Additional Requirements:
At least seven of the courses must have a laboratory, and no more than 4 credit hours may be in independent research.
A minimum of five courses in biology must be completed at Dominican.
A minimum grade of C- must be earned in all courses required for the major.
Interested freshmen and transfer students should consult with the department for placement information prior to registration.
Upon completion of a biology course in residence with a minimum grade of C-, the student should have a major application signed by a member of the department, who will then serve as his or her advisor.
Additional Information:
The following collateral courses are recommended for those intending to do graduate work:
Majors in biology earn the Bachelor of Science degree.
Biology Education
Teacher certification requirements and regulations are outlined in the teacher education handbook distributed by the School of Education. State of Illinois secondary certification in biology requires the following: 8 semester hours in botany with a laboratory, and 8 semester hours in zoology with a laboratory. (NOTE: 10 semester hours in laboratory work in biology satisfies the laboratory requirement.) Dominican courses that fulfill the botany requirement are numbered from BIOL 299 to 328 .
Dominican courses that fulfill the zoology requirements are BIOL 268 , BIOL 272 , BIOL 288 , BIOL 299 , BIOL 351 , and BIOL 361 . Note that BIOL 299 - Ecology may be used to satisfy either the botany or the zoology requirement, but not both.
Laboratory or field courses in botany or zoology taken at other approved institutions, including the cooperative courses given at the Morton Arboretum or the Shedd Aquarium (see below), may be offered toward these requirements. Prior departmental approval is strongly recommended.
Cooperative Biology Courses at the Morton Arboretum and the Shedd Aquarium
As part of its participation in the program of the Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area, Dominican University offers credit for cooperative courses given in selected biological topics at the Morton Arboretum and at the Shedd Aquarium as well as for cooperative seminar courses in advanced topics in biology. These courses are often taught by guest lecturers who are experts in the subject. Because the cooperative course topics vary from year to year, interested students should consult the biology faculty for course and registration information.
Independent Research
Advanced students are encouraged to do original research either at Dominican or at neighboring institutions. Hours are arranged after consultation with individual faculty members.
