Program Overview

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Biology, Physiology Concentration, B.S.

The physiology concentration in Biology is designed for students interested in professions in healthcare, biomedical research, or physiology and anatomy. Students in this concentration learn how bodies work and how that activity integrates with the anatomy of the organs, tissues, cells, and molecules of that body. It prepares students for medical, dental or pharmacy school, or physician assistant programs; it also prepares students for graduate school programs or work in biomedical research, clinical research, or forensic or medical testing.

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. Examples include:

• 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 biology/physiology alumni include

• 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

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)

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

Physiology Concentration (10 hours)

• Select from:
  • BIOL 3010 - Embryology AND
  • BIOL 3011 - Embryology Lab
  • BIOL 3020 - Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates AND
  • BIOL 3021 - Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates Lab
  • BIOL 3340 - Human Pathophysiology
  • BIOL 4110 - General Physiology * AND
  • BIOL 4111 - General Physiology Lab *
  • BIOL 4130 - Histology AND
  • BIOL 4131 - Histology Lab
  • BIOL 4170 - Endocrinology
  • BIOL 4210 - Cell and Molecular Biology * AND
  • BIOL 4211 - Cell and Molecular Biology Lab *
  • BIOL 4300 - Immunology AND
  • BIOL 4301 - Immunology Lab
  • BIOL 4310 - Cardio-Renal Physiology
  • BIOL 4440 - General Virology
  • BIOL 4500 - Plant Physiology *
  • BIOL 4560 - Neurobiology AND
  • BIOL 4561 - Neurobiology Lab
  • BIOL 4570 - Principles of Toxicology AND
  • BIOL 4571 - Principles of Toxicology Lab

BIOL UD elective (3 hours)

Supporting Courses (19-20 hours)

• MATH 1910 - Calculus I
• MATH 1920 - Calculus II OR
• MATH 2050 - Probability and Statistics
• 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

Electives (17-29 hours)

Curriculum: Biology, Physiology

Freshman

• Written Communication
• Information Literacy
• Non-Written Communication
• 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
• History and Civic Learning
• Creativity and Cultural Expression
• Electives
• 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
• Human Society and Social Relationships
• Creativity and Cultural Expression
• BIOL Physiology concentration
• Electives
• 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

Senior

• BIOL 4200 - Senior Seminar
• BIOL Physiology concentration
• BIOL upper-division course
• Electives

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