Requirements & Course Descriptions

Major in Biology

Students who major in biology must complete 57 to 61 hours, including

• BIOL 1150-1150L, 1151-1151L*, 2002, 2340, 3990, 4010,
• and 23 to 24 additional hours of BIOL coursework.

This 23 to 24 hours must include at least one course each from

• Cell/Molecular (select one)
  • BIOL 2090, or BIOL/ENVI 3040, BCHE/BIOL 3210
• Evolution/Ecology (select one)
  • BIOL 2120, BIOL/ENVI 3140, BIOL 3200
• Plant Biology (select one)
  • BIOL/ENVI 2030, BIOL/ENVI 2060, BIOL 3120;
• Electives (select three)
  • Chosen from any three- to four-hour courses offered by the department.**

Students must complete the following related courses:

• CHEM 101-101L, 102-102L, and 221-221L^;
• PHYS 1500^
• and one of the following courses:
  • MATH 120, 199, 201, 210;
  • or STAT 319, 320.

*A grade of ‘C-‘or higher in BIOL 1151-1151L or its approved equivalent is required to enroll in any upper division biology course.
**If the BIOL elective is taught with an accompanying lab, the lab must be taken with the course to fulfill the elective requirement. Special Projects, Honors Research, Readings, Directed Studies, Internships, and Research cannot count as BIOL electives. Only one travel course may count as a BIOL elective.
^CHEM 222/222L, Organic Chemistry II, and PHYS 1510, General Physics II, are strongly advised for pre-professional and pre- graduate school students (may be required for some programs).

Major in Biology – Forestry/Environmental Management (Dual Degree with Duke University)

Students participating in this program will be expected to complete all Presbyterian College general education requirements while in residence. Students pursuing the 3 + 2 degree must declare this interest to the PC coordinator early in the freshman year in order to arrange the classes needed to qualify for the program. Students will complete a minimum of 88 hours of credit at PC and, following successful completion of the first year of the Master of Forestry (MF) or Master of Environmental Management (MEM) at Duke University, will be awarded a BS degree from Presbyterian College. Students must apply and be accepted to Duke University.

Students who major in biology must complete  52 to 53 hours, including

• BIOL 1150-1150L, 1151-1151L*, 2002, 2340, 3990, elective (excluding 4007),
• and 23 to 24 additional hours of BIOL coursework.

This 12 hours must include 4 hours from each area

• Cell/Molecular (select one)
  • BCHE 307/307L, 308, BCHE/BIOL 3210, BIOL 2090, 3180
• Evolution/Ecology (select one)
  • BIOL 2120, 3200, BIOL/ENVI 3140
• Plant Biology (select one)
  • BIOL/ENVI 2030, 2060, BIOL 3120

Students must complete the following related courses:

• CHEM 101-101L, 102-102L, and 221-221L^;
• PHYS 1500^
• and six hours of the following courses:
  • MATH 199 or 201;
  • and MATH 120 or MATH 210

*A grade of ‘C-‘or higher in BIOL 1151-1151L or its approved equivalent is required to enroll in any upper division biology course.
^CHEM 222/222L, Organic Chemistry II, and PHYS 1510, General Physics II, are strongly advised for pre-professional and pre-graduate school students.

Major in Biology – Pharmacy Concentration

Students participating in this program will be expected to complete all Presbyterian College general education requirements. Students who major in biology with pre-pharmacy concentration must complete 64 or 65 hours, including

• BIOL 1150-1150L, 1151-1151L, 2002, 3060, 3110/3110L

Select 1 course from the following:

• BIOL 3020;
• or BIOL 3030/3030L;

Biology Area Courses (Select one from each subcategory):

• Cell/Molecular Biology: BIOL 2090, BIOL/ENVI 3040, BIOL 3180, BCHE/BIOL 3210, BCHE 307/307L
• Evolution/Ecology/Plant Biology: BIOL/ENVI 2030, 2060, 3140, BIOL 2120, 3120, 3200

Required Related Courses:

• CHEM 101-101L, 102-102L, 221-221L, and 222-222L;
• PHYS 1500,
• SPCH 201

Select 1 course from the following:

• MATH 199
• or MATH 201

Select 1 course from the following:

• MATH 120
• MATH 210
• STAT 319
• STAT 320

Select 1 course from the following:

• ECON 201
• ECON 202

Select 1 course from the following:

• PSYC 201
• SOC 201

To satisfy this major, the following courses must be completed once enrolled as a student at the PC School of Pharmacy:

• PHRM 6104
• PHRM 8299
• PHRM 8399

*All students must complete the American Chemical Society General Chemistry Exam with a grade of 60% or higher to receive credit for Chemistry 102.
All courses must be completed with a grade of ‘C’ or better.
A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 is required for admission to the Pharmacy program.

Major in Computational Biology

Students who major in computational biology must complete 53 or 54 hours, including

• BIOL 1150-1150L, 1151-1151L*, 2340, 3360, 3990,
• BADM 371, 372,
• CBIO 3370, 4010,
• CHEM 101, 101L, 102, 102L
• MATH 201, 202, 210;

Select 2 elective courses from the following:

• BCHE 307, 307L, 308,
• BCHE/BIOL 3210,
• BIOL/ENVI 3040,
• BIOL 3060,
• or PHYS 3900

*All students should take BIOL1151-1151L. A grade of ‘C-‘ or higher in BIOL 1151-1151L or its approved equivalent is required to enroll in any upper division biology course.

Minor in Biology

The minor in biology consists of 19 hours, including

• BIOL 1150-1150L;
• BIOL 1151-1151L*;
• and 11 elective hours chosen from BIOL electives taught at or above the 2000-level (excluding BIOL 3990).

*All students should take BIOL 1151-1151L. A grade of ‘C-‘ or higher in BIOL 1151-1151L or its approved equivalent is required to enroll in any upper division biology course.

Minor in Computational Biology

The minor in computational biology consists of 21 hours, including

• BIOL 1150-1150L;
• BIOL 1151-1151L*;
• BIOL 2340;
• BIOL 3360;
• CBIO 3370;

and select one Elective from the following:

• BADM 371
• MATH 210
• PHYS 3900

*All students should take BIOL 1151-1151L. A grade of ‘C-‘ or higher in BIOL 1151-1151L or its approved equivalent is required to enroll in any upper division biology course.

Minor in Environmental Studies

Students who minor in environmental studies must complete 20-23 hours, including

• BIOL 1150-1150L
• BIOL 1151-1151L
• BIOL/ENVI 2150

Select 4 hours from the following:

• BIOL/ENVI 2010, 2030, 2060, 2070, 3040, or 3140

Select 3 hours from the following:

• Econ 306
• ENVI/RELG 318
• ENVI 442
• ENVI 458
• PHIL 317
• SOC 360

Select 1 hours from the following:

• ENVI 444, 446, 448, 450, 452, or another appropriate course as approved by environmental studies adviser.

Minor in Marine Studies

Students who minor in marine studies must complete 19 hours, including

• GCRL: Marine Science I Oceanography
• GCRL: Marine Science II Marine Biology

Select 9 hours from the following:

• BIOL 2010 Invertebrate Zoology
• GCRL: Barrier Island Ecology
• GCRL: Coastal Herpetology
• GCRL: Coastal Ornithology
• GCRL: Environmental Photography
• GCRL: Ichthyology
• GCRL: Marine Aquaculture
• **GCRL: Marine Biology for Teachers
• GCRL: Marine Ecology
• ***GCRL: Marine Embryology
• *GCRL: Marine Invertebrates
• GCRL: Marine Mammals
• GCRL: Marine Toxicology
• ****GCRL: Parasites of Marine Animals
• GCRL: Shark Biology
•  GCRL: Zooplankton Ecology

Courses suitable pending committee approval:

• BIOL 4002 Special Projects
• BIOL 4005 Directed Studies
• BIOL 4007 Internship
• BIOL 4008 Research
• BIOL 4009 Special Topic
• CHEM 442 Directed Studies
• Approved courses taken at Duke Marine Laboratory
• Approved transfer courses taken at PC-affiliate institutions
• Marine-related Maymester courses
• Research at a specific independent laboratory
• Studies at Belle Baruch Marine Lab/Hobcaw Barony
• Research at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory

*May not be used if student has taken BIOL 2010
**May not be used if student has taken BIOL 2160
***May not be used if student has taken BIOL 3040
****May not be used if student has taken BIOL 2080