Biological Sciences (Minor)
To see more about what you will learn in this program, visit the Learning Outcomes website!
The Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Sciences offers an undergraduate minor in Biological Sciences that is intended to enhance the programs of students whose major fields are outside the biological sciences and who are interested in obtaining either a broad-based perspective in biology or a more focused experience in a particular area within biology. The required courses (8 hours) provide an overview of the field of biology and students then select additional courses (at least 7 hours) within the biological sciences that best match their interests. It is possible to complete this minor entirely through Distance Education course offerings.
The minor in Biological Sciences is open to all baccalaureate students except those majoring in Animal Science, Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology: Conservation Biology; Fisheries Science; Wildlife Science, Genetics, Microbiology, Nutrition, Plant Biology, Plant and Soil Sciences, Science Education – Biology Concentration, Turfgrass Science, or Zoology. Courses will count toward the minor only if they are completed with a grade of C- or better.
Admissions
Students who plan to minor in Biological Sciences should contact the person listed below for consultation and approval. This person will assign the student a minor advisor who will help the student design a program of study to meet the academic needs of the student and monitor the student’s progress.
Certification
The contact person below will certify the completion of the student’s minor program. The minor must be completed no later than the semester in which the student expects to graduate from his or her degree program. Paperwork for certification can be found below and should be completed no later than during the registration period for the student’s final semester at NC State.
Contact People
Dennis Kauffman
2727 Bostian Hall
919.515.3341
BioSciHelp@ncsu.edu
SIS Code: 17BLM
Plan Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 8 | |
| Introductory Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity | ||
| Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology | ||
| Elective Courses | 7 | |
| Principles of Biochemistry | ||
| Introductory Biochemistry Laboratory | ||
| Survey of Animal Diversity | ||
| General Entomology | ||
| Principles of Genetics | ||
| General Microbiology | ||
| General Microbiology Laboratory | ||
| Plant Life | ||
| Plant Biology | ||
| Introduction to Whole Plant Physiology | ||
| Ecology | ||
| Plant Diversity and Evolution | ||
| Systematic Botany | ||
| Plant Anatomy | ||
| Plant Physiology | ||
| Introduction to Plant Biotechnology | ||
| Principles of Plant Pathology | ||
BIO or ZO 2** 1 | ||
BIO or ZO 3** 1 | ||
BIO or ZO 4** 1 | ||
BIO or ZO 5** 1 | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
| 1 | A minimum of 7 credit hours must be taken from the list below and/or from BIO courses at the 200 level and above, excluding courses numbered BSC 295 Special Topics in Biological Sciences, BSC 492 Professional Experience, BSC 493 Research Experience, BSC 495 Special Topics in Biological Sciences, or BIO 592 Topical Problems. At least 3 of the 7 elective hours must be at the 300 level or higher. |