Biology

Department: Biology
Department Chair: Martha Phillips
Program Option: B.A.

Vision Statement: The College of St. Catherine Biology Department strives to support and challenge each student to develop her potential as a confident, creative and critical thinker who understands core biological concepts, scientific inquiry, and how biology intersects with society.

St. Kate’s biology major gives you an understanding of the major principles of biology in a manner that encourages the development of critical-thinking skills. Faculty members encourage you to take an active role in your own educational experiences and foster a cooperative — rather than competitive — learning environment in which women thrive. You receive hands-on experience with advanced biological techniques and instrumentation.

The biology curriculum provides a solid foundation of first- and second-year courses with a variety of advanced courses in topics spanning the discipline. You use computer technology frequently to access the scientific literature and to analyze data. You collaborate often with faculty on research projects and have access to an on-site cadaver, tissue culture facilities and modern biological instrumentation for laboratory work.

A St. Kate’s biology major prepares you for professions in industry, government and teaching (grades 5-12 teaching licensure) and for graduate training in research, medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, physical therapy, optometry, pharmacy and medical technology. St. Kate’s biology majors often choose to continue their education to become physicians, physical therapists, veterinarians, optometrists, scientists or dentists. Many others choose to work as teachers or in research laboratories.

You have many opportunities to explore career options, including internships that allow you to explore your specific interests. Internships at off-campus sites expose you to the day-to-day activities of professionals ranging from physicians, field biologists and optometrists to industrial biotechnologists.

You’ll also find special research opportunities, such as the 3M Collaborative Research Endowed Fund, which provides grants for student/faculty collaborative research projects and allows you to develop peer relationships with faculty and to do science, not just talk about it. This type of experience allows you to discover the dynamic nature of the scientific process and develop the skills necessary for understanding the vital part that research plays in biology. For example, one student recently worked with faculty on a field study of wetlands, which not only enriched her education but made her better prepared for graduate school. Another student performed genetic analysis of bacteria, giving her the lab experiences she needed to pursue a Ph.D. in molecular biology at the University of Minnesota.

The College’s Center for Women, Science and Technology serves as a resource for biology majors. It seeks to research and promote women-centered, innovative teaching and learning experiences in science and technology; develop strategies that foster and enable women’s pursuit of science and technology fields at all stages of education; support student-faculty collaborative research and advance the College of St. Catherine’s leadership in preparing teachers and professionals who have a strong grounding in mathematics, science and technology. The Center invites and encourages student involvement.

See also: Applied Science in Biology, Education — Life Science with Grades 5-12 Teaching Licensure, Pre-Physical Therapy.

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

Required Courses in the Major:
BIOL 1210 General Biology I
BIOL 1220 General Biology II
BIOL 2800 Cell Biology
BIOL 2900 Genetics
BIOL 4602 Internship or BIOL 4912 Research
BIOL 4850 Senior Seminar
Four biology lab-based courses at the 3000 level, including one course with an animal focus (A), one course with a plant focus (P), one course with an evolution/ecology focus (E), and a fourth lab-based course of the student’s choice.

Required Supporting Courses:
(Note: minimum grade of C- required)
CHEM 1110 General Chemistry I
CHEM 1120 General Chemistry II
CHEM 2010 Organic Chemistry I
Statistics (PSYC 2050 Statistical Methods in Psychology, MATH 1080 Statistical Analysis, or ECON 2200 Statistical Analysis for Social Sciences)

Recommended courses:
CHEM 2020 Organic Chemistry II
CHEM 4400 Biochemistry
MATH 1130 Calculus I
Two semesters of physics (PHYS 1110, 1120 or PHYS 1080, 1090)

Biology majors satisfy the Writing Requirement for Majors by completing BIOL 4850 Senior Seminar. You complete the Liberal Arts and Sciences Core Writing Requirement with three other writing-intensive courses (CORE 1000 and CORE 3990, and any other writing-intensive course in another department).

URL: http://minerva.stkate.edu/academiccatalog0709.nsf/pages/biology
This page was created on 05/01/2007 and last updated on 05/01/2007.
Comments, questions and feedback about this site may be addressed to registrar@stkate.edu.