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Biology Undergraduates

General Degree Information

  • Incoming first-year students (30 credit hours or less)  are required to enroll in the Freshman Year Experience Program. Please go to WIU's First Year Experience page for more information.

  • General Education update for those NOT seeking Teacher Certification Option:

    The School of Arts and Sciences requires more General Education courses in the Humanities and Social sciences (12 hours each) than other schools within the University. Also required are three hours of Human Well Being, two courses with a writing emphasis, three hours of Multicultural Studies, 16 hours of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and 9 hours of directed Communication Skills.

  • General Education update for those in the Teacher Certification Option: 

    The requirements of students seeking teacher certification follow the General Education Requirements of the College of Education and Human Services. This includes 9 hours in the Humanities and Fine Arts (of which at least 3 hours must be in Humanities and 3 in the Fine Arts), 9 hours in the Social Sciences, 3 hours in Human Well Being (of which 1 hour must be an activity course), 3 hours in Multicultural Studies, 10 hours of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and 9 hours of Directed Communication Skills.

  • Foreign Language update: All students seeking a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology are required to have two semesters or one full year of a single Foreign Language. Two years of the same language in high school, or two semesters of the same language in college or university will complete this requirement, as long as transcripts are presented to the registrar.

    • This requirement can be met while attending WIU with two semesters of the same foreign language, which can count towards two classes of General Education Humanities Credit.

Advising 

During pre-registration advising please contact the departmental office at (309) 298-1546 to schedule an appointment with one of the advisors.

  • The Axon is an updated newsletter from the Academic Advisors, provided once each semester. 

Botany, microbiology, zoology, pre-physical therapy, pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, pre-optometry, pre-physician assistant, pre-veterinarian, and clinical laboratory science majors are all advised by;

Biology education students (freshmen, sophomore, and juniors) are advised by;

  • Dr. Jennifer Sandrik-Rubio, sign up outside Tillman 415, or call (309) 298-3606.  JL-Sandrik@wiu.edu

Senior student majors of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics within the Teacher Certification Option as well as Graduate Students seeking teacher certification in science (biology, chemistry, or physics) are advised by;

Related Majors and Minors

  • FMEA (Functional Morphology & Evolutionary Anatomy) (Interdisciplinary between Biological Sciences and Sociology/Anthropology)
  • Athletic Training/ Fitness
  • SCUBA
  • Conservation/ Animal Science (Agriculture)
  • Dietetics
  • Environmental Science (Interdisciplinary studies minot)
  • Horticulture (Interdisciplinary studies minor)
  • Neuroscience (Psychology MINOR)
  • Recreation Parks and Tourism Administration
  • Chemistry (Forensic and Regular)
  • Psychology
  • Health Sciences
  • Family and Consumer Sciences
  • Geology
  • Kinesiology
  • Anthropology 

 Academic Programs

Biology major with options in:


Please note: Medical Sciences enrollment requires a minimum GPA of 2.75. A psychology or chemistry minor (as indicated in the pdf's above) is required with this option in order to prepare students for application to professional schools, such as medical schools, dental schools, optometry schools, physical and occupational therapy programs, and veterinarian programs.


Teacher Certification Programs in Science (Grades 6-12) 

  • Biology degree option
  • Chemistry degree option
  • Physics degree option
  • For more information about the Teacher Education Program go to the Center for the Preparation of Education Professionals (http://www.wiu.edu/CPEP/)
  • Note:  To be fully accepted to the Teacher Education Program, a minimum GPA of 2.5 overall and in your major are required.

Registration Information:


 Opportunities