Program Overview

Program Overview

The Biological Sciences Major with Science Education Option is a comprehensive program designed to equip students with a deep understanding of biological sciences and prepare them for careers in education. This program is offered by the College of Science at Virginia Tech.

Program Curriculum

The program curriculum is structured to provide students with a broad foundation in biological sciences, including courses in genetics, cell biology, ecology, and evolution. The curriculum also includes courses in education, such as human anatomy and physiology, and teaching methods.

• Degree Core Requirements:
  • BIOL 1115: Principles of Biology Laboratory 1
  • BIOL 1116: Principles of Biology Laboratory 1
  • BIOL 2004: Genetics
  • BIOL 2134: Cell Function and Differentiation
  • BIOL 2704: Evolutionary Biology
  • BIOL 2804: Ecology
  • CHEM 1035: General Chemistry 1
  • CHEM 1036: General Chemistry 1
• Major Requirements:
  • BIOL 1004: Biology Orientation Seminar
  • CHEM 1045: General Chemistry Laboratory
  • CHEM 1046: General Chemistry Laboratory
  • CHEM 2535: Organic Chemistry
  • CHEM 2536: Organic Chemistry
  • CHEM 2545: Organic Chemistry Laboratory
  • CHEM 2546: Organic Chemistry Laboratory
  • PHYS 2205: General Physics
  • PHYS 2206: General Physics
  • PHYS 2215: General Physics Laboratory
  • PHYS 2216: General Physics Laboratory
• Option Required Courses:
  • BIOL 2304: Plant Biology
  • BIOL 2504: General Zoology
  • BIOL 2604: General Microbiology
  • BIOL 2614: General Microbiology Laboratory
  • BMSP 2135: Human Anatomy & Physiology
  • GEOS 1014: Evolution of the Earth-Life System
• Elective Courses:
  • Select at least 8 credits of Biological Sciences electives
  • Linked or Inclusive Laboratory Courses:
    • BIOL 3014 & BIOL 3024: Insect Biology and Insect Biology Laboratory
    • BIOL 3104: Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory
    • BIOL 3204: Plant Taxonomy
    • BIOL 3254 & BIOL 3264: Medical and Veterinary Entomology and Medical and Veterinary Entomology Laboratory
    • BIOL 3454: Introductory Parasitology
    • BIOL 3604: Food Microbiology
    • BIOL 4004: Freshwater Ecology
    • BIOL 4164: Environmental Microbiology
    • BIOL 4304: Field Ecology
    • BIOL 4314: Plant Ecology
    • BIOL 4354: Aquatic Entomology
    • BIOL 4404: Ornithology
    • BIOL 4454: Invertebrate Zoology
    • BIOL 4484: Freshwater Biomonitoring
    • BIOL 4624 & BIOL 4644: Microbial Genetics and Microbial Molecular Genetics and Physiology Laboratory
    • BIOL 4674 & BIOL 4724: Pathogenic Bacteriology and Pathogenic Bacteriology Lab
    • BIOL 4704 & BIOL 4714: Immunology and Immunology Laboratory
    • BIOL 4824: Bioinformatics Methods
• Free Electives:
  • Select 12 credits
• Pathways to General Education:
  • Pathways Concept 1 - Discourse: ENGL 1105 & ENGL 1106: First-Year Writing
  • Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities: Select 6 credits
  • Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences: Select 6 credits
  • Pathways Concept 4 - Reasoning in the Natural Sciences: BIOL 1105 & BIOL 1106: Principles of Biology
  • Pathways Concept 5 - Quantitative and Computational Thinking: MATH 1025 & MATH 1026: Elementary Calculus
  • Pathways Concept 6 - Critique and Practice in Design and the Arts: Select 6 credits
  • Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States: Select 3 credits

Graduation Requirements

Students must have an in-major and overall GPA of 2.0 to graduate. All BIOL courses (except BIOL 1004 Biology Orientation Seminar, BIOL 1214 Careers in Medicine, and BIOL 3814 Careers In Biological Sciences), any course taken to fulfill Biological Sciences elective credit, and all required CHEM, MATH, PHYS, and STAT courses will be used to calculate in-major GPA.

Acceptable Substitutions

• BIOL 1004 Biology Orientation Seminar: Any university-approved First-Year Experience (FYE) course
• BIOL 4994 Undergraduate Research: BIOL 2994 Undergraduate Research
• CHEM 1035 General Chemistry-CHEM 1036 General Chemistry: CHEM 1055 General Chemistry for Chemistry Majors -CHEM 1056 General Chemistry for Chemistry Majors
• CHEM 1045 General Chemistry Laboratory-CHEM 1046 General Chemistry Laboratory: CHEM 1065 General Chemistry for Chemistry Majors Lab-CHEM 1066 General Chemistry for Chemistry Majors Lab
• CHEM 2535 Organic Chemistry-CHEM 2536 Organic Chemistry: CHEM 2565 Principles of Organic Chemistry-CHEM 2566 Principles of Organic Chemistry
• CHEM 2545 Organic Chemistry Laboratory-CHEM 2546 Organic Chemistry Laboratory: CHEM 2555 Organic Synthesis and Techniques Lab-CHEM 2556 Organic Synthesis and Techniques Lab
• PHYS 2205 General Physics, PHYS 2215 General Physics Laboratory: PHYS 2305 Foundations of Physics
• PHYS 2206 General Physics, PHYS 2216 General Physics Laboratory: PHYS 2306 Foundations of Physics
• MATH 1025 Elementary Calculus: MATH 1225 Calculus of a Single Variable
• MATH 1026 Elementary Calculus: MATH 1226 Calculus of a Single Variable
• STAT 3615 Biological Statistics: STAT 3005 Statistical Methods or STAT 3604 Statistics for Social Science

Foreign Language Requirement

The College of Science Foreign Language Requirement states that students who did not successfully complete at least two years of a single foreign, classical, or sign language during high school must successfully complete six semester hours of a single foreign, classical, or sign language at the college level. Courses taken to meet this requirement do not count toward the hours required for graduation.

Plan of Study Grid

The plan of study grid provides a sample course plan for completing the program requirements. Students should work with their academic advisor to tailor their individual course plan.

• First Year:
  • Fall Semester:
    • BIOL 1004: Biology Orientation Seminar
    • BIOL 1105: Principles of Biology
    • BIOL 1115: Principles of Biology Laboratory
    • CHEM 1035: General Chemistry
    • CHEM 1045: General Chemistry Laboratory
    • ENGL 1105: First-Year Writing
    • MATH 1025: Elementary Calculus
  • Spring Semester:
    • BIOL 1106: Principles of Biology
    • BIOL 1116: Principles of Biology Laboratory
    • CHEM 1036: General Chemistry
    • CHEM 1046: General Chemistry Laboratory
    • ENGL 1106: First-Year Writing
    • MATH 1026: Elementary Calculus
• Second Year:
  • Fall Semester:
    • BIOL 2004: Genetics
    • BIOL 2604: General Microbiology
    • BIOL 2614: General Microbiology Laboratory
    • CHEM 2535: Organic Chemistry
    • CHEM 2545: Organic Chemistry Laboratory
    • Critical Thinking in the Humanities (Pathways Concept 2)
  • Spring Semester:
    • BIOL 2134: Cell Function and Differentiation
    • CHEM 2536: Organic Chemistry
    • CHEM 2546: Organic Chemistry Laboratory
    • STAT 3615: Biological Statistics
    • Critical Thinking in the Humanities (Pathways Concept 2)
    • Reasoning in the Social Sciences (Pathways Concept 3)
• Third Year:
  • Fall Semester:
    • BIOL 2304: Plant Biology
    • BIOL 2704: Evolutionary Biology
    • GEOS 1014: Evolution of the Earth-Life System
    • PHYS 2205: General Physics
    • PHYS 2215: General Physics Laboratory
    • Critique and Practice in Design (Pathways Concept 6d)
  • Spring Semester:
    • BIOL 2504: General Zoology
    • BIOL 2804: Ecology
    • PHYS 2206: General Physics
    • PHYS 2216: General Physics Laboratory
    • Reasoning in the Social Sciences (Pathways Concept 3)
    • Critique and Practice in the Arts (Pathways Concept 6a)
• Fourth Year:
  • Fall Semester:
    • BIOL Elective & Lab
    • BMSP 2135: Human Anatomy & Physiology
    • Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the U.S. (Pathways Concept 7)
    • Free Elective
    • Free Elective
  • Spring Semester:
    • BIOL Elective & Lab
    • Advanced Discourse (Pathways Concept 1a)
    • Free Elective
    • Free Elective

Total Credits: 120-121