Academic Degrees & Programs

Biology, BS - General
The B.S. degree is designed for students seeking an understanding of biologically related processes. Students choose from a set of diverse electives spanning the breadth of biological disciplines, including courses in physiology, genetics, immunology, microbiology, virology, tissue culture, cell, and molecular biology, plant physiology, ecology, and evolution.

This degree prepares students for an incredibly wide array of careers, including those in health-related professions, biotechnology, research, policy, and education.

Biology, BS - K-12 Education Specializations
In conjunction with the UCCS College of Education, students can specialize in K-12 biology education with the following programs:

• Biology, BS - Elementary Education Option
• Biology, BS - Secondary Education Option
• Biology, BS - Special Education Option

UCCS Biology faculty work with the Noyce Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships, stipends, and programmatic support to recruit and prepare STEM majors and professionals to become K-12 teachers. 

A minor in Biology is an excellent addition to several other degree programs in the College of Letters, Arts & Sciences and other colleges at UCCS, including biological anthropology (LAS Anthropology), forensics within Criminal Justice (School of Public Affairs), and any of the health sciences degrees. The minor also complements pre-med programs well.

The Department of Biology offers the degree of Master of Sciences (MSc) with specialization options in Molecular & Cellular Biology and Ecology & Evolution. The graduate degree plan requires a research-based thesis and is appropriate for those seeking advanced knowledge of biological processes.

• Students should be able to apply the scientific method: formulate a testable hypothesis, design and conduct scientific investigation, and interpret study findings.
   
• Students should understand the fundamental processes of cells that are interwoven within one large biochemical network.
   
• Students should be able to: 1) Explain how genetic information is stored, expressed and inherited, and 2) Explain the inheritance patterns of traits, and what factors influence the prevalence of traits.
   
• Students should be able to identify the major classes of macromolecules, to recognize the principal biosynthetic and energy pathways of living organisms, and to understand the connections between biological systems and the molecular structures of their constituent parts.
   
• Students should be able to identify evidence to support common descent of all living organisms, to understand the factors that contribute to and the consequences of evolutionary change, and to apply “evolutionary thinking” to explain biological phenomena.