Program Overview

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Biology, Organismal Biology and Ecology Concentration, B.S.

The Organismal Biology and Ecology concentration is intended for students interested in exploring the biology of organisms. Courses allow students to focus on the structure, function, and physiology of a broad array of organisms: from algae, fungi and plants to fishes, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. Faculty involved in this major integrate their research to additionally address issues in behavioral ecology, climate change, evolutionary ecology and history, population dynamics, community ecology, and wildlife diseases.

Careers

A degree in biology is a "foundation degree" — a direct door-opener for a large number of careers, as well as a crucial first undergraduate step on the path toward those careers that require additional graduate training.

• Agricultural scientist
  • Animal behaviorist
  • Bio-engineer
  • Desert ecologist
  • Medical laboratory tech
  • Medical librarian
  • Microbiologist
  • Molecular endocrinologist
  • Park ranger
  • Safety manager
  • Science teacher
  • State park resource ecologist
  • Toxicologist
  • Virologist
  • Wildlife biologist
  • Zoo biologist

Employers of MTSU Organismal Biology Alumni

• Aegis Sciences Corporation
  • American Red Cross
  • Area High Schools
  • Arnold Air Force Base
  • Austin Peay State University
  • Biomimetic Therapeutics
  • Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.
  • Center for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Covance
  • Cytometry Associates
  • Environmental Science Corp.
  • Erlanger Medical Center
  • GenHunter Corporation
  • ICON Clinical Research
  • Jack Daniels Distillery
  • Local Community Colleges
  • Merck and Co.
  • Monsanto
  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
  • Pathgroup Laboratories
  • Pfizer Inc.
  • Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
  • Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
  • USDA
  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center
  • Vi-jon

Requirements

Biology, Organismal Biology and Ecology Concentration, B.S.

• Every Biology major is required to declare a concentration area. Each area requires hours to be selected from a set of designated courses. Four tracks are available under the Organismal Biology and Ecology concentration: botany, zoology, ecology, or general.
• All Biology majors are assigned a professional advisor. The student is responsible for seeking the assistance of the advisor.

Academic Map

Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses:

Degree Requirements

• True Blue Core (TBC) | 41 hours
• Major Requirements | 42 hours
  • Major Core | 29 hours
  • Concentration | 10 hours
  • Major UD Electives | 3 hours
• Supporting Courses | 19-20 hours
• Electives | 17-29 hours
• TOTAL | 120 hours

True Blue Core (41 hours)

• Foundational Skills areas of Written Communication (WC), Information Literacy (Info Lit), Non-Written Communication (NWC), and Quantitative Literacy (Quant Lit).
• Knowledge Domains include Human Society and Social Relationships (HSSR), Scientific Literacy (Sci Lit), Creativity and Cultural Expression (CCE), and History and Civic Learning (HCL), which include Discovery and Explorations categories.

Major Requirements (42 hours)

Biology Core (29 hours)

• BIOL 1000 - Introduction to the Biology Major
• BIOL 1110 - General Biology I AND
• BIOL 1111 - General Biology I Lab
• BIOL 1120 - General Biology II AND
• BIOL 1121 - General Biology II Lab
• BIOL 2230 - Microbiology AND
• BIOL 2231 - Microbiology Lab
• BIOL 3060 - Diversity of Eukaryotic Life AND
• BIOL 3061 - Diversity of Eukaryotic Life Lab
• BIOL 3250 - Genetics AND
• BIOL 3251 - Genetics Lab
• BIOL 3400 - General Ecology AND
• BIOL 3401 - General Ecology Lab
• BIOL 4200 - Senior Seminar
• BIOL 4110 - General Physiology AND
• BIOL 4111 - General Physiology Lab
• OR
• BIOL 4210 - Cell and Molecular Biology AND
• BIOL 4211 - Cell and Molecular Biology Lab
• OR
• BIOL 4500 - Plant Physiology

Organismal Biology and Ecology Concentration (10 hours)

• BIOL 3500 - Evolution
• Select at least seven additional credit hours from the following:
  • BIOL 3020 - Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates AND
  • BIOL 3021 - Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates Lab
  • BIOL 3040 - Entomology
  • BIOL 3050 - Parasitology AND
  • BIOL 3051 - Parasitology Lab
  • BIOL 4080 - Mycology AND
  • BIOL 4081 - Mycology Lab
  • BIOL 4090 - Forest Ecology
  • BIOL 4140 - Invertebrate Zoology AND
  • BIOL 4141 - Invertebrate Zoology Lab
  • BIOL 4180 - Vertebrate Zoology AND
  • BIOL 4181 - Vertebrate Zoology Lab
  • BIOL 4220 - Ichthyology AND
  • BIOL 4221 - Ichthyology Lab
  • BIOL 4330 - Biome Analysis
  • BIOL 4390 - Ethology (Animal Behavior) AND
  • BIOL 4391 - Ethology (Animal Behavior) Lab
  • BIOL 4420 - Plant Ecology and Evolution
  • BIOL 4570 - Principles of Toxicology AND
  • BIOL 4571 - Principles of Toxicology Lab
  • BIOL 4580 - Marine Biology AND
  • BIOL 4581 - Marine Biology Lab
  • BIOL 4590 - Principles of Environmental Toxicology

Tracks

Botany Track (12 hours)

• BIOL 4080 - Mycology AND
• BIOL 4081 - Mycology Lab
• BIOL 4090 - Forest Ecology
• BIOL 4420 - Plant Ecology and Evolution

Ecology Track (10 hours)

• BIOL 4580 - Marine Biology AND
• BIOL 4581 - Marine Biology Lab
• Choose two of the following:
  • BIOL 3020 - Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates AND
  • BIOL 3021 - Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates Lab
  • BIOL 3040 - Entomology
  • BIOL 3050 - Parasitology AND
  • BIOL 3051 - Parasitology Lab
  • BIOL 4080 - Mycology AND
  • BIOL 4081 - Mycology Lab
  • BIOL 4140 - Invertebrate Zoology AND
  • BIOL 4141 - Invertebrate Zoology Lab
  • BIOL 4180 - Vertebrate Zoology AND
  • BIOL 4181 - Vertebrate Zoology Lab
  • BIOL 4220 - Ichthyology AND
  • BIOL 4221 - Ichthyology Lab
  • BIOL 4390 - Ethology (Animal Behavior) AND
  • BIOL 4391 - Ethology (Animal Behavior) Lab
  • BIOL 4570 - Principles of Toxicology AND
  • BIOL 4571 - Principles of Toxicology Lab
  • BIOL 4590 - Principles of Environmental Toxicology

General Biology Track (11-12 hours)

• This track satisfies teacher education requirements.
  • Area One (4 hours)
    • Choose one:
      • BIOL 3020 - Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates AND
      • BIOL 3021 - Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates Lab
      • OR
      • BIOL 4180 - Vertebrate Zoology AND
      • BIOL 4181 - Vertebrate Zoology Lab
  • Area Two (4 hours)
    • BIOL 4080 - Mycology AND
    • BIOL 4081 - Mycology Lab
    • OR
    • BIOL 4090 - Forest Ecology
    • OR
    • BIOL 4420 - Plant Ecology and Evolution
  • Area Three (3-4 hours)
    • Choose one:
      • BIOL 3040 - Entomology
      • OR
      • BIOL 3050 - Parasitology AND
      • BIOL 3051 - Parasitology Lab
      • OR
      • BIOL 4140 - Invertebrate Zoology AND
      • BIOL 4141 - Invertebrate Zoology Lab

Zoology Track (10 hours)

• BIOL 3020 - Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates AND
• BIOL 3021 - Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates Lab
• BIOL 3040 - Entomology
• BIOL 3050 - Parasitology AND
• BIOL 3051 - Parasitology Lab
• BIOL 4140 - Invertebrate Zoology AND
• BIOL 4141 - Invertebrate Zoology Lab
• BIOL 4180 - Vertebrate Zoology AND
• BIOL 4181 - Vertebrate Zoology Lab
• BIOL 4220 - Ichthyology AND
• BIOL 4221 - Ichthyology Lab
• BIOL 4390 - Ethology (Animal Behavior) AND
• BIOL 4391 - Ethology (Animal Behavior) Lab

Supporting Courses (19-20 hours)

• MATH 1910 - Calculus I
• CHEM 1110 - General Chemistry I AND
• CHEM 1111 - General Chemistry I Lab
• CHEM 1120 - General Chemistry II AND
• CHEM 1121 - General Chemistry II Lab
• CHEM 2030 - Elements of Organic Chemistry AND
• CHEM 2031 - Elements of Organic Chemistry Lab
• OR
• CHEM 3010 - Organic Chemistry I AND
• CHEM 3011 - Organic Chemistry I Lab
• BIOL 4350 - Biometry AND
• BIOL 4351 - Biometry Lab
• OR
• MATH 1920 - Calculus II
• OR
• MATH 2050 - Probability and Statistics

Electives (17-29 hours)

Curriculum: Biology, Organismal Biology and Ecology

Freshman

• Written Communication 3 credit hours
• Information Literacy 3 credit hours
• Non-Written Communication 3 credit hours
• MATH 1910 - Calculus I
• BIOL 1000 - Introduction to the Biology Major
• BIOL 1110 - General Biology I AND
• BIOL 1111 - General Biology I Lab
• BIOL 1120 - General Biology II AND
• BIOL 1121 - General Biology II Lab
• CHEM 1110 - General Chemistry I AND
• CHEM 1111 - General Chemistry I Lab
• CHEM 1120 - General Chemistry II AND
• CHEM 1121 - General Chemistry II Lab

Sophomore

• Creativity and Cultural Expression Literature 3 credit hours
• History and Civic Learning 6 credit hours
• Creativity and Cultural Expression 3 credit hours
• Electives 6 credit hours
• BIOL 2230 - Microbiology AND
• BIOL 2231 - Microbiology Lab
• BIOL 3250 - Genetics AND
• BIOL 3251 - Genetics Lab
• CHEM 3010 - Organic Chemistry I AND
• CHEM 3011 - Organic Chemistry I Lab
• OR
• CHEM 2030 - Elements of Organic Chemistry AND
• CHEM 2031 - Elements of Organic Chemistry Lab

Junior

• BIOL 3060 - Diversity of Eukaryotic Life AND
• BIOL 3061 - Diversity of Eukaryotic Life Lab
• BIOL 3400 - General Ecology AND
• BIOL 3401 - General Ecology Lab
• BIOL 4110 - General Physiology AND
• BIOL 4111 - General Physiology Lab
• OR
• BIOL 4210 - Cell and Molecular Biology AND
• BIOL 4211 - Cell and Molecular Biology Lab
• OR
• BIOL 4500 - Plant Physiology
• BIOL 4350 - Biometry AND
• BIOL 4351 - Biometry Lab
• OR
• MATH 1920 - Calculus II
• OR
• MATH 2050 - Probability and Statistics
• Human Society and Social Relationships 6 credit hours
• Creativity and Cultural Expression 3 credit hours
• Electives 6 credit hours
• BIOL concentration course 3-4 credit hours

Senior

• BIOL 4200 - Senior Seminar
• BIOL upper-division 3 -4 credit hours
• Electives* 15-16 credit hours
• BIOL concentration courses 6-8 credit hours

Faculty

• Dr. Elliot Altman
• Dr. Jessica H. Arbour
• Dr. Frank C. Bailey
• Dr. M. Elizabeth Barnes
• Dr. Sarah Bergemann
• Dr. Danielle D. Brown
• Dr. Vincent Cobb
• Dr. Cole G Easson
• Dr. Matthew Elrod-Erickson
• Dr. Anthony L. Farone
• Dr. Mary B. Farone
• Dr. Grant E. Gardner
• Dr. Manuel A. Giannoni-Guzmán
• Dr. Angela N. Google
• Heather A Green
• Dr. Chris Herlihy
• Dr. Siti Nur Hidayati
• Steve Howard, PhD
• Dr. Jason R. Jessen
• Dr. Alexander M. Kirk
• Dr. Matthew Klukowski
• Dr. Jeff Leblond
• Dr. Amy Massengill
• Dr. Brian T. Miller
• Dr. Megan K. Moore
• Dr. David E. Nelson
• Dr. Anthony L. Newsome
• Dr. J. Brian Robertson
• Dr. Michael L. Rutledge
• Dr. Kim Cleary Sadler
• Dr. Rebecca L. Seipelt-Thiemann
• Dr. William C. Stewart
• Dr. Angelique M. Troelstrup
• Dr. Jeffrey Walck
• Dr. Donald M. Walker
• Dr. April Weissmiller
• Dr. John M. Zamora