Biological Sciences (BIO)
The department of biological sciences provides a curriculum that enables its students to develop an appreciation for the diversity of living organisms and an understanding of their structure, function and interactions. Most courses emphasize laboratory and/or field activities.  The programs are intended to prepare students to meet the entrance requirements of graduate and professional schools, to teach biology in high school and to enter science-related careers in business, government, and industry.  The degree programs in the biological sciences can prepare students for a variety of careers.   Graduates of the department enjoy careers as physicians, optometrists, high school teachers, college professors, chiropractors, fisheries technicians, surgeons, foresters, physician’s assistants, university researchers, physical therapists and many other career opportunities in the medical and biological sciences.  In addition to the coursework requirements listed, biology candidates must complete the Major Field Test in Biology assessment exam during their last semester before graduation.

Within the biological sciences, there are three majors, and a student may additionally choose to specialize in one area of concentration within a major, resulting in seven possible degrees within the department of biological sciences:

B.A. Biology
B.A. Biology, concentration in Cell Biology
B.A. Biology, concentration in Organismal Biology
B.A. Biology, concentration in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
B.A. Biology Education
B.A. Wildlife Management
B.A. Wildlife Management, concentration in Wildlife Law Enforcement

The biological sciences majors can be customized to meet the specific needs of the student.  For example, students planning to attend medical school after degree completion could work with their adviser to customize their planned electives to meet the entrance requirements of the medical school to which they plan to apply.  Pre-professional students planning to apply for medical, dental, physical therapy, occupational therapy or optometry school should work closely with their adviser in selecting electives needed as prerequisites for graduate school.  The student’ programs should also be timed so that the prerequisites are completed before taking the MCAT or GRE exam.  See the department of biological sciences website for more information.

Biochemistry (see Chemistry)
General Science (see Chemistry)

Biology
In the spirit of a liberal arts education, a student majoring in biology at Dakota Wesleyan University has an enormous number of career options available after graduation.  Our programs can be custom tailored to meet the needs of a variety of career paths, such as pre-medicine, ecology, microbiology, zoology, college teaching, pre-physical therapy, pre-dentistry, and environmental consulting, to name a few.  While providing a strong foundation in the sciences, the biology major provides students with the latitude to pursue their interests in the life sciences.

The biology program provides a broad knowledge of the unity and diversity of life, while providing practical, hands-on experiences.  To enhance the ability of students to transition easily into their career, the biology curriculum includes numerous laboratory activities and a capstone experience of research and/or an internship that relates to the student’s career goals.  These research and internship experiences can start as soon as the summer following the freshman year.  Biology majors at DWU have completed internships with biomedical laboratories, the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks, zoos, and pharmaceutical companies.  Moreover, students have completed research that was presented at professional scientific meetings, as well as published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.  Such experiences can potentially lead to permanent positions following graduation.

Students at DWU are encouraged to think globally and consider learning opportunities that are not traditionally available on campus.  Students have worked at nationally recognized laboratories throughout the United States, traveled to study the tropical rainforests of Belize and studied marine biology in the Virgin Islands.  Endowed funds are available to support such activities.   For more information on scholarships and other funding opportunities, see the department of biological sciences website.

Major
Biology

* A CLEP test is available for BIO 120 and BIO 122.
** Biology capstone experience.
*** Electives may be focused into an area of concentration (see below).

Concentrations within the Biology Major
The concentrations within the biology major are designed to focus a student’s curriculum into a more concentrated field of the biological sciences in which the student is interested, while still providing a well-rounded education in biology.  Such concentration can make a DWU biology graduate more marketable for jobs within the area of the concentration, as well as better prepared for graduate school within areas related to a student’s concentration.

For the biology major without a concentration, only 16 credit hours of biology electives are required. Students who would like to add a concentration to their biology major they must complete the core courses for the biology major, as well as the courses required for the chosen concentration and additional chosen electives specifically listed under the concentration.  This results in an increase from 16 credit hours of electives for a biology degree without a concentration to a minimum 22 credit hours of biology courses:

• 12 credit hours of required courses listed for the concentration
• 3 credit hours (minimum) of additional required electives chosen from the list specific to the concentration
• 7 credit hours (minimum) of additional electives from each of the other two concentration areas

No more than one area of concentration may be chosen by a student, and any student from a previous academic catalog (i.e., before the 2010-2011 academic year) who would like to add an concentration to their B.A. biology degree must also take BIO 315 (four credit hours) and BIO 316 (three credit hours), and neither of these courses may be used to substitute for the required courses or for the elective courses within any concentration.  All B.A. biology majors, whether with or without an area of concentration, are required to have a minor.

Concentration in Cell Biology
The concentration in cell biology prepares students for careers and postgraduate work in molecular or cell biology, particularly in the allied health fields or the biological sciences.  Students who select this concentration are interested in cells, genetics and processes within organisms.  Biology majors with this concentration may seek employment in the private, public or non-profit sector, with possible employment opportunities that include researcher, lab technician, college professor or medical assistant.   Other students may continue their education in a wide variety of professional and graduate programs.

Concentration in Organismal Biology
The concentration in organismal biology covers the branch of biology that studies the behavior, composition and organization of organisms from the molecular and genetic level to the level of the entire organism.  Students choosing this concentration are interested in animal and/or plant sciences, how organisms are identified and classified, how an organism’s structure is related to its function, and the general biology of organisms.  Many of the courses with laboratories within the concentration have significant field components to provide a balance of traditional laboratory and field components.   Possible careers may include microbiology, field biology, botany, research, zoology, and museum curating.  Other students may continue their education in a wide variety of professional and graduate programs.

Concentration in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
The concentration in ecology and evolutionary biology is designed for students interested in a broad perspective of the biological sciences, ranging from individual organisms and populations to ecosystems and the entire globe.  Courses within the concentration focus on the interactions and evolutionary history of organisms and populations of organisms, as well as the biotic and abiotic interactions and functions of ecosystems, biomes and the biosphere.  Most courses within the concentration have outdoor lab components that provide practical, hands-on field experience.  Possible careers may be found in the public, private and nonprofit sectors and include field biology, university research, environmental consulting, ecology and pest management.  Other students may continue their education in a wide variety of graduate and professional programs.

Wildlife Management

Wildlife Management Home Page

The Bachelor of Arts program in wildlife management is designed to prepare students for employment as wildlife biologists, conservation officers, fisheries biologists, managers of game farms, consultants and zookeepers.  The curriculum is designed to give the student a broad understanding of the fundamentals of science necessary to understand the interactions between organisms and their environment.  Wildlife managers also recognize that humans are an integral part of our world and that we can preserve fish and wildlife populations through sustainable practices such as fishing, hunting and habitat manipulation. 

Most courses in the program include hands-on laboratory and field activities to give students real-life experience in identification of wildlife, and techniques that are used to study their populations, such as trapping, radiotelemetry and sampling of habitat characteristics.  An important part of the program is the internship, in which students obtain experience working in an area of interest.  DWU students have obtained internships with agencies such as the Department of South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, and the National Parks Service, conducting activities ranging from the spawning of paddlefish to working with landowners to prevent Canadian Geese from damaging crops.  Competition for permanent positions in this field can be intense; therefore, the practical experience and professional contacts made through such internships can prove invaluable when seeking a permanent position.

Students at DWU are encouraged to think globally and consider learning opportunities that are not traditionally available on campus.  Students may apply for endowed scholarships to help defray the expenses of volunteer activities for which they can receive internship credit or receive credit for coursework taken at field stations in the U.S. or abroad.  In the past, DWU students have studied tropical rainforest ecology in Belize, and marine biology in the Virgin Islands, and have attended workshops in Maine.  For more information on scholarships and other funding opportunities, see the department of biological sciences website.

Major
Wildlife Management

*Wildlife Management capstone experience

Concentration in Wildlife Law Enforcement
The concentration in wildlife law enforcement makes the wildlife management major at DWU the only program in South Dakota designed specifically to provide students with a background in criminal justice and communication.  These two areas are essential for the success of wildlife law enforcement.  The concentration in wildlife law enforcement is specially designed for students interested in a career as a conservation officer.  Conservation officers protect wildlife populations, ensure fair and equitable use of natural resources, protect state property and enforce hunting and fishing laws.  They also contact thousands of sportsmen and women in the field, perform fish and wildlife surveys, work with nuisance wildlife, and teach classes on wildlife management, hunter education, trapping and fishing.  Wildlife law enforcement officers must make arrests, execute search warrants, investigate reported violations, prepare affidavits and testify in court.  Wildlife officers are often called upon when a wild animal has become a nuisance in a populated area.  Other activities may include conducting hunter bag checks, creel censuses and transplanting of fish populations. 

This concentration may be used as a minor only by students majoring in wildlife management.  The wildlife law enforcement concentration is designed to give the students a working knowledge of the American legal system, including criminal investigation techniques, arrest procedures and the communication skills needed in working with the public.  The success or failure of wildlife law enforcement frequently rests on the interpersonal skills of the officer.  To accomplish this, the concentration provides students with practical experience that prepares them for a challenging career as a wildlife manager and conservation officer. 

Biology Education
DWU’s biology education program provides well-educated teachers to address the nationwide shortage of science teachers.  Biology teachers guide students through the process of scientific discovery while teaching them the fundamentals of the scientific method.  This major is designed for students who want to teach biology to students of various ages, particularly 7-12 science-biology.  The curriculum combines biology and education courses that include such topics as botany, ecology, microbiology, technology in the classroom, lesson planning and educational psychology.

The biology education major meets the goals and criteria of the National Science Teachers Association’s (NSTA) “Standards for Science Teacher Preparation,” Section C, Recommendations for Secondary Science Teachers, including preparing teachers to help students understand the unifying concepts of science.  These concepts include an understanding of Section C.1. Recommendations for All Secondary Science Teachers:

• the multiple ways the perceptions of the world are organized
• the use of scientific evidence and the scientific method
• how measurement can organize observations of constancy and change
• evolution and the factors that result in evolution, and the evidence supporting evolution
• the interrelationships of living and nonliving systems

Moreover, the biology education curriculum meets all standards in the NSTA Recommendations for Teachers of Biology (Section C.2), including criteria for core competencies (Section C.2.a), for advanced competencies (Section C.2.b), and for supporting competencies (Section C.2.c).  By meeting all NSTA standards, all South Dakota teaching standards for biology education are also met (ARSD 24:53:07:10. 7-12 Science Education Program).

The biology education major stresses hands-on, practical knowledge.  The biology courses have numerous laboratory activities including outdoor and  field components in many courses that provide first-hand experience with the scientific method and the processes of science.  The department of biological sciences also provides opportunities for research and travel that expand the learning opportunities outside the classroom experience.  These experiences can be drawn upon in the secondary education classroom to enhance teaching at the secondary education level.  DWU biology students have completed research that was presented at regional and national professional scientific meetings, as well as published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.  Biology students have worked at nationally recognized laboratories throughout the United States, traveled to a teaching workshop in Maine, traveled to the rainforests of Belize and studied marine biology in the Virgin Islands.  Endowed funds are available to support such activities.  For more information on scholarships and other funding opportunities, see the department of biological sciences website.

The courses through the DWU Department of Education provide practical classroom applications and experiences, including student teaching (see “Education” for more information on education courses and the education program and requirements).  This combination of biology and education courses provides a rigorous curriculum that helps prepare teachers for the classroom and for creating an exciting learning environment, and the broad perspective of the curriculum provides training for a variety of teaching careers.  Possible job titles for students completing this program include biology teacher, advanced biology teacher, anatomy teacher, life sciences teacher and biology researcher.

Major
Biology Education

Biology Minor
The minor in biology provides students with the fundamental knowledge of the biological sciences, including the scientific method, genetics, ecology, evolution and biological processes at the cellular and organismal levels.  This minor will help students to think critically about important biological topics such as evolution, stem cells and biology in their everyday lives.  A fundamental understanding of biology will help students comprehend biotechnology issues ranging from genetic engineering of crops to DNA fingerprinting to global climate change.  For example, a criminal justice major could use the minor to learn important forensics techniques, or a leadership and public service major could use biological concepts to help make more informed legislative decisions.  Students choosing this minor should choose courses in consultation with their adviser and the department of biological sciences to complement their major.

Minor
Biology

* A CLEP test is available for BIO 120 and BIO 122.

Allied Health Minor
Dakota Wesleyan University prepares students for the most important emerging careers in healthcare. DWU offers a powerful, personalized approach for future healthcare and science professionals.

This minor is designed for students who wish to pursue careers in allied health areas including, but not limited to: pre-medical, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician’s assistant, chiropractic, dentistry, optometry and pharmacology. Students in health-related occupations, including dentistry and medicine, should obtain catalogs from the schools where they intend to complete their professional programs. The faculty adviser will aid students in scheduling the courses from the university’s curriculum that fit most closely with the requirements of the professional schools. In the event that a student has not decided which professional school he/she will attend, a suggested curriculum is offered below that meets most of the requirements of standard professional schools. Each student is ultimately responsible for ensuring that his/her program of study at DWU satisfies the requirements for the professional school(s) he/she wishes to attend. All professional programs have different prerequisite courses for admittance. Students are encouraged to research these program prerequisite criteria early in their college career (during second year) to create a plan of study.

Minor
Allied Health

* Students should consult their adviser to determine appropriate courses.
** University regulations state that no course may count for both a major and a minor.
 
*Electives: