The Bachelor of Science degree in Biology requires a minimum of 120 hours of coursework and provides students with a strong foundation in molecular and cellular biology and develops their critical thinking skills, to prepare for careers in research, medicine, dentistry, bioinformatics, veterinary medicine, and many others. This degree is ideal for students planning on attending professional school or pursuing a master’s or Ph.D. degree in the biological sciences. Students must select one of the following concentrations. Students interested in pursuing Bacc2MD Pathway program or UToledo/Case Western Reserve University Dental Pathway should consult with the Pre-Health Advising Center.

Program includes:

• Biology - Bioinformatics Concentration, BS
• ​Biology - Cell and Molecular Biology Concentration, BS
• Biology - Neuroscience Concentration, BS
• Biology - Pre-Medical Studies Concentration, BS

Biology -Bioinformatics Concentration, BS
​Biology - Cell and Molecular Biology Concentration, BS
Biology -Neuroscience Concentration, BS  
Biology - - Pre-Medical Studies Concentration, BS

 Biology -Bioinformatics Concentration, BS

The following courses are required for the BS Biology- Bioinformatics Concentration. Note that this is part of a BS-MS pipeline program.

¹

Students taking the concentration in Bioinformatics must take BIOL 3020 (Molecular Genetics Laboratory). Two laboratory or field experiences are required. BIOL 4910 may fulfill the second lab or field experience requirement. 

²

Honors students in the Bioinformatics Concentration may co-apply three credit hours of BIOL4910 to both the Honors and Bioinformatics Concentration requirements (provided the research was conducted in a laboratory making significant use of bioinformatic analyses). However, consistent with Honors Program policy, any BIOL4910 credit hours used to satisfy Honors requirements cannot be applied towards the two Laboratory or Field Experience requirements of the BS degree, regardless of whether they are applied within the Bioinformatics Concentration.

No classes used to satisfy the requirements of the Biology major may be taken P/NC with the exceptions of BIOL 4910, BIOL 4950, and BIOL 4990.

Combined bachelor's to master's- SM-BIOL-BS-BIOI: Biology - Bioinformatics Concentration to MD-BIMS-MS-BIPG : Biomedical Science: Bioinformatics and Proteomics-Genomic, MSBS

Undergraduate students accepted to the SM-BIOL-BS-BIOI: Biology - Bioinformatics Concentration option will be admitted to the MD-BIMS-MS-BIPG: Biomedical Science: Bioinformatics and Proteomics-Genomic, MSBS and allowed to complete up to three graduate level classes (nine credit hours) during their final academic year of undergraduate studies. Students admitted into the pipeline program must apply for admission to the College of Graduate Studies for the semester that they intend to matriculate. They will then continue into the graduate program upon completion of the undergraduate degree requirements. The graduate coursework (up to nine hours) may be applied to completion of both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. It will be the joint responsibility of the faculty and administrators in the undergraduate and graduate programs to supervise students admitted to the combined program option, to ensure that the limit of nine hours taken as an undergraduate is strictly enforced, and to request that the College of Graduate Studies change their matriculation from Undergraduate to Graduate when they meet all undergraduate degree requirements. 

The following provisions apply for classes taken for graduate credit: 1) graduate classes taken at The University of Toledo only after the student is accepted in the program, 2) BIPG 5100 Fundamentals of Bioinformatics (3 credits), BIPG 5200 Statistical Methods in Bioinformatics (3 credits), BIPG 6100 Bioinformatic Computation (3 credits) courses may be included in the approved nine semester hours of graduate credit taken as an undergraduate. Students interested in the combined program must submit a graduate admission application to the College of Graduate Studies. 

 ​Biology - Cell and Molecular Biology Concentration, BS

The following courses are required for the BS Biology - Cell and Molecular Biology Concentration:

No classes used to satisfy the requirements of the Biology major, including related courses, may be taken P/NC with the exceptions of BIOL 4910, BIOL 4950, and BIOL 4990.

Combined bachelor's to master's - SM-BIOL-BS-CLMB : BS in Cell/Molecular Biology Concentration

Undergraduate students accepted to the SM-BIOL-BS-CLMB : BS in Cell/Molecular Biology Concentration option may be admitted to the SM-BIOL-MS-CMOL : MS in Cell/Molecular Biology Concentration and allowed to complete graduate level classes (nine credit hours) during their final academic year of undergraduate studies. Applicants need to be accepted to BA or BS program in biology. To enter the combined program, an undergraduate student needs to have an overall GPA of 3.00 or an overall GPA of 2.75 with a GPA of at least 3.00 in the last 30 credit hours.

Students admitted into the pipeline program must apply for admission to the College of Graduate Studies for the semester that they intend to matriculate. They will then continue in to the graduate program upon completion of the undergraduate degree requirements. The graduate coursework (up to nine hours) may be applied to completion of both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. It will be the joint responsibility of the faculty and administrators in the undergraduate and graduate programs to supervise students admitted to the combined program option, to ensure that the limit of nine hours taken as an undergraduate is strictly enforced, and to request that the College of Graduate Studies change their matriculation from Undergraduate to Graduate when they meet all undergraduate degree requirements. 

The following provisions apply for classes taken for graduate credit:

1) Graduate classes taken at The University of Toledo only after the student is accepted in the program. 2.) BIOL 6030 ,  BIOL 6040 , BIOL 6200 or BIOL 6090 ,  BIOL 6960 , are included in the approved  nine semester hours of graduate credit taken as an undergraduate.  Students interested in the combined  program must submit a graduate admission application to the College of Graduate Studies. 

 Biology -Neuroscience Concentration, BS

¹ PSY 3400 requires PSY 2400 and PSY 1010 as prerequisites

Biology - Pre-Medical Studies Concentration, BS

The following courses must be included in the BS-Biology Pre-Medical Professions Concentration:  

No classes used to satisfy the requirements of the Biology major, including related courses, may be taken P/NC with the exceptions of BIOL 4910, BIOL 4950, and BIOL 4990.

Biology - Bioinformatics Concentration, BS
​Biology - Cell and Molecular Biology Concentration, BS
Biology - Neuroscience Concentration, BS
Biology - - Pre-Medical Studies Concentration, BS

 Biology -Bioinformatics Concentration, BS

 ​Biology - Cell and Molecular Biology Concentration, BS

¹

May take different 3000-4000 level lab in different semesters, 3 lab experiences are required one of which is either BIOL 3020 (Molecular Genetics Lab) or BIOL 3040 (Cell Biology Lab) and not BIOL 4910 (Undergraduate Research)

²

Within the concentration, 9 hours of 3000-4000 level BIOL electives are required. Hours from the 3000-4000 level BIOL lab requirement count toward elective requirements.

³

2 credits are available in the proposed plan of study for students to freely elect from across the University curriculum.

 Biology -Neuroscience Concentration, BS

¹

May take different 3000-4000 level lab in different semester, 2 are required.

²

9 hours of 3000-4000 level BIOL electives are required. Hours from the 3000-4000 level BIOL lab requirement count toward requirement.

 Biology - Pre-Medical Studies Concentration, BS

¹

A minimum of six hours of advanced elective BIOL courses (3000 - 4000 level), including one laboratory or field experience (BIOL 4910 may count as a  lab or field experience). A maximum of three credit hours of BIOL 4910 not applied to Departmental Honors may be used to fulfill the advanced elective credits.

²

Students must choose one other MATH course from 

MATH 1340, MATH 1750, MATH 1760, MATH 1850 or MATH 1860

³

If a PMED concentration student has not taken BIOL 3070 (Human Physiology) as a major required course then they must take it as part of their concentration upper level BIOL electives.

• PLO 1. Students will demonstrate a thorough understanding of fundamental concepts of cell and molecular biology, chemistry, biochemistry, evolutionary biology, and physiology.
• PLO 2. Students will demonstrate the ability to use fundamental concepts of biological science to analyze and evaluate biological observations in written and mathematical terms.
• PLO 3. Students will act effectively as a member of a team.
• PLO 4. Students will understand and comply with ethical behavior in coursework, research, and the use of scientific information.
• PLO 5. Students will be able to perform effective primary literature searches and identify relevant primary literature.
• PLO 6. Students will be able to read primary biological literature and apply critical thinking to the analysis and interpretation of biological experiments.
• PLO 7. Students will demonstrate appropriate oral and written skills to communicate concepts in biology to the public, peers, and specialists.
• PLO 8. Students will demonstrate the ability to incorporate diverse views and perspectives.