Honors Program in Biology
Honors in Biology is a distinction bestowed on those outstanding undergraduate Biology majors who have demonstrated distinct competence in overall biology coursework and who have completed an independent research project of substantial merit. This program offers motivated students the opportunity to develop research and communication skills in preparation for graduate school or a professional career. For more information and specific program requirements, contact Dr. Randall Tracy in the Biology Department. Students considering working towards Honors in Biology should take BI-205: Research Techniques and Experimental Design in the spring semester of either their second or third year.
Requirements for the Honors Program in Biology
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Biology courses | (38 credits) | |
| BI-140 | Introduction to Organismal Biology | 4 |
| BI-141 | Intro to Cellular and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| BI-200 | Human Biology | 4 |
| BI-202 | Principles of Ecology | 4 |
| BI-203 | Genetics | 4 |
| BI-204 | Microbiology | 4 |
| BI-404 | Biology Seminar | 2 |
| 3 Upper Division Electives (300 or 400 level lab courses) | 12 | |
| Ancillary Requirements | (29 credits) | |
| MA-150 | Statistics I | 3 |
| MA-190 | Pre-calculus (or Higher) | 4 |
| CH-120 & CH-121 | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II | 8 |
| CH-201 & CH-202 | Organic Chemistry I (lecture) and Organic Chemistry II (lecture) | 6 |
| PY-221 & PY-222 | General Physics I and General Physics II | 8 |
| or PY-241 & PY-242 | Physics I (Mechanics) and Physics II ( Electricity, Magnetism and Optics ) | |
| Honors Program Requirements 1 | (7 credits) | |
| BI-205 | Research Techniques and Experimental Design (2 credits required) | 2 |
| 5 credits of research, with at least 3 credits coming from BI-440 and 2 additional credits from BI-440 or BI-240 2 | 5 | |
| Total Credits | 74 | |
- 1
"Commendation in Biology" requires 3 credits of BI-440 taken after BI-205 and a minimum 3.0 GPA in biology courses. "Honors in Biology" requires 5 credits of independent research (BI-240/440), with at least 3 credits of BI-440 taken after BI-205 and a minimum of 3.5 GPA in biology courses. Students may petition to count internship credits toward the research requirement; in this case, at least 3 internship credits must still be completed after BI-205 to earn either Commendation or Honors.
- 2
Students must present their BI-440 (or internship) projects in a public forum, such as the WSU Celebration of Scholarship & Creativity as part of the requirements for Commendation/Honors.
Students who also complete CH-203 and CH-204 can earn a chemistry minor.
For more information and specific program requirements, contact Dr. Randall Tracy in the Department of Biology.