Graduate Course Descriptions

Many courses offered by the Department of Biology include laboratory and/or field work as an integral part of the course. These are listed separately below, immediately following the corresponding lecture course descriptions; both must be taken concurrently, in a corresponding section and from the same instructor.

Note: Students in either the Master of Science or the Master of Arts degree program may apply either one BL 578 or one BL 579 to the degree requirements.

405.  SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATION 3 cr.  Instructor permission required; experience in art not required.  Three hours of lecture per week.  Developing skills of observation and learning how to produce publication-quality illustrations of research results.  By the end of the course, students will have developed a concise, but comprehensive, portfolio showcasing various techniques and graphic styles.  An additional fee is required for personal illustration materials.

415.  INTRODUCTION TO SYSTEMATIC BIOLOGY 3 cr.  Three hours of lecture per week.  The scientific discipline that deals with the identification, naming, description, classification, and organization of extant and extinct biological diversity; this course includes a discussion of philosophy and practice of methods of reconstructing evolutionary history.

425. ICHTHYOLOGY 4 cr.  Corequisite: BL 425L.  Two hours of lecture per week. Evolution, zoogeography, taxonomy, behavior, and ecology of North American fishes.

425L. ICHTHYOLOGY LABORATORY 0 cr.  Corequisite: BL 425. Four hours of laboratory per week. Two weekend field trips.

430. MEDICAL PARASITOLOGY 4 cr. Corequisite BL 430L.  Two hours of lecture per week.  All parasitic forms of medical importance will be covered.  Emphasis is on parasite biology, clinical presentation, ecology of the disease, and epidemiology.  Includes morphology, physiology, and diagnosis.

430L. MEDICAL PARASITOLOGY LABORATORY 0 cr. Corequisite BL 430.  Four hours of laboratory per week.  Laboratory sessions emphasize the diagnostic aspects of parasitic infections and the pathological changes in tissues.

442. ORNITHOLOGY 4 cr.  Corequisite: BL 442L.  Three hours of lecture per week. Biology, taxonomy, ecology, and behavior of birds.

442L. ORNITHOLOGY LABORATORY 0 cr.  Corequisite: BL 442. Three hours of laboratory per week, plus field trips.

444. ADVANCED ECOLOGY 4 cr.  Prerequisites:  Ecology, Statistics; Corequisite: BL 444L. Three hours of lecture/discussion per week.  Topics include predator‑prey interactions, global change, niche theory, competition, null models, and community assembly rules.

444L. ADVANCED ECOLOGY LABORATORY 0 cr.   Corequisite: BL 444. Three hours of laboratory per week.  Students work in teams on a project of their own choosing.  Includes experimental design, data analysis, write‑up, and presentation.

447. ALGAE AS BIOINDICATORS 4 cr.  Corequisite: BL 447L. Two hours of lecture per week. Taxonomy and ecology of freshwater algae with application to monitoring lakes and rivers for water quality.  Strong research-learning component.

447L. ALGAE AS BIOINDICATORS 0 cr.  Corequisite: BL 447. Four hours of laboratory per week. Some weekend field trips will be scheduled.  Laboratories based on field collections.  Projects included.

470. MOLECULAR METHODS LABORATORY 3 cr.  Prerequisite/corequisite: Molecular Genetics. Eight hours of laboratory per week. Methods used in analysis of proteins and nucleic acids.

478. BIOLOGY SEMINAR 1 cr.  One hour per week.  Current topics presented by invited guests, faculty, and students.

479. SPECIAL TOPICS IN BIOLOGY 1‑4 cr.  Prerequisites: Consent of instructor. Offered on an irregular basis; topics chosen by instructor.  A lecture/discussion course which may include a laboratory or field component. For directed readings see BL 578; for student research see BL 579.

479L. SPECIAL TOPICS IN BIOLOGY LABORATORY 0 cr.  Corequisite BL 479.  Two to four hours of laboratory each week.

510. INFECTION AND IMMUNITY 3 cr.  Prerequisite:  Genetics.  Three hours of lecture per week.  Bacterial and viral pathogens of humans and those aspects of the immune response important in resistance and immunity to infectious diseases.

520. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 3 cr.  Three hours of lecture per week.  Detailed study of photosynthesis, water relations, mineral nutrition, and hormones in plants with emphasis on current research techniques.

521. HERPETOLOGY 4 cr.  Corequisite: BL 521L. Two hours of lecture per week. Intensive study of amphibians and reptiles, with special emphasis on classification, ecology, and evolution of North American species.

521L. HERPETOLOGY LABORATORY 0 cr.  Corequisite: BL 521. Four hours of laboratory per week.  Some weekend field trips will be scheduled.

524. AQUATIC RESOURCES 4 cr.  Corequisite:  BL 524L.  Two hours of lecture per week.  Study of aquatic organisms and their environment.  Study of algae, insects, and fish as biological indicators of water and habitat quality in stream, lake, and wetland ecosystems.  Impacts of water pollution, acidification, and other anthropogenic disturbances on aquatic systems will be studied.

524L. AQUATIC RESOURCES 0 cr.  Corequisite:  BL 524.  Saturday laboratory consisting of field trips and laboratory analysis of aquatic life.
 
535. PLANT ECOLOGY 4 cr. Prerequisite:  Ecology recommended. Corequisite:  BL 535L.  Three hours of lecture per week.  Study of the distribution and abundance of plants from organismal, population, and community perspectives.  Both seminal and novel research in the discipline emphasized.  Students will conduct an in-depth study of plant ecological patterns and process.

535L. PLANT ECOLOGY LABORATORY 0 cr.  Corequisite:  BL 535.  Three hours of laboratory per week.

540. BEHAVIOR 3 cr.  Three hours of lecture‑discussion per week. An evolutionary approach to animal behavior with emphasis on recent research.

559.  MOLECULAR CELL BIOLOGY 3 cr.  Prerequisite:  Genetics.  Three hours of lecture per week.  Advanced course in molecular cell biology.  Topics include cell signaling, cell cycle control, and intracellular trafficking.  Emphasis on current primary literature.

560. BIOMETRY 4 cr.  Four hours of lecture per week. Standard statistical tests, T tests, Chi squares, ANOVA, regression, correlation, similarity, diversity, clustering, principal components analysis, and various ordinational techniques. Most analytical methods required for analysis of data collected as part of research.  Last third of course has strong ecological emphasis.

565. MOLECULAR GENETICS 3 cr.  Prerequisites: Genetics, Biochemistry. Three hours of lecture per week. Gene and genome analysis; genome organization; structure, replication, and expression of genetic information in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.  Emphasis on current primary literature.

571. IMMUNOLOGY 3 cr.  Prerequisite: Genetics.  Three hours of lecture per week.  Concepts of humoral and cell-mediated immunity with strong emphasis on the cellular basis of the immune response.  Experimental evidence emphasized.

575. ENDOCRINOLOGY 3 cr.  Three hours of lecture per week. The endocrine glands, hormones, and their mechanisms of action in mammals.

578. DIRECTED READINGS IN BIOLOGY 1-3 cr.  Directed readings in a specific area of biology.  Permission of instructor required.

579. GUIDED LABORATORY/FIELD RESEARCH 3 cr.  Guided research and study of various areas of biology.  Permission of instructor required.

580. SPECIAL TOPICS IN BIOLOGY 1-4 cr.  Offered on an irregular basis; topics chosen by instructor.  A lecture/lab course.  For directed readings see BL 578; for student research see BL 579.

598. MASTER’S THESIS PROPOSAL 1 cr.  To be taken the first or second semester of all M.S. track students.  Writing and presenting the thesis to the advisory committee.

599. MASTER’S THESIS 1-5 cr. Repeatable up to 5 credits, with recommendation that final 3 credits be completed during the final semester of enrollment.  Permission of department chair required.