Biology
At ECU, students pursuing a Bachelor of Science (BS) in biology can choose concentrations in ecology and evolution, general biology, or molecular and cellular biology.
Biology Program Overview
Faculty expertise at ECU spans a wide range of fields, including toxicology, physiology, developmental biology, ecology, evolution, bioinformatics, infectious disease, marine biology, microbiology, biotechnology, genetics, cellular and molecular biology, and biology education research.
In addition to comprehensive training in biology, the BS program requires coursework in chemistry, mathematics and physics, providing the rigorous foundation in cognate sciences expected for research-intensive and health-related careers. This combination equips students with the quantitative and analytical skills essential for success in advanced study and professional practice.
The BS in biology is an excellent choice for students preparing for medical, dental or veterinary school; graduate programs; or careers in areas such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, health sciences, environmental science or bioinformatics.
ECU Advantage
We believe our students and faculty make the department exceptional. Our faculty are widely recognized at ECU, across the UNC System and internationally through awards, competitive grants and publications in leading journals. United by a passion for research, service and teaching, our faculty bring energy and expertise into every classroom and lab.
Many introductory courses are taught in an active-learning format with section sizes under 80 students. Beyond traditional labs, students can participate in Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) or earn academic credit by conducting research with faculty in the Department of Biology, the Brody School of Medicine or the School of Dental Medicine. Peer support is also available through undergraduate learning assistants in several core courses.
The Department of Biology, most research labs, and state-of-the-art genomics and imaging facilities are housed in the Life Sciences and Biotechnology Building. Biology’s environmental research service center and upper-level lab courses will be offered in a nearby and newly renovated building beginning in fall 2027 - ensuring students that benefit from modern spaces for both coursework and hands-on research.
What You Will Study
Program Coordinator: Grace Chen (2515 Life Sciences and Biotechnology Building; 252-328-9769; chenf21@ecu.edu)
The core curriculum in biology is intended to give majors a background in biodiversity, cell biology, evolution, ecology, genetics, molecular biology, and physiology. BIOL 1100, BIOL 1101, BIOL 1200, BIOL 1201, and BIOL 2300 constitute the core curriculum. Lecture courses having laboratory components that carry independent credit may or may not be required as corequisites (see appropriate catalog descriptions). Laboratory components carrying no credit are corequisites.
The degree requires a minimum of 120 s.h. as follows:
Core Requirements:
1. General education requirements including those listed below - 40 s.h.
(For information about courses that carry general education credit view the General Education Program section.)
- CHEM 1150 - General Chemistry I
- CHEM 1151 - General Chemistry Laboratory I
- MATH 1065 - College Algebra or any higher approved general education mathematics course
2. Core - 11 s.h.
- BIOL 1100 - Principles of Biology I
- BIOL 1101 - Principles of Biology Laboratory I
- BIOL 1200 - Principles of Biology II
- BIOL 1201 - Principles of Biology Laboratory II
- BIOL 2300 - Principles of Genetics
3. Concentrations
(Choose one.)
Biology (30 s.h.)
Required lecture courses (12 s.h.)
- BIOL 2250 - Ecology
- BIOL 3030 - Principles of Physiology
- BIOL 3260 - Cell and Developmental Biology
- BIOL 3620 - Biological Evolution
Electives (18 s.h.)
Note: A maximum of 4 s. h. of 2000-level human physiology and anatomy coursework may count toward the Biology, BS major.
- Choose at least one elective from the ecology/evolution concentration specific electives list.
- Choose at least one elective from the molecular/cell biology concentration specific electives list.
- Choose at least one laboratory course.
- Choose 10-12 s.h. of biology electives including 2 classes at the 3000 or 4000 level.
Ecology/evolution (31 s.h.)
Required lecture courses (10 s.h.)
- BIOL 2250 - Ecology
- BIOL 2251 - Ecology Laboratory
- BIOL 3030 - Principles of Physiology OR
- BIOL 3260 - Cell and Developmental Biology
- BIOL 3620 - Biological Evolution
Electives (21 s.h.)
Note: A maximum of 4 s. h. of 2000-level human physiology and anatomy coursework may count toward the Biology, BS major.
- Choose 12 s.h. from the ecology/evolution concentration specific electives list (choose at least one course in organismal diversity and one course in ecological/evolutionary processes).
- Choose 3 s.h. from the molecular/cell biology concentration specific electives list.
- Choose 6 s.h. of any biology electives (at least one class must be at the 3,000 or 4,000 level).
Molecular/cell biology (30 s.h.)
Required lecture courses (9 s.h.)
- BIOL 2250 - Ecology OR
- BIOL 3620 - Biological Evolution
- BIOL 3030 - Principles of Physiology
- BIOL 3260 - Cell and Developmental Biology
Electives (21 s.h.)
Note: A maximum of 4 s. h. of 2000-level human physiology and anatomy coursework may count toward the Biology, BS major.
- Choose at least 12 s.h. from the molecular/cell biology concentration specific electives list.
- Choose 3 s.h. from the ecology/evolution concentration specific electives list.
- Choose 6 s.h. of any biology electives (at least one class must be at the 3,000 or 4,000 level).
4. Concentration specific electives
Ecology/evolution
a. Organismal diversity
- BIOL 2015 - Introduction to Biological Anthropology
- BIOL 2016 - Introduction to Biological Anthropology Laboratory
- BIOL 3150 - Plant Biology
- BIOL 3220 - Microbiology
- BIOL 3221 - Microbiology Laboratory
- BIOL 3230 - Field Botany
- BIOL 3231 - Field Botany Laboratory
- BIOL 3660 - Introduction to Marine Biology
- BIOL 3661 - Introduction to Marine Biology Laboratory
- BIOL 4400 - Terrestrial Field Ecology
- BIOL 4450 - Aquatic Parasitology and Disease
- BIOL 4451 - Aquatic Parasitology and Disease Laboratory
- BIOL 4600 - Biology of Invertebrates
- BIOL 4601 - Biology of Invertebrates Laboratory
- BIOL 4640 - Entomology
- BIOL 4641 - Entomology Laboratory
- BIOL 4770 - Ornithology
- BIOL 4771 - Ornithology Laboratory
- BIOL 5150 - Herpetology
- BIOL 5151 - Herpetology Laboratory
- BIOL 5550 - Ichthyology
- BIOL 5551 - Ichthyology Laboratory
- BIOL 5950 - Taxonomy of Vascular Plants
- BIOL 5951 - Taxonomy of Vascular Plants Laboratory
b. Ecological/evolutionary process
- BIOL 3660 - Introduction to Marine Biology
- BIOL 3661 - Introduction to Marine Biology Laboratory
- BIOL 3740 - Animal Behavior
- BIOL 3741 - Animal Behavior Laboratory
- BIOL 4010 - Estuarine Ecology
- BIOL 4011 - Estuarine Ecology Laboratory
- BIOL 4200 - Population and Community Ecology
- BIOL 4201 - Population and Community Ecology Laboratory
- BIOL 4205 - Population Genetics
- BIOL 4210 - Phylogenetic Theory
- BIOL 4240 - Genome Evolution
- BIOL 4250 - Biological Oceanography
- BIOL 4280 - Marine Community Ecology
- BIOL 4300 - Ecosystem Ecology
- BIOL 4301 - Ecosystem Ecology Laboratory
- BIOL 4320 - Ecological Responses to Global Climate Change
- BIOL 4360 - Introduction to Fisheries Management
- BIOL 4440 - Wetland Ecology and Management
- BIOL 4441 - Wetland Ecology and Management Laboratory
- BIOL 4450 - Aquatic Parasitology and Disease
- BIOL 4451 - Aquatic Parasitology and Disease Laboratory
- BIOL 4560 - Microbial Ecology
- BIOL 4630 - Ecology of Infectious Diseases
- BIOL 4631 - Ecology of Infectious Diseases Laboratory
- BIOL 4740 - Behavioral Ecology
- BIOL 4741 - Behavioral Ecology Laboratory
- BIOL 4810 - Topics in Ecology and Evolution
- BIOL 4920 - Conservation Biology
- BIOL 5260 - Microbial Ecology
- BIOL 5261 - Microbial Ecology
- BIOL 5600 - Fisheries Techniques
- BIOL 5601 - Fisheries Techniques Laboratory
- BIOL 5680 - Current Topics in Coastal Biology
- GEOL 5300 - Geology of Coastal Processes and Environments
Molecular/cell biology
- BIOL 2100 - Biotechnology I
- BIOL 2101 - Biotechnology Laboratory I
- BIOL 3110 - Biotechnology II
- BIOL 3220 - Microbiology
- BIOL 3221 - Microbiology Laboratory
- BIOL 3310 - Cellular Physiology
- BIOL 3311 - Cellular Physiology Discussion
- BIOL 3320 - Principles of Animal Physiology
- BIOL 3820 - Plant Biotechnology
- BIOL 4030 - Principles of Toxicology
- BIOL 4040 - Human Genetics
- BIOL 4050 - Comparative Anatomy
- BIOL 4051 - Comparative Anatomy Laboratory
- BIOL 4060 - Advanced Developmental Biology
- BIOL 4061 - Advanced Developmental Biology Laboratory
- BIOL 4170 - Immunology I
- BIOL 4205 - Population Genetics
- BIOL 4220 - Microbes and Immunity
- BIOL 4230 - Concepts in Cell Biology
- BIOL 4260 - Cell Biology
- BIOL 4270 - Behavioral Neurobiology
- BIOL 4420 - Microbial Biotechnology
- BIOL 4490 - Applied Cell Biology
- BIOL 4491 - Applied Cell Biology Laboratory
- BIOL 4650 - Biology of Cancer
- BIOL 4820 - Topics in Molecular and Cell Biology
- BIOL 4860 - Research Experience in Cell Biology
- BIOL 4880 - Principles of Biochemistry I
- BIOL 4890 - Principles of Biochemistry II
- BIOL 4891 - Principles of Biochemistry Laboratory
- BIOL 5260 - Microbial Ecology
- BIOL 5261 - Microbial Ecology
- BIOL 5450 - Histology
- BIOL 5451 - Histology Laboratory
- BIOL 5870 - Molecular Biology of the Gene
- BIOL 5890 - Virology
- BIOL 5900 - Biotechniques
- BIOL 5901 - Biotechniques Laboratory
- CHEM 3770 - Biological Chemistry
5. Cognates - 26 s.h.
- CHEM 1160 - General Chemistry II
- CHEM 1161 - General Chemistry Laboratory II
- CHEM 2750 - Organic Chemistry I
- CHEM 2753 - Organic Chemistry Laboratory I
- CHEM 2760 - Organic Chemistry II
- CHEM 2763 - Organic Chemistry Laboratory II
- MATH 2121 - Calculus for the Life Sciences I OR
- MATH 2171 - Calculus I
- MATH 2122 - Calculus for the Life Sciences II OR
- MATH 2172 - Calculus II
- PHYS 1250 - General Physics I
- PHYS 1251 - General Physics Laboratory I
- PHYS 1260 - General Physics II
- PHYS 1261 - General Physics Laboratory II
6. Research skills - 6 s.h.
- BIOS 1500 - Introduction to Biostatistics OR
- MATH 2228 - Elementary Statistical Methods I OR
- MATH 2283 - Statistics for Business OR
- PSYC 2101 - Psychological Statistics
- ENGL 3820 - Scientific Writing OR
- ENGL 3880 - Writing for Business and Industry OR
- ITEC 3290 - Technical Writing
7. Electives to complete requirements for graduation
For more information about this degree visit the university's academic catalogs.
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