Total Semester Hours required for the Degree: 120 semester hours
Semester Hours required for the concentration: 81-83 semester hours
Core Requirements
Biological Sciences majors with an Environmental Biology Option must complete a core which includes the following courses and 21-semester hours of electives selected from the Option Electives list below.
BIO 1150
Biology Forum. (1 credits)
BIO 1500
General Biology I. (4 credits)
BIO 1550
General Biology II. (4 credits)
BIO 3120
Molecular and Cellular Biology. (4 credits)
BIO 3180
Introduction to Ecology and Evolution. (4 credits)
BIO 3200
Genetics. (4 credits)
BIO 3510
Plant Physiology. (4 credits)
or
BIO 3520
Animal Physiology. (4 credits)
BIO 3850
Environmental Health and Sustainability. (4 credits)
BIO 4275
Internship. (1 to 3, 6 or 12 credits)
(See Footnote 1)
CHM 1310
General Chemistry I. (3 credits)
CHM 1315
General Chemistry Laboratory I. (1 credits)
CHM 1410
General Chemistry II. (3 credits)
CHM 1415
General Chemistry Laboratory II. (1 credits)
CHM 2430
Survey of Organic Chemistry. (3 credits)
or
CHM 2440
Organic Chemistry I. (3 credits)
CHM 2435
Survey of Organic Chemistry Laboratory. (1 credits)
or
CHM 2445
Organic Chemistry Laboratory I. (1 credits)
ECN 2800
Economics of Social Issues. (3 credits)
MAT 2110
Brief Calculus with Applications. (3 credits)
(See Footnote 2)
or
MAT 1441
Calculus and Analytic Geometry I. (5 credits)
(See Footnote 2)
SOC 3820
Environmental Sociology. (3 credits)
AND
BIO 4750
Statistical Analysis of Scientific Data. (4 credits)
or
MAT 2250
Elementary Statistics. (4 credits)
Option Electives
Option electives to choose from (21Ìýsemester hours required):
BIO 3035
Economic Botany. (3 credits)
BIO 3210
Immunology. (4 credits)
BIO 3300
General Microbiology. (4 credits)
BIO 3322
Dendrology. (3 credits)
BIO 3330
Introduction to Botany. (4 credits)
BIO 3340
Zoology. (4 credits)
BIO 3450
Independent Study I. (1 to 3 credits)
or BIO 3450B
BIO 3451
Undergraduate Research I. (1 to 3 credits)
or BIO 3451B
BIO 3510
Plant Physiology. (4 credits)
BIO 3520
Animal Physiology. (4 credits)
BIO 3612
Plant Evolution and Diversity. (3 credits)
BIO 3620
Functional Comparative Anatomy. (4 credits)
BIO 3622
Embryology. (4 credits)
BIO 3710
Plant – Animal Interactions. (3 credits)
BIO 3810
Freshwater Ecology. (3 credits)
BIO 3850
Environmental Health and Sustainability. (4 credits)
BIO 3950
Vertebrate Natural History. (3 credits)
BIO 3952
Invertebrate Natural History. (3 credits)
BIO 3960
Special Topics. (1 to 4 credits)
or BIO 3960B
BIO 3970
Study Abroad. (1 to 15 credits)
BIO 3971
Ecotoxicology. (3 credits)
BIO 3973
Human Dimensions of Wildlife & Fisheries Management. (3 credits)
BIO 3974
Conservation Behavior. (3 credits)
BIO 4400
Teaching in the Lab I. (1 credits)
or BIO 4400B
BIO 4444
Honors Independent Study I. (1 to 3 credits)
or BIO 4444B
BIO 4555
Honors Research I. (1 to 3 credits)
or BIO 4555B
BIO 4644
Honors Thesis. (3 credits)
BIO 4666
Honors Seminar. (1 credits)
BIO 4750
Statistical Analysis of Scientific Data. (4 credits)
BIO 4751
Advanced Molecular Cell Biology. (3 credits)
BIO 4810
Plant Ecology. (4 credits)
BIO 4812
Fisheries Ecology and Management. (3 credits)
BIO 4814
Conservation Biology. (3 credits)
BIO 4816
Aquatic Techniques. (3 credits)
BIO 4818
Applied and Environmental Microbiology. (4 credits)
BIO 4820
Spatial Analysis for Environmental Sciences. (4 credits)
BIO 4830
Comparative Vertebrate Physiology. (3 credits)
BIO 4832
Animal Behavior. (4 credits)
BIO 4840
Resource Management and Environmental Assessment. (3 credits)
BIO 4842
Wildlife Management. (4 credits)
BIO 4850
Wildlife Techniques. (4 credits)
BIO 4892
Introduction to Paleobotany. (4 credits)
BIO 4914
Plant Anatomy. (3 credits)
BIO 4940
Phycology. (3 credits)
BIO 4920
Medicinal Plants. (3 credits)
BIO 4948
Plant Taxonomy. (3 credits)
BIO 4950
Ichthyology. (3 credits)
BIO 4952
Herpetology. (3 credits)
BIO 4954
Ornithology. (3 credits)
BIO 4956
Mammalogy. (4 credits)
BIO 4958
Parasitology. (4 credits)
BIO 4960
Wetland and Aquatic Vascular Plants. (3 credits)
BIO 4964
Entomology. (4 credits)
BIO 4984
Evolutionary Biology. (3 credits)
CHM 4750
Environmental Chemistry. (3 credits)
ECN 3810
Economics of Natural Resources. (3 credits)
GEO 3550
Surface Water Processes and Resources. (3 credits)
GEO 3780
Land Use Planning. (3 credits)
GEO 3810
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems. (3 credits)
GEO 3820
Remote Sensing I. (3 credits)
GEO 3870
Remote Sensing II. (3 credits)
GEO 4850
Environmental Geology. (3 credits)
Footnotes:
(Major GPA based on all biological sciences courses taken at EIU)
1Ìý6 hours of BIO 4275 is required OR 6 total hours as a combination of BIO 4275 and BIO 3450 Undergraduate Research, BIO 3451 Independent Study, BIO 4444 Honors Independent Study, or BIO 4555 Honors Research. Research/Independent Study coursework hours counted here may not also be counted toward elective credit.
2ÌýStudents not prepared for this course will be required to take additional prerequisite math classes.
Information sourced from the 2026-2027 EIU Undergraduate Catalog.
