Academic Programs Catalog

College of Natural Science

Department of Integrative Biology

Undergraduate Programs
Environmental Biology/Zoology

The objective of the Bachelor of Science degree program with a major in environmental biology/zoology is to help students to understand the concepts of environmental biology and to apply those concepts to improve both the natural environment and the environment perturbed by human activities.  The focus of the program is on animal biology.  The integrative biology courses in the program emphasize ecology, systematics, and environmental science.  

Students who are enrolled in this program may complete an optional capstone course:  Integrative Biology 494 or 496.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Biology/Zoology

  1. The University requirements for bachelor's degrees as described in the Undergraduate Education section of this catalog; 120 credits, including general elective credits, are required for the Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Biology/Zoology.

    The University's Tier II writing requirement for the Environmental Biology/Zoology major is met by completing two of the following courses: Integrative Biology 355L and 445.  Those courses are referenced in item 3. below.

    Students who are enrolled in the College of Natural Science may complete the alternative track to Integrative Studies in Biological and Physical Sciences that is described in item 1. under the heading Graduation Requirements in the College statement.  Certain courses referenced in requirement 3. below may be used to satisfy the alternative track.
  2. The requirements of the College of Natural Science for the Bachelor of Science degree.

    The credits earned in certain courses referenced in requirement 3. below may be counted toward College requirements as appropriate.
    1. The following requirements for the major:
      a.   One of the following groups of courses (9 or 10 credits):
      (1) BS 161 Cell and Molecular Biology 3
      BS  162 Organismal and Population Biology  3
            BS  171 Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory  2
            BS  172 Organismal and Population Biology Laboratory  2
      (2) BS  181H  Honors Cell and Molecular Biology  3
      BS  182H  Honors Organismal and Population Biology  3
            BS  191H  Honors Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory  2
      BS  192H  Honors Organismal an d Population Biology Laboratory  2
      (3) LB  144 Biology I: Organismal Biology  4
      LB  145 Biology II: Cellular and Molecular Biology  5
      b. One of the following groups of courses (5 or 6 credits):
      (1) CEM  141 General Chemistry  4
      CEM  161 Chemistry Laboratory I  1
      (2) CEM  181H  Honors Chemistry I  4
      CEM  185H  Honors Chemistry Laboratory I  2
      (3) LB  171 Principles of Chemistry I  4
      LB  171L  Introductory Chemistry I Laboratory  1
      c. One course from each of the following groups of courses (6 credits):
      (1) CEM  251 Organic Chemistry I  3
            CEM  351 Organic Chemistry I  3
      (2) CEM  252 Organic Chemistry II  3
      CEM  352 Organic Chemistry II  3
      (3) CEM  255 Organic Chemistry Laboratory  2
      CEM  355 Organic Laboratory I  2
      d. One of the following groups of courses (8 or 10 credits):
      (1) PHY 221 Studio Physics for Life Scientists I 4
      PHY 222 Studio Physics for Life Scientists II 4
      (2) PHY 231 Introductory Physics I  3
      PHY  232 Introductory Physics II  3
            PHY 251 Introductory Physics Laboratory I  1
      PHY  252 Introductory Physics Laboratory II  1
      (3) PHY  183 Physics for Scientists and Engineers I  4
      PHY 184 Physics for Scientists and Engineers II  4
      PHY 191 Physics Laboratory for Scientists, I 1
      PHY 192 Physics Laboratory for Scientists, II 1
      (4) LB 273 Physics I 4
      LB 274 Physics II 4
      (5) PHY 193H Honors Physics I-Mechanics 4
      PHY 294H Honors Physics II-Electromagnetism 4
      PHY 191 Physics Laboratory for Scientists, I 1
      PHY 192 Physics Laboratory for Scientists, II 1
      e. One of the following courses (3 or 4 credits): 
         MTH  124 Survey of Calculus I  3
         MTH  132 Calculus I  3
         MTH  152H  Honors Calculus I  3
         LB  118 Calculus I  4
      f. One of the following courses (3 or 4 credits): 
      MTH  126 Survey of Calculus II  3
         MTH  133 Calculus II  4
         MTH  153H  Honors Calculus II  3
         LB  119 Calculus II  4
         STT  201 Statistical Methods  4
         STT  224 Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Ecologists 3
         STT  231 Statistics for Scientists  3
         STT  421 Statistics I  3
      g. All of the following courses (21 credits): 
         CSS  210 Fundamentals of Soil Science  3
      GEO 221 Introduction to Geographic Information 3
      GEO 221L Introduction to Geographic Information Laboratory 1
         IBIO  341 Fundamental Genetics  4
         IBIO  355 Ecology  3
         IBIO  355L  Ecology Laboratory (W)  1
         IBIO  445 Evolution (W)  3
         PLB  441 Plant Ecology  3
      Both Geography 221 and 221L must be completed to satisfy this requirement. Forestry 419 may be substituted for GEO 221/221L. Forestry 340 may be substituted for Plant Biology 441.
      h. At least one course from each of the following three groups of courses totaling at least 13 credits:
      (1) FW  471 Ichthyology  4
      IBIO 306 Invertebrate Biology 4
      IBIO 328 Comparative Anatomy and Biology of Vertebrates 4
         IBIO  360 Biology of Birds  4
            IBIO  365 Biology of Mammals  4
            IBIO  384 Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles (W)  4
         (2) PLB  218 Plants of Michigan  3
            PLB  418 Plant Systematics  3
         (3) FW  416 Marine Ecology and Management 3
            FW 420 Stream Ecology 3
            FW 444 Conservation Biology 3
         FW 472 Limnology 3
            GEO  324 Remote Sensing of the Environment  4
            IBIO  353 Marine Biology (W)  4
            IBIO  357 Global Change Biology (W) 3
            IBIO  446 Environmental Issues and Public Policy  3
      IBIO 483 Environmental Physiology 3
      IBIO 485 Tropical Biology 3
      PLB 424 Algal Biology 3