Page 58 of Boston College 2004-2005 Catalog by Boston College University

ARTS AND SCIENCES instead and B.A. students can be considered to have completed their math requirement. See the biology website for details. BI 200 is an introduction to living systems at the molecular, cellular, organismal, and population levels. It is required for regular program Biology and Biochemistry majors, and open to others. First term Advanced Placement Biology B.S. and B.A. majors should enroll directly into BI 304 Molecular Cell Biology and the co-requisite BI 310 laboratory as well as in CH 109 General Chemistry with laboratory or CH 117 Principles of Modern Chemistry with laboratory, and MT 100 or MT 101 Calculus or equivalent courses depending on their mathematics background. For details, consult the Biology website. Information for Non-Majors Non-majors seeking a year-long course in general biology should normally enroll in BI 100-102 Survey of Biology. Prehealth (premedical, predental, preveterinary) students should take BI 200-202 Introductory Biology. Those students needing a year-long biology laboratory can enroll in BI 210-211 General Biology Laboratory. In addition, pre-health students who are not majoring in biology should obtain a Premedical Advising Packet from the Premedical Office. Information for Study Abroad Students in the B.S. program, requiring five upper division bioelectives, apply for approval to take the following major courses abroad: One upper division bio-elective equivalent (Note: No other substitutions for the remaining four required bio-elective courses will be allowed.); Physics with laboratory calculus based (equivalent to PH 211/203 and/or PH 212/204 or higher); Calculus (equivalent to MT 100 and/or MT 101 or higher). Students should consult the biology FAQ pages in the Undergraduate section of the biology website (http://www.bc.edu/biology/) for general information and updates about studying abroad for biology majors. Students in the advanced placement B.S. program, requiring seven upper division bio-electives, may apply for approval to take the following major courses abroad: two bio-elective substitutions (Note: No other substitutions for the remaining five required bioelective courses will be allowed.); Physics with laboratory calculus based (equivalent to PH 211/203 and/or PH 212/204 or higher); Calculus (equivalent to MT 100 and/or MT 101 or higher). Students in the standard Biology B.A. program may apply for approval to take the following major courses abroad: one B.A.-elective equivalent; Calculus equivalent (MT 100 and/or MT 101 or higher), or Biostatistics. Students in the advanced placement Biology B.A. program, may apply for approval to take the following major courses abroad: one B.A.-elective equivalent course or one bio-elective equivalent during the first semester abroad; Calculus equivalent (MT 100 and/or MT 101 or higher), or Biostatistics. Students studying abroad for two semesters, may obtain approval to take one B.A.-elective equivalent and one bio-elective equivalent course abroad. Specifically approved Boston College courses for the purpose of satisfying the upper division bio-elective requirement are those numbered BI 400 through BI 599, excluding Undergraduate Research (BI 461-467), Tutorials (BI 490), and Advanced Independent Research (BI 399). In order to be considered as a possible substitute for a bio-elective, a course must be a second level course; that is, it must have published biology prerequisites and not be at an introductory level or appropriate for students with no prior college level courses in biology. Students applying to take only one semester of physics abroad must present evidence that the semester abroad will properly complement the semester taken at Boston College to form a comprehensive year long calculus-based physics course with a lab. Students interested in study abroad should consult the undergraduate FAQ page on the Biology website. Students must meet with William Petri, Associate Chairperson, or another designated advisor for study abroad advising and course approval. In order to obtain the required prior approval for international courses as bioelective substitutes or to fulfill corequisite requirements, students need to fill out a Course Approval Form and submit it to the Biology Department along with a copy of the catalog description for each proposed international course. The description should indicate the course level, intended audience and prerequisites. Such application should be made well in advance and no later than the semester before leaving to study abroad to insure that the course can be reviewed, its course category determined, and adjustments made if needed. The approval process can take several days to weeks (even longer over the summer), so students should plan ahead. Research Opportunities for Undergraduates Research is a fundamental aspect of university science study and the Biology Department encourages interested majors to take advantage of the many undergraduate research programs that are available. There are a variety of research programs that can begin as early as the freshman year. Opportunities with a range of commitment levels are available, from single-semester courses to projects involving four semesters or more. Usually, students are advised to spend at least two (2) semesters on a research project. Undergraduate Research: BI 461-462 is typically a six-credit, two-semester commitment where students work on ongoing research projects in laboratories with other students under faculty guidance. Projects can be extended for a second year under Advanced Undergraduate Research (BI 465-467) and enriched by the addition of the Tutorial in Biology (BI 490). Advanced Independent Research: BI 399 is a 9- to 12-credit commitment over two semesters. This highly competitive program, which requires the Deans approval, is designed for ambitious and talented undergraduates who are interested in devoting a major portion of their senior year to scholarly, state-of-the-art research of a quality that can lead to publication. Students design, develop, and research their own projects with close faculty supervision. Completion of a written research thesis is required. Applicants are expected to have some prior research experience before applying to the program. In most instances, applicants will have taken BI 461 and/or BI 462 or an equivalent in their junior year. Undergraduate research projects may involve almost any area of biology. Currently, major faculty research work centers in the fields of cellular and molecular biology, neurobiology and physiology, developmental biology and gene expression, biochemistry, and immunology. For a description of specific areas of faculty research, see the faculty section of the department website. For information on the above research courses, contact your faculty advisor or the department office. Biochemistry Major Refer to the Biochemistry section for a description of this interdisciplinary major. Students with questions should contact Dr. Annunziato or the Biology Department office. Graduate Program Description The Biology Department offers courses leading to the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Science. The Master of Science in Teaching (M.S.T.) degree is administered through the Lynch School of Education in cooperation with the Biology Department. Those seeking admission to the graduate program should have a strong background in biology, chemistry, and mathematics with 56 The Boston College Catalog 2004-2005

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