DNA is the master molecule of living things. To understand how the most basic processes of life work, molecular biologists study DNA from many different perspectives in an integrated way. As an Alverno molecular biology student, you take a select program of biology and physical science courses that introduce you to a variety of theories and techniques that can be applied to DNA.
Your beginning courses follow the sequence of the biology major. They lay the foundation of biology and chemistry principles, and introduce the real world of laboratory experiments. You begin to develop the analytical and problem-solving skills of a practicing scientist, and you learn to work both independently and as part of a laboratory team.
As you move into the intermediate courses of the program, your studies become more focused on the fields of science that gave rise to molecular biology, and the disciplines of biology that intensively use molecular technology today. You learn to ask and answer more complex scientific questions. You work with scientific models to show how different concepts fit together, and you learn to build, test, and refine models through laboratory work. Progressing through the intermediate coursework, you appreciate how different disciplines of biology and chemistry reveal the molecular basis of life, and how molecular science supports all disciplines of biology.
In your advanced work, you become increasingly independent in learning through laboratory experiences, the scientific literature, and critical thinking about scientific questions. Your courses examine the scientific concepts that are critical to understanding how DNA makes up genes, how DNA controls cells, and how the knowledge of DNA can be used to change living organisms. You explore laboratory techniques that are routinely used in molecular biology research, and you learn how to adapt and combine those techniques to solve sophisticated laboratory problems. In the capstone course, you bring the diverse perspectives of your prior work together and examine molecular biology as a unique discipline within biology.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Beginning Requirements | ||
| BI-223 | Natural History of North America | 4 |
| or BI-221 & 221L | Biology of Plants and Biology of Plants Lab | |
| or BI-222 & 222L | Biology of Animals and Biology of Animals Lab | |
| or BI-231 | ||
| CH-213 & 213L | Chemistry of Bioorganic Molecules and Chemistry of Bioorganic Molecules Lab | 4 |
| CH-221 & 221L | Organic Chemistry 1 and Organic Chemistry 1 - Lab | 4 |
| MT-123 | College Algebra | 3-4 |
| or MT-148 | Functions & Modeling | |
| or MT-152 | Calculus 1 | |
| MT-124 | Trigonometry | 2 |
| Intermediate Requirements | ||
| BI-251 & 251L | Microbiology and Microbiology Lab | 4 |
| BI-328 | Biochemistry | 4 |
| or CH-328 | Biochemistry | |
| BI-361 & 361L | Genetics Lecture and Genetics Lab | 4 |
| BI-325 & 325L | Cellular Biology and Cellular Biology Lab | 4 |
| BI-374 | BI Assessment in Effective Citizenship | 1 |
| BI-399 | Formal Introduction to Advanced Work | 0 |
| SC Elective | Biology (BI) or Chemistry (CH) Electives, one at 300 or 400 level, from BI-221, BI-222 & BI-222L, BI-223, BI 231 & BI-231L, BI 301, BI 302, BI-303, BI-304, BI-341, BI-441, BI 483, CH-260, CH-322, CH-337, BI-395, CH-441, CH-442, CH 483 | 5 |
| CH-234 & 234L | Analytical Chemistry/Quantitative Analys and Analytical Chem-Quant Analysis Lab | 4 |
| MT-256 | Probability and Statistics | 4 |
| PH-231 & 231L | Algebra-Based Physics I and Physics Lab | 4 |
| or PH-241 & 241L | Calculus-Based Physics 1 and Physics Lab | |
| PH-232 & 232L | Algebra-Based Physics 2 and Physics 2 Lab | 4 |
| or PH-242 & 242L | Calculus-Based Physics 2 and Calculus-Based Physics 2 | |
| Advanced Requirements | ||
| INTERN-383 | Internship Seminar | 2 |
| BI-491 | Senior Environmental Seminar | 3 |
| BI-425 & 425L | Molecular Biology and Molecular Biology Lab | 4 |
| BI-452 | Immunology | 3 |