COLLEGE of ARTS and SCIENCES
BIOLOGY
Professor John Gustafson, department head; Professor Michele Nishiguchi, associate department head
Professors Bernstein, Boecklen, Gustafson, Houde, Milligan, Nishiguchi, Serrano, Smith; Associate Professors Bailey, Curtiss, Dawe, Hanley, Preszler, C. Shuster, Unguez, Wright; Assistant Professors Castillo, Hansen, M. Shuster, Throop, Xu
(575) 646-3611
http://biology-web.nmsu.edu/
DEGREE: Bachelor of Arts
MAJOR: Biology
DEGREE: Bachelor in Conservation Ecology
MAJOR: Conservation Ecology
DEGREE: Bachelor of Science
MAJOR: Biology
MAJOR: Genetics
MAJOR: Microbiology
MINORS: Biology
Conservation Ecology
Human Biology
Microbiology
A student may earn the Bachelor of Arts in biology or the Bachelor of Science in biology, genetics, and microbiology through major studies in the Department of Biology. The Bachelor of Science in biology or microbiology is recommended for premedical and predental students, for those preparing to teach biology and other sciences at the secondary and college levels, for those interested in the numerous fields of biological research and applied biology, and for those planning on obtaining an advanced degree in biology.
Freshmen should begin taking required biology and chemistry courses in their first year. Students are required to speak with an advisor in the Advising Center of the Department of Biology as soon as they declare a biology major. The department welcomes students considering a biology major who wish preliminary advising. More information on the Department of Biology is available on our web site, http://biology-web.nmsu.edu.
A student must earn a grade of C or better to receive credit for any nondepartmental or departmental requirement for any major or minor offered by the Department of Biology.
It is strongly recommended that students include a minor or supplementary course work in a specific discipline to enhance their academic experience. See under General Information at the beginning of this catalog for specific requirements for minors, and departments which offer them. Selection of a minor or a supplementary coursework area should be done in consultation the Biology Advising Center.
The department offers minors in biology and microbiology for students in other disciplines. In addition, we offer minors in human biology and in conservation ecology, for students majoring in biology and other fields.
A student must fulfill a second language requirement to receive a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in the Biology and Microbiology majors. This requirement does not apply to the Conservation Ecology major, offered jointly with the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, or the Genetics major, offered jointly with the Department of Plant and Environmental Science. To meet the second language requirement, the student must do one of the following:
- Complete two semesters of foreign language courses numbered 111 and 112 with a grade of C or better. Spanish speakers should enter and complete 113 with a C or better to fulfill the requirement.
- Challenge the 112 level of French, German, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish, or the 113 level for the Spanish-speaking student.
- Obtain college certification of completion of two years of a second language at the high school level with a grade of C or higher in the second-year level. (i.e. equivalent to French 112, German 112, Spanish 112, etc.)
- Complete two semesters of American Sign Language, courses C D 374 and C D 375, with a grade of C or better.
- Additional mechanisms for fulfilling the language requirement are listed under the College of Arts and Science language requirement.
DEGREE: Bachelor of Arts
MAJOR: Biology
The Bachelor of Arts curriculum is intended for students who desire a broad education with emphasis in biology in a program chosen by the student in consultation with an advisor in the Biology Advising Center. The Bachelor of Arts is recommended for those who plan to teach at the primary levels or to use a background in life science in business or other endeavors.
Nondepartmental Requirements
| CHEM 111G-112G, General Chemistry I, II | 8 |
| CHEM 211, Organic Chemistry, or CHEM 313, 314, 315, Organic Chemistry, I, II and Lab | 4-8 |
| MATH 142G, Calculus for the Biological and Management Sciences I, or MATH 191G, Calculus and Analytic Geometry I | 3-4 |
| One course from one of the following departments: astronomy, computer science, geology or physics. | 3-4 |
Departmental Requirements
| BIOL 111G, Natural History of Life | 3 |
| BIOL 111L, Natural History of Life Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOL 211G, Cellular and Organismal Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 211L, Cellular and Organismal Biology Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOL 305, Principles of Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 377, Cell Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 467, Evolution | 3 |
Sufficient upper-division biology electives to bring total upper-division credits to 24. Choice of electives should be done in consultation with an advisor.
Other electives: Sufficient to bring total to 128, including 48 upper-division.
DEGREE: Bachelor in Conservation Ecology
MAJOR: Conservation Ecology
MINOR: Conservation Ecology
Codirectors of the Program:
John Gustafson, Ph.D., department head, Biology
Raul Valdez, Ph.D., department head, Fishery, Wildlife, and Conservation Ecology
Program Participants:
Professors Boecklen, Gustafson, Houde, Milligan, Nishiguchi, G.Smith; Associate Professors M. Anderson, Bailey, Boren, Cowley, Desmond, Hanley, Preszler, Roemer, Wright; Assistant Professors Boeing, Throop
New Mexico State University offers an interdisciplinary, undergraduate program in Conservation Ecology. The goal of this program is to train biologists for the current and future challenges that we face in the conservation and wise use of our Earths natural resources. An overriding principle of the program is to provide a solid foundation in basic science coupled with a practical approach towards sustainability and stewardship. The curriculum encompasses several disciplines and includes a wide variety of courses from Biology, Fishery and Wildlife Science, Geography, Government, and Range Science.
The education experience will provide students with an overview of global biodiversity and an understanding of the ecological and evolutionary processes that have created and sustained it. Courses in population and community ecology coupled with population viability analysis and risk assessment will give students the necessary background to understand the theory and development of these fields as well as the tools to tackle real-world problems. Courses in basic genetics, evolution, and conservation genetics will expose students to the importance of conserving genetic variation in order to maintain adaptive potential within populations, thereby sustaining the evolutionary process. Students will also receive background on wildlife law and environmental policy, information vital for assisting governing bodies in making decisions regarding the protection and wise use of our natural resources. Skills obtained in the application of geographic information systems, molecular genetics, and professional communication can also be acquired through various electives. In sum, we seek to provide undergraduate students with an education that will allow them the opportunity to contribute to the conservation of all life on Earth.
The requirements are listed below. In addition each required course must be passed with a grade of C or better.
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
Core Curriculum (Includes University and College Requirements 67-68 credits)
| A ST 311, Statistical Applications | 3 |
| BCHE 341, Survey of Biochemistry | 4 |
| C S Elective - Any Computer Science course 100 or above, | 3 |
| CHEM 111G/112G, General Chemistry I/II | 8 |
| CHEM 211, Organic Chemistry | 4 |
| ENGL 111G, Rhetoric and Composition | 4 |
| ENGL 318G, Advanced Technical and Professional Communication or ENGL 311G, Advanced Composition |
3 |
| MATH 120, Intermediate Algebra; and MATH 142G, Calculus for Biological and Management Sciences I or MATH 191G/192G, Calculus and Analytical Geometry I/II |
6-8 |
| PHYS 211G/211GL, General Physics I/Laboratory | 4 |
| PHYS 212/212L, General Physics II/Laboratory | 4 |
| Physiology—Any physiology course among the following: 3/4 FWCE 432, BIOL 311, 314, 377, 381, 474, ANSC |
370 |
| Viewing a Wider World—ECON 337V, Natural Resource Economics (Second VWW course will be satisfied using the 9-hour rule: students with Biology as home department use FWCE courses and students with Wildlife Science as home department use BIOL courses.) |
3 |
Major Requirements (43-45 credits)
| BIOL 111G, Natural History of Life | 3 |
| BIOL 111L, Natural History of Life Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOL 211G, Cellular and Organismal Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 211L, Cellular and Organismal Biology Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOL 301, Principles of Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 305, Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 467, Evolution | 3 |
| BIOL 312, Plant Taxonomy, OR RGSC 307, Rangeland Grasses, | |
| AND RGSC 316, Rangeland Plants | 3 |
| BIOL 313, Structure and Function of Plants | 3 |
| BIOL 322, Zoology | 3 |
| FWCE 255, Principles of Natural Resource Management | 4 |
| FWCE 310, Managing Ecological Systems for Biodiversity or BIOL 462, Conservation Biology | 3 |
| FWCE 330, Natural History of the Vertebrates | 3 |
| FWCE 402, Seminar in Natural Resource Management | 1 |
| FWCE 409, Introduction to Population Ecology, or BIOL 470, Plant Community Ecology | 3 |
Requirements in Diversity of Life: Any two courses (6-8 credits)
| BIOL 433/433L, Insect Biology/Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 445, Herpetology | 3 |
| BIOL 465, Invertebrate Zoology | 4 |
| FWCE 430, Avian Field Ecology(f), or BIOL 447, Ornithology | 4 |
| FWCE 431, Forest and Range Mammals | 3 |
| FWCE 482, Ichthyology | 3 |
Additional courses
Electives to bring total to 128 credits including 48 upper division credits
Recommended Electives
| BIOL 488, Principles of Conservation Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 489, Genetic Aspects of Population Biology | 3 |
| GEOG 381, Cartography and Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| GEOG 481, Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
Other Related Courses
| GEOL 111G, Survey of Geology | 4 |
| GEOL 295, Environmental Geology | 3 |
| GEOL 424, Soil Chemistry | 3 |
| GOVT 378, U.S.-Mexico Border Politics | 3 |
| HIST 400, Special Topics | 3 |
| HIST 429, Plague, Plunder, and Preservation: American Environmental History |
3 |
| TOX 423, Environmental Toxicology | 3 |
| RGSC 318, Watershed Management | 3 |
| RGSC 325, Rangeland Restoration Ecology | 3 |
| RGSC 452, Rangeland Analysis | 3 |
DEGREE: Bachelor of Science
MAJOR: Biology
The major in biology provides a solid academic base for those planning to enter any of the various fields of the biological sciences. The program allows considerable latitude. Suggested course sequences for specific areas of interest within biology (such as botany, zoology, ecology, conservation biology, animal, plant, or cellular physiology, preprofessional studies, and preparation for graduate school) can be obtained from the Biology Advising Center.
Nondepartmental Requirements
| A ST 311, Statistical Applications | 3 |
| BCHE 341, Survey of Biochemistry, or BCHE 395, Biochemistry | 3 or 4 |
| CHEM 111G-112G, General Chemistry I and II | 8 |
| CHEM 211, Organic Chemistry, or CHEM 313, 314, 315, Organic Chemistry, I, II and Lab | 4-8 |
| MATH 191G, Calculus and Analytic Geometry I | 4 |
| PHYS 211G, General Physics I or PHYS 221G, General Physics for Life Sciences I |
3 |
| PHYS 212, General Physics II, or PHYS 222G, General Physics for Life Sciences II |
3 |
| PHYS 211GL and 212L, General Physics Laboratory | 2 |
Departmental Requirements
| BIOL 111G, Natural History of Life | 3 |
| BIOL 111L, Natural History of Life Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOL 211G, Cellular and Organismal Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 211L, Cellular and Organismal Biology Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOL 301, Principles of Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 305, Principles of Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 377, Cell Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 467, Evolution | 3 |
| Sufficient credits numbered 300 or above to bring total upper-division credits in Biology to 28. At least one upper-division course must include laboratory and/or field experience. The laboratory/field requirement can be satisfied by any BIOL course above the 300 level that includes a laboratory or a field trip—including BIOL 350 or BIOL | 450 |
Electives: Sufficient to bring the total credits to 128, including 48 upper-division.
MAJOR: Genetics
Codirectors of the Program:
John Mexal, Ph.D., department head, Plant and Environmental Sciences
John Gustafson, Ph.D., department head, Biology
Program Participants:
Professors: Bernstein, Bosland, Cramer, Houde, Milligan, Nishiguchi, OConnell, Ray, Sengupta-Gopalan, St. Hilaire; Associate Professors: Bailey, Curtiss, Dawe, B. Shuster, St. Zhang; Assistant Professors: M. Shuster
A degree in Genetics can provide excellent preparation for careers in academic research and technical support, teaching, agriculture, the biotechnology industry, medicine and health sciences, forensic science, technical writing, and sales or marketing. It is also an excellent background for students wishing to enter a graduate program, medical school, and veterinary school.
Undergraduates in the Genetics program must earn a grade of C or better to receive credit for required Basic Science Background and Genetics Core courses. Within the Genetics Core curriculum, Tier I courses must be taken by all majors, for a total of 28 credit hours. To accommodate differing interests among students, a series of Tier II courses comprising 11 to 13 credits are provided. Ethical considerations of genetic based technologies will be infused throughout the curriculum, with a focused course on "Science and Ethics" in the Tier III portion of the core curriculum.
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
General Education Requirements (42 credits)
AREA I: COMMUNICATIONS
| English Composition-Level 1: ENGL 111G, ENGL 111H, or SPCD111G | 4 |
| English Composition-Level 2: ENGL 218 or ENGL 318G | 3 |
| Oral Communication: AXED 201, COMM 253G, COMM 265G, or HON 265G | 3 |
AREA II: MATHEMATICS/ALGEBRA
| MATH 191G | 3 |
AREA III: LABORATORY SCIENCE
| CHEM 111GG/111L and CHEM 112G/112L | 8 |
| AREA IV: SOCIAL/BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES | 6-9* |
| AREA V: HUMANITIES AND FINE ARTS | 6-9* |
| NMSU VIEWING A WIDER WORLD (see catalog for listing of courses) | 6 |
*Total of 15 credits combined between Areas IV and V, with 6 credits in one area and 9 credits in the other area. See catalog for listing of available courses.
Basic Science Background Requirements (40 credits)
| A ST 311, Statistical Applications | 3 |
| BCHE 395, Biochemistry | 3 |
| BCHE 396, Biochemistry and Biotechnology | 3 |
| BIOL 111G, Natural History of Life | 3 |
| CHEM 111G/112G, General Chemistry I, II | 8 |
| CHEM 313/314, Organic Chemistry I, II | 6 |
| CHEM 315, Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| MATH 191G/192, Calculus and Analytic Geometry I, II | 8 |
| PHYS 211G/212 General Physics I, II or PHYS 221G/222G General Physics for Life Sciences I, II | 6 |
Core Requirements (42-44 credits from Tier I, II, and III courses)
Tier I courses (all are required):
| BCHE 494, Techniques in Genetic Engineering | 4 |
| BIOL 211 and 211L, Cellular and Organismal Biology and Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 311/311L, General Microbiology and Laboratory | 5 |
| BIOL 377, Cell Biology | 3 |
| GENE 110, Experimental Systems in Genetics | 1 |
| GENE 305L, Genetic Techniques Laboratory | 1 |
| GENE 315, Molecular Genetics | 3 |
| GENE 320, Heredity and Population Genetics | 3 |
| GENE 440, Genetics Seminar | 1 |
| GENE 452, Applied Bioinformatics or MOLB 470, Bioinformatics & Genome Analysis | 3 |
Tier II courses (choose one course from each of the following four areas):
| Selection response: | |
| AGRO 462, Plant Breeding | 3 |
| ANSC 423, Animal Breeding | 3 |
| BIOL 467, Evolution | 3 |
| Physiology: | |
| ANSC 421, Physiology of Reproduction | 3 |
| BIOL 354, Physiology of Humans | 3 |
| BIOL 381, Animal Physiology | 3 |
| BIOL 385, An Introduction to Cancer | 3 |
| BIOL 451, Physiology of Microorganisms | 3 |
| BIOL 474, Immunology | 3 |
| EPWS 314, Plant Physiology | 3 |
| HORT 471, Plant Mineral Nutrition | 3 |
| Organism structure: | |
| ANSC 370, Anatomy and Physiology of Farm Animals | 4 |
| BIOL 313, Structure and Function of Plants | 3 |
| BIOL 322, Zoology | 3 |
| BIOL 330, Comparative Anatomy and Embryology | 4 |
| BIOL 470, Developmental Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 465, Invertebrate Zoology | 4 |
| EPWS 303, Economic Entomology | 4 |
| Molecular Genetics: | |
| BIOL 475, Virology | 3 |
| BIOL 478, Molecular Biology of Microorganisms | 3 |
| BIOL 482, Microbial Systematics | 2 |
| GENE 486, Genes and Genomes | 3 |
| GENE 488, Gene Regulation | 3 |
Tier III courses ( Choose one science and ethics course from the following):
| AGRO 303V, Genetics and Society | 3 |
| HON 306V, Science, Ethics, and Society | 3 |
| PHIL 321, Biomedical Ethics | 3 |
Additional courses
Electives to bring total to 128 credits including 48 upper division credits.
Recommended Electives
Honors College:
Nine credits from:
HON 205G, Life, Energy, and Evolution; HON 214, Successful Fellowship Writing; HON 225G, History of Ethics; HON 245G, Chemistry: Experiments, Laws, and Theories.
Six credits from:
HON 306V, Science, Ethics, & Society; HON 314, Successful Fellowship Writing; HON 322V, Science and Public Policy; HON 410, Honors Internship; HON 420, Independent Studies; HON 421, Special Topics.
Three credits:
HON 400, Honors Thesis.
Bioinformatics:
Students may pursue a minor in Bioinformatics after consulting with an advisor in the Computer Science Department. There are 19 credits of coursework required for this minor which involve: C S 171G, C S 272, C S 370 or 371, and C S 486.
MAJOR: Microbiology
The major in microbiology provides a solid academic base for those planning to enter any of the various fields of microbiology.
Nondepartmental Requirements
| BCHE 341, Survey of Biochemistry or BCHE 395, Biochemistry | 3 or 4 |
| C S 110, Computer Literacy | 3 |
| CHEM 111G,112G, General Chemistry I, II | 8 |
| CHEM 211, Organic Chemistry* | 4 |
| CHEM 371, Analytical Chemistry* | 4 |
| MATH 142G, Calculus for the Biological and Management Sciences I, or MATH 191G, Calculus and Analytic Geometry I | 3-4 |
| PHYS 211G, General Physics I or PHYS 221G, General Physics for Life Sciences I |
3 |
| PHYS 212, General Physics II, or PHYS 222G, General Physics for Life Sciences II |
3 |
| PHYS 211GL, 212L, General Physics Laboratory | 2 |
| *CHEM 313, 314, 315, Organic Chemistry I, II, and Lab (8 credits), may substitute for CHEM 211, CHEM 371. |
Departmental Requirements
| BIOL 111G, Natural History of Life | 3 |
| BIOL 111L, Natural History of Life Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOL 211G, Cellular and Organismal Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 211L, Cellular and Organismal Biology Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOL 311, General Microbiology | 3 |
| BIOL 311L, General Microbiology Laboratory | 2 |
| BIOL 305, Principles of Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 451, Physiology of Microorganisms | 3 |
| BIOL 474, Immunology | 3 |
| BIOL 478, Molecular Biology of Microorganisms | 3 |
| BIOL 479, Medical Microbiology | 3 |
| BIOL 479L, Medical Microbiology Laboratory | 1 |
| Two additional credits related to microbiology numbered 300 or above to bring total upper-division credits in microbiology to 24. This course should be chosen in consultation with an advisor. | |
| Electives: sufficient to bring total credits to 128 including 48 upper-division. |
MINOR: Biology
A student cannot earn a bachelors degree in Biology or Microbiology and also earn a minor in Biology.
| 18 credits in Biology, of which at least 9 credits must be numbered 300 and above. No more than 3 credits may be taken as special topics or individual study |
18 |
MINOR: Conservation Ecology
A minor in Conservation Ecology is available for students who choose to major in other areas, but wish to include Conservation Ecology in their academic training. A minor in Conservation Ecology must include a minimum of 20 credits in the discipline with 9 of these coming from upper-division courses.
| Core Curriculum (17 credits): | |
| BIOL 111G, Natural History of Life | 3 |
| BIOL 111L, Natural History of Life, Lab | 1 |
| BIOL 301, Principles of Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 462, Conservation Biology; or FWCE 310, Managing Ecological Systems for Biodiversity | 3 |
| FWCE 330, Natural History of the Vertebrates | 4 |
| Conservation (3 credits): BIOL 488, Principles of Conservation Genetics; BIOL 467, Evolution; FWCE 409, Introduction to Population Ecology | 3 |
MINOR: Human Biology
The Human Biology minor is intended to provide academic recognition for students who wish to focus a significant amount of attention on courses that deal with human beings from a wide variety of biological standpoints. Thus, course work may encompass topics representing a range of viewpoints such as biological function, human ecology, human origins, and psychology. Successful completion of this minor will provide students with a valuable interdisciplinary perspective on the human condition. This program consists of a minimum of 18 hours, that includes a minimum of 12 from within the Biology Department and a minimum of 3 outside the department. Successful completion of the minor will be certified by the Biology Department. A grade of C, S or better is required of all minor courses.
Required Departmental Courses
| BIOL 211/211L, Cell and Organismal Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 305, Principles of Genetics | 3 |
Additional courses to total 18 credits from:
Within Department (minimum 6 credits)
| BIOL 254, Human Physiology or BIOL 381, Animal Physiology | 3 |
| BIOL 305, Principles of Genetics | 1 |
| BIOL 330, Comparative Anatomy/Embryology | 4 |
| BIOL 385, An Introduction to Cancer | 3 |
| BIOL 441, Seminar in Comparative Physiology | 3 |
| BIOL 474, Immunology | 3 |
| BIOL 490, Neurobiology | 3 |
| BIOL 454, Biology of Respiration | 3 |
| HON 306V, Science, Ethics and Society | 3 |
Outside Department (minimum 3 credits; maximum 6 credits)
| ANTH 120G, Human Ancestors | 3 |
| ANTH 355, Physical Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 357V, Medical Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 458, Anthropology of Reproduction | 3 |
| HON 223G, Evolution of Human Sexuality | 3 |
| HON 232G, The Human Mind | 3 |
| PSY 374, Psychopharmacology and Toxicology | 3 |
| PSY 375, Introduction to Biopsychology | 3 |
MINOR: Microbiology
A student cannot earn a bachelors degree in Biology or Microbiology and also earn a minor in Microbiology.
| BCHE 341, Survey of Biochemistry, or BCHE 395, Biochemistry | 3 |
| BIOL 311, General Microbiology | 3 |
| BIOL 311L, General Microbiology Laboratory | 2 |
| At least 11 credits from among BIOL 412, Seminar in Microbiology, BIOL 451, Physiology of Microorganisms, BIOL 473, Ecology of Microorganisms, BIOL 474, Immunology, BIOL 475, Virology, BIOL 477, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, BIOL 478, Molecular Biology of Microorganisms, BIOL 479, Medical Microbiology, BIOL 479L, Medical Microbiology Laboratory, and/or BIOL 482, Microbial Systematics | 11 |