PLEASE NOTE: Certain Life Sciences courses are NOT approved as electives for the major requirement and therefore cannot be applied toward the required coursework. Please consult the list of these non-approved courses by following this link.
Zoology Major Approved Electives
Students may select up to two courses from among those listed below as “courses offered by departments other than Biology” to count towards the 32 credit Zoology major requirement. Such courses CANNOT be used to satisfy another requirement category. NOTE that for courses with a separate laboratory section, both the lecture and the laboratory section must be completed to receive credit.
ANS 3440 Principles of Animal Nutrition
Credits: 4; Prereq: CHM 2045 and CHM 2045L, or equivalent.
The nutrients required by animals, their functions interrelationships, and processes of utilization; feedstuff composition and their use in diet and ration formulation.
ANT 4552 Primate Behavior
Credits: 3.
Deals with the taxonomy, distribution and ecology of primates. The range of primate behavior for each major taxonomic group is explored. (WR)
ANT 4554C Primate Evolution
Credits: 3; Prereq: ANT 3514C or instructor permission.
Survey of primate evolution from Paleocene through Miocene epochs. Methods of paleontological inference. Emphasis on problems of taxonomy, phylogeny, biogeography and functional morphology in the fossil record.
ANT 4586 Human Evolution
Credits: 3; Prereq: ANT 3514C or the equivalent.
This course surveys the evidence for the evolution of humankind. Emphasis is placed on the late Miocene to Pleistocene human fossil record and its interpretation. Basic principles of geology, systematics, evolutionary theory, functional morphology, and phylogenetic reconstruction are introduced and used to aid in understanding the human fossil and archaeological records. (B)
BCH 4024 Introduction to Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Credits: 4; Prereq: CHM 2211 or CHM 3217, or instructor permission.
Introduces physical biochemistry, intermediary metabolism and molecular biology. Topics include a survey of structure, chemistry and function of proteins and nucleic acids, enzyme kinetics and mechanisms of catalysis; a survey of the pathways of carbohydrate, lipid and nitrogen metabolism and their metabolic control; regulation of gene expression at the level of DNA, RNA and protein synthesis.
ENY 3005/L Principles of Entomology with Lab
Credits: 2; Coreq: ENY 3005L.
Introduces principles of insect study, including insect structure, insect development, evolutionary insect history and its ecological significance. (B)
Credits: 1; Coreq: ENY 3005.
Provides practical laboratory experience working with insects, dissecting insects and preparing lab reports. Insect collection is required. (B)
ENY 3563 Introduction to Tropical Entomology
Credits: 3; Prereq: ENY 3005 and ENY 3005L.
Natural history, ecology and behavior of tropical insects in natural and agroecosystems. Designed for students without previous experience in tropics.
ENY 4455C Social Insects
Credits: 3.
Introduces social wasps, bees, ants and termites: their natural history; social behavior; division of labor, caste differentiation, evolution, identification and rearing. Laboratory involves live insects.
ENY 4660/L Medical and Veterinary Entomology with Lab
Credits: 2; Prereq: ENY 3005 and ENY 3005L.
Presents the major insect, mite and tick vectors of disease to man and animals. Topics includes arthropod-transmitted diseases, the interaction between pathogens and the arthropod vector, and the mechanical damage that a parasite inflicts on its host. (B)
Credits: 1; Coreq: ENY 4660.
Identifying mosquitoes, ticks, lice, fleas and other disease vectors. Insect collection required. (B)
GLY 3603C Paleontology
Credits: 4; Prereq: refer to the department.
Investigation of the history of life on earth, including aspects of invertebrate and vertebrate paleontology, micropaleontology and paleobotany.
MCB 3020/L Basic Biology of Microorganisms with Lab
Credits: 3; Prereq: BSC 2010 and BSC 2010L, or equivalent, with minimum grades of C; BSC 2011 and BSC 2011L, or equivalent, or AGR 3303, with minimum grade/s of C; non-microbiology majors only. Coreq: CHM 2200 or CHM 2210
Introduces the principles and techniques of microbiology, genetics, taxonomy, biochemistry and ecology and microorganisms. Also studies virology, immunology, and the pathogenicity of microorganisms. (B)
Credits: 1; Coreq: MCB 3020; non-microbiology majors only.
Laboratory exercises on the structure, nutrition and growth of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Includes isolation and classification of representative microorganisms.
MCB 4203 Bacterial and Viral Pathogens
Credits: 3; Prereq: MCB 3020 or MCB 3023 with minimum grade of C.
Host-parasite relationships in the diseases of man and animals, including the characteristics of bacterial and viral pathogens and the basic techniques of isolation and identification.
MCB 4304 Genetics of Microorganisms
Credits: 3; Prereq: MCB 3020 or MCB 3023, and MCB 3020L or MCB 3023L with minimum grades of C; BCH 4024 should be taken before MCB 4403.
Molecular biology of bacterial gene expression, including DNA replication, mutation, genetic mapping using plasmids and phages, and recombinant DNA mechanisms.
MCB 4403 Prokaryotic Cell Structure and Function
Credits: 3; Prereq: CHM 2211, and MCB 3020 or MCB 3023, and MCB 3020L or MCB 3023L with minimum grades of C; BCH 4024 should be taken before MCB 4403.
Analyzes the cell structure and physiology of bacterial cells. Extensive discussion of cell division and cell growth is provided along with descriptions of important bacterial cell structures (e.g. cell walls, membranes, flagella, etc.)
MCB 4503 General Virology
Credits: 3; Prereq: MCB 3020 or MCB 3023 or MCB 4203 or PCB 3023 or BCH 3023 or PCB 3134 with minimum grade of C.
Nature of viruses and mechanisms of infection and replication, including bacterial, animal, and plant viruses.
PCB 3023 Essential Cell Biology
Credits: 3; Prereq: BSC 2011 and BSC 2011L, or equivalent.
Introduces the basic concepts of molecular cell biology in prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems including experimental strategies and methodology. This course is intended for those interested in plants.
PCB 3134 Eukaryotic Cell Structure and Function
Credits: 3; Prereq: BSC 2010 and BSC 2010L, or equivalent, with minimum grades of C; BSC 2011 and BSC 2011L, or equivalent, or AGR 3303 and CHM 2210, with minimum grades of C; CHM 2200 or CHM 2210, with minimum grade of C. Coreq: CHM 2211 and CHM 2211L.
Lecture and discussions in the field of cell biology with emphasis on the interrelation of structure and function, the regulation of metabolism and the specialized activities of plant and animal cells.
PCB 4202 Biology of Differentiated Cells
Credits: 3; Prereq: CHM 2211 with C or better; PCB 3134.
Lectures on the physiology of cell specialization. Emphasis on comparative ultra structure, function and regulation of differentiated cell types.
PCB 4233 Immunology
Credits: 3; Prereq: MCB 3023 or MCB 3020 with minimum grade of C; or BCH 4024 with minimum grade of C; or CHM 3218 with minimum grade of C; or PCB 3134 with minimum grade of C.
Basic concepts in immunology, including specific components, development and function.
PCB 4522 Molecular Genetics
Credits: 3; Prereq: BSC 2010 and BSC 2010L with minimum grades of C.
Molecular biology of prokaryotes and eukaryotes covering the fundamentals of genome organization and gene structure, regulation of transcription, DNA replication and repair, and RNA processing. Also includes discussion of strategies, vectors and applications of genetic engineering in higher plants and animals.
ZOO 4905 Individual Studies in Zoology
Credits: 1 to 4; can be repeated for full credit; Prereq: BSC 2011 and 2011L, or equivalent, with minimum grades of C, and instructor permission.
Qualified students and the instructor concerned may choose a particular topic or problem for study.
ZOO 4232 Human Parasitology (Coll of Agric.)
Credits: 3; Prereq: BSC 2010 and BSC 2010L, or equivalent; and BSC 2011 and BSC 2011L, or equivalent, or AGR 3303 with minimum grades of C.
Host-parasite relationships of helminth and protozoan diseases important in health sciences and veterinary medicine.
PSB 3002 Physiological Psychology
Credits: 3; Prereq: PSY 2012.
Survey of the biological basis of behavior with special relevance to psychology. Students cannot take both PSB 3002 and PSB 3340. (B)
PSB 3340 Behavioral Neuroscience
Credits: 3; Prereq: BSC 2010.
Neuroanatomatical, chemical and electrophysiological studies in the biological basis of behavior. Students cannot take both PSB 3002 and PSB 3340 (PSB 3340 is recommended for IDS majors in neurobiological sciences). (B)
PSB 4504 Developmental Psychobiology
Credits: 3; Prereq: PSB 3002 or PSB 3340, or instructor permission.
Principles of neural and behavioral development stressing the correlations among structural, chemical, endocrine and behavioral events during maturation. (B)
PSB 4810 Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
Credits: 3; Prereq: PSB 3002 or PSB 3340, or instructor permission.
Advanced undergraduate seminar on neurobiological mechanisms of learning and memory, with concepts applied to the ways in which neuroplasticity underlies many aspects of behavior.
PSB 4654 Chemical Senses and Behavior
Credits: 3; Prereq: PSB 3002 or PSB 3340, or instructor permission.
Discussion of neural mechanisms and function of chemical senses, and the interaction with physiologic state and motivational aspects. (B)
PSB 4823 Principles of Integrative Physiological Psychology
Credits: 3; Prereq: PSB 3002 or PSB 3340, or instructor permission.
Discussion of the problem of how reflexes become transformed into operant behaviors. Focus on drug and disease states as a way of getting insights into this problem in animals and humans.
Life Science Courses Not Approved
The following courses are often requested but cannot be applied toward the required coursework in the major.
- AGR 3303 Genetics
- ANT 3461 Folk Medicine
- ANT 3514 Introduction to Biological Anthropology
- ANT 3515 Human Evolutionary Anatomy
- ANT 3522 Skeleton Keys: Forensic Identification
- ANT 4525 Human Osteology and Osteometry
- CLP 3144 Abnormal Psychology
- DEP 3053 Developmental Psychology
- FOS 3042 Introductory Food Science
- GEO 3427 Plants, Health and Spirituality
- HSC 3531 Medical Terminology
- MCB 2000 Microbiology
- MEL 5011 Introduction to the Professions of Medicine
- PET 2320C Applied Human Anatomy In Physical Education
- PET 2350C Applied Human Physiology
- PET 3211 Stress Management
- PHI 3633 Bioethics
- ZOO 4940 Practical Experience in Teaching Zoology