Department of Biology

Mission Statement

The Department of Biology includes individuals trained to study molecules, cells, organisms and ecosystems. The mission of our department is to enhance the scientific literacy of the CCU community in general, and the biological knowledge of our majors in particular. We ensure that majors graduate with the skills necessary to be productive in their chosen professional fields or graduate programs. This requires high quality teaching and engaged learning such that students reach an understanding of biology as a process and a body of knowledge; develop an ability to integrate biology with other disciplines; gain experience with inquiry, observation, data collection and analysis, critical thinking, and use of modern laboratory equipment; and develop written and oral communication skills. Our majors also come to recognize the role of scientists as responsible citizens. We adhere to the teacher-scholar model for our faculty, supporting professional development in both scholarship and teaching. Our faculty mentor both undergraduate and graduate students in collaborative research. We value service to the community by faculty and students.

Student Learning Outcomes

Biology majors will be able to:

Recall or research historical biological information and integrate that with current biological information.
Demonstrate the ability to integrate and make connections between biology and other disciplines.
Think critically about their own or other’s analyses.
Develop hypotheses, design valid experiments to test them, and collect and analyze data to evaluate their hypotheses.
Evaluate reports and presentations of others.
Generate quality presentations and papers communicating their own research or current topics in biology.

A major in biology prepares students for entrance into graduate school, medical school, dental school, veterinary school and many other health-oriented professions. In addition, completion of the first two years of the biology major prepares students for transfer to a school of pharmacy or to a school of allied health sciences. Those students interested in teaching high school biology can complete a degree in biology and then pursue the M.A.T. (Master of Arts in Teaching) offered by the Spadoni College of Education. Other career opportunities for Coastal graduates with a biology degree include jobs with government agencies, private industries, and public health services.

Minor Option

Students majoring in biology may choose to minor in any one field. The College of Science encourages students to minor in one of the following fields: business administration, chemistry, computer science, marine science, mathematics or physics. A grade of ‘C’ or better must be earned in each minor course.

Double Majors

Students may double major in any program which offers a B.S. degree. To complete a double major, students must satisfy the major requirements for both degree programs and complete a minimum combined total of 48 upper-level credits in the two majors, all with a grade of ‘C’ or better.

Pre-Health Professional Preparation

The pre-health professional recommendations are for students who intend to pursue careers in the following health professions:

Medicine
Dentistry
Veterinary medicine
Nursing
Pharmacy
Allied-health (physician’s assistant, physical therapy, occupational therapy)

Note that these recommendations are for advising purposes only and the requirements for health professional programs vary both by school and by discipline. There is further information on the biology website, and students are encouraged to contact their targeted programs and schools directly.

The following four courses are strongly recommended by Coastal Carolina University’s Pre-Health Advisory Committee:

Also recommended: students should take eight credits from the following:

Programs

Majors/Degrees

Minors

Biology Minor

Dual Degrees

Dual Degrees - Biology, B.S. and Master of Business Administration, MBA