wildland Fire Management (3)

FORS 4120C Surveying and Geographic Information Systems (4)

FORS 4160C Soil Science (4)

FORS 4200 Wildlife Habitat Management (3)

GEOL 4150C Remote Sensing and Analysis (4)

GEOL 4180C Advanced Geographic Information Systems (4)

GEOL 4940 GIS Capstone Seminar (2)

Fisheries Cluster

BIOL 4250C Marine Biology (4)

FORS 4000 Surface Hydrology (3)

FORS 4080C Limnology (4)

FORS 4180C Aquatic Ecology (4)

General STEM Requirements

CHEM 1215 General Chemistry 1 for STEM Majors (3)

CHEM 1215L General Chemistry Lab 1 for STEM Majors (2)

FORS 3400 Quantitative Methods (3)

MATH 1430 Applied Calculus (3)

PHYS 1230C Algebra Physics 1 (4)

Major Total: 73-76 credit hours

Core Requirements: 21 credit hours

Flex Requirements: 10 credit hours

Extended Requirements: 8 credit hours

Proficiency Requirements: 11-17 credit hours

Total for degree: 123-129 credit hours

Major in Biology with a Concentration in Teaching

Biology degree requirement, including the following four credits of electives:

BIOL 3590 Fundamentals of Lab Safety (1)

BIOL 4200 Teaching Science and MATH in Middle and Secondary Schools (3)

And must minor in secondary education.

Concentration Total: 69-71 credit hours

Minor in Biology

Required Courses: 16 credit hours

BIOL 2620C Ecology & Evolution (4)

BIOL 2110C Principles of Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology (4)

Take at least 2 courses of the following list:

BIOL 3000C Genetics (4)

BIOL 3010C General Microbiology (4)

BIOL 3020C Animal Structure and Function (4)

BIOL 3030C Plant Structure and Function (4)

BIOL 3130 Diversity and Systematics (3)

BIOL 3890C Ecology (4)

Electives: 8 hours

Choose at least two 3000-to 4000-level courses in biology.

Minor Total: 24 credit hours

Minor in Sustainability and Conservation

BIOL 1170C Conservation Biology in a Changing World (4) or

FORS 1010C Ecosystems & Humans (4)

SOCI 1110 Introduction to Sociology (3)

BIOL 2620C Ecology & Evolution (4) or

FORS 2020C Terrestrial Ecology (4)

NAHS 3750 Land Grant, Acequia and Reservation Communication (3)

ANTH/SOCI 4190 Environmental Sociology (3)

BIOL 4900 Independent Study* (1-4) or

FORS 4990 Independent Research* (1-4)

*Student interested in doing their independent studies or independent research in other fields (such as Sociology, Anthropology, or Cultural Studies) can do so with the approval of one of the hosting departments, via course substitution.

Choose 6 credits from the following: (Student must take at least one course from each of the two foci (i.e., Sustainability and Conservation in Biophysical systems or Social Equity, Economy and Policy)

Conservation and Sustainability in Biophysical Systems

BIOL 3890C Ecology (4)

BIOL 4250C Marine Biology (4)

BIOL 4300 Livestock Management (3)

BIOL 4400 Conservation Biology (3)

BIOL 4570 Advanced Wildlife Management (3)

BIOL 4880C Soil Ecology (4)

FORS 3060 Introduction to Plant Production (3)

FORS 3070 Wildland Fire Management (3)

FORS 3170 Principles of Wildlife Management (3)

FORS 4000 Surface Hydrology (3)

FORS 4060C Plant Production 1 (3)

FORS 4080C Limnology (4)

FORS 4160C Soil Science (4)

FORS 4180C Aquatic Ecology (4)

FORS 4330C Water Science (4)

FORS 4530 Toxicology in Life Sciences (3)

FORS 4560 Fire and Landscape Ecology (3)

GEOL 3010C Environmental Geology (4)

GEOL 4210C Environmental Groundwater Hydrology (4)

Social Equity, Economy, and Policy

ANTH 4150 Development and Sociocultural Change (3)

ANTH/SOCI/GNDR/CJUS 4380 New Social Justice Movements: A World of Protest, Cultural Resistance and

Community Building (3)

ANTH 4800 Issues in Applied Anthropology (3)

ANTH 4810 Cultural Resource Management (3)

BUSA 3460 Leadership Ethics (3)

CJUS 4250 Social and Transformative Justice (3)

ENGL 3070 Writing as Advocacy (3)

FORS 3050 Natural Resources Economics (3)

FORS 3300 Natural Resource Law and Policy (3)

FORS 4260 Professional Ethics (1)

GEOL 4120 Geologic Resource, Laws, and Environmental Policies (4)

PSYC 3770 Environmental Psychology

POLS 4170 The Legislative Process (3)

SOCI 4120 Social Stratification (3)

SOCI 4930 Race and National Identity (3)

Minor Total: 24-27 credit hours

5 years (4-1) path for MS

The Biology program offers an expedited path for a non-thesis MS in our field. Upper-level students are encouraged to start taking graduate courses that could contribute both towards their undergraduate and graduate degrees. Interested students may take up to 12 graduate classes as part of their undergraduate degree. Thus, after finishing the 4 years of their undergraduate degree they may be just 20 credits away from the 32 needed for a non-thesis MS. So, they can finish their MS within a year. Students taking advantage of this, can finish their undergraduate and MS combo in 5 years.

Master of Science in Natural Sciences (MS)

Concentration in Biology (thesis option)

Required Core Courses: 19 credit hours

BIOL 5590 Fundamental Principles of Laboratory Safety (1)

BIOL 6000 Research Methods in Life Science (3)

BIOL 6200 Advanced Topic in Biology* (2/2)

*Repeated for credit with different subject matter for a total of four credit hours

BIOL 6500 Grad Seminar in Life Science* (1/1/1/1)

*Repeated four times for a total of four credit hours

INDP 6920 Research Ethics and Integrity (1)

Choose at least two of the following:

BIOL 6100 Environmental Physiology (3)

BIOL 6300 Advanced Microbiology (3)

BIOL 6320 Medical Physiology (3)

BIOL 6330 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)

BIOL 6400 Advanced Molecular and Cell Biology (3)

BIOL 6890 Advanced Ecology (3)

Thesis Option:

BIOL 6990 Thesis (1-7)

Elective Courses:

Choose from the following courses in consultation with your adviser. Other 5000- and 6000-level courses offered in chemistry, forestry, geology, psychology, or other appropriate disciplines may be substituted for electives listed below with the approval of your biology adviser.

Elective Courses, Thesis Option: 12 hours

Electives:

BIOL 5010, Pre-Medical and Pre-Professional Development (1)

BIOL 5050C Bacterial Physiology (3)

BIOL 5090C Introduction to Bioinformatics (4)

BIOL 5120C Ornithology

BIOL 5150C Biotechnology (4)

BIOL 5220 Plant Physiology (4)

BIOL 5230C Molecular & Cell Biology (4)

BIOL 5240 Molecular & Cell Biology Laboratory (1)

BIOL 5250C Marine Biology (4)

BIOL 5270 Immunology (3)

BIOL 5320C Vertebrate Physiology (4)

BIOL 5350 Selected Topics in Life Science (1-4)

BIOL 5550 Wildlife Diseases (3)

BIOL 5630 Nutrition (3)

BIOL 5700C Comparative Animal Behavior (4)

BIOL 5720 Human Evolutionary Behavior (3)

BIOL 5740 Tropical Ecology (3)

BIOL 5750 Field Tropical Ecology (1-4 VC)

BIOL 5760 Evolution (3)

BIOL 5770 Macroevolution (3)

BIOL 5800 Parasitology (4)

BIOL 5810C Develop Biology (4)

BIOL 5850C Endocrinology (4)

BIOL 5870C Histology (4)

BIOL 5880C Soil Ecology (4)

BIOL 5890C Molecular Evolution and Ecology (4)

BIOL 5980 Applied Biological Research (1-4 VC)

BIOL 5930C Field Botany (2)

BIOL 5940C Field Zoology (3)

CHEM 5810 Biochemistry 1 (3)

CHEM 5820 Biochemistry 2 (3)

M.S. Thesis Defense

Open seminar and oral defense

Thesis Degree Total: 34

Concentration in Biology (non-thesis option)

Choose at least 9 credits from the following:

BIOL 6100 Environmental Physiology (3)

BIOL 6300 Advanced Microbiology (3)

BIOL 6320 Medical Physiology (3)

BIOL 6330 Advanced Pathophysiology (3)

BIOL 6400 Advanced Cellular Biology (3)

BIOL 6890 Advanced Ecology (3)

PSYC 6080 Introduction to Neuropsychology (3)

Other required courses:

INDP 6920 Research Ethics (1)

BIOL 6500 Graduate Seminar (1)

BIOL 5590 Lab Safety (1)

BIOL 6200 Advanced Topics (2/2)

Elective Courses, Non-Thesis Option (16)

Elective Courses:

Choose courses in consultation with your adviser in qualifying graduate classes from the graduate catalog: related fields with mentor approval (up to 12 credits from non-biology fields).

Non-Thesis Degree Total: 32

Students in the non-thesis program will complete a comprehensive exit exam and compile a research portfolio in order to fulfill their degree requirements.