Biological Sciences Program
Chair: Oswald D’Auvergne
Program Leader: Oswald D’Auvergne
Professors: Oswald D’Auvergne, Eduardo Martinez-Ceballos, Pushpa Samkutty
Professor Emeritus: George Williams
Associate Professors: Lidiya Dubityska, Bryan Rogers, Shervia Singleton Taylor, Caroline Telles
Assistant Professors: Deidra Atkins-Ball, Candice Cavalier, Ekhtear Hossain, Raphael Rosby, Emmanuel Williams, Xiaoping Yi
Instructors: Antigone Francis, Tanganika Johnson, Anna Wilson
Technicians: Mary Beals, Masomehbibi Fatemi
The Program of Biological Sciences offers a single degree, a Bachelor of Science degree, at the undergraduate level. The primary role and commitment of the program is to provide a superior program of instruction that relates to the study of the various aspects of life processes.
After completing 29 semester hours of required biological sciences core courses, students are able to choose electives to fulfill the remainder of their degree requirements in biology. These electives, along with the core requirements, can prepare students for entry into graduate schools or professional programs such as medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, podiatry, or public health. The program also prepares graduates for employment opportunities in government, education, industry, and research laboratories.
The biological sciences curriculum has sufficient flexibility to afford students the opportunity to choose courses to pursue pre-professional areas such as pre-medicine, pre-pharmacy, pre-optometry, pre-veterinary medicine, pre-physician assistant, or sports medicine. Students can also choose courses to prepare them for entry into allied health programs such as physical therapy or medical technology. The student should obtain a catalog from the school or program that he or she plans to attend and use it as a guide for the preparatory courses of study. Student career choices or interests may be achieved through a selection of approved elective courses with the assistance of an academic advisor.
The program also offers a Master of Science degree in biology. Information about the graduate program may be found in the Southern University Graduate School Catalog.
Biological Sciences Program Educational Objectives (PEO)
The biological sciences curriculum at Southern University is dedicated to preparing students for productive careers in the state, nation, and the world. Graduates of the biological sciences program will:
| PEO-1: |
Understand the fundamental scientific principles, concepts and applications of biological concepts to science, engineering and technology. |
| PEO-2: |
Be prepared for graduate studies in biological sciences or related areas or for professional areas including medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy and teaching biology. |
| PEO-3: |
Become effective collaborators and innovators, leading or participating in efforts to address social, technical and business challenges in a professional and ethical manner. |
Core Mathematics and Science Courses Requirements for the Biological Sciences Program
All biology majors must earn a “C” or better in all required and elective courses taken in biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics. Students must also meet all requirements for the college and the University.
Degree Requirements
Students enrolled in the biological sciences program must successfully complete an approved program of study of 120 credit hours.
Freshman Year
First Semester
Second Semester
Sophomore Year
First Semester
Second Semester
Junior Year
First Semester
| CHEM-340B | General Biochemistry Lecture | 3 |
| CHEM-342B | Biochemistry Laboratory I | 1 |
| BIOL-352B | Genetics | 4 |
| BIOL- | Biology Elective | 4 |
| - | Foreign Language Sequence I | 3 |
| BIOL-300B | Principles of Research | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 17 |
BIOL (Biology Elective): Two of the three biology electives must be at the 300 level or above. Biology majors CANNOT use SBIO-101B/101LB, 102B/102LB, 211B/213LB, 221B, 222B or BIOL-223B for degree credit.
Second Semester
| BIOL- | Biology Elective | 4 |
| BIOL- | Biology Elective | 4 |
| HIST- | History Elective | 3 |
| - | Health/Physical Ed Elective | 2 |
| - | Foreign Language Sequence II | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
BIOL (Biology Elective): Two of the three biology electives must be at the 300 level or above. Biology majors CANNOT use SBIO-101B/101LB, 102B/102LB, 211B/213LB, 221B, 222B or BIOL-223B for degree credit.
Senior Year
First Semester
| BIOL-402B | Cell & Molecular Biology | 0 |
| BIOL-403B | Seminar | 1 |
| HIST- | History Elective | 3 |
| - | Humanities Elective | 3 |
| SVLR-400B | Service Learning | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
Second Semester
| BIOL- | Physiology Electives | 4 |
| BIOL-409B | Intro to Biostatistics | 3 |
| - | Social Science Elective | 3 |
| - | Arts Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 13 |
BIOL (Physiology Elective): Select from BIOL-305B, 412B, 433B, 442B.
Biological Sciences Elective Groups
Botany Elective Group
Microbiology Elective Group
Physiology Elective Group
General Elective Group
Requirements for a Biology Minor
A student may obtain a minor in biology by completing 16 credit hours in biology in addition to SBIO-103B and BIOL-109B (4 credit hours each) for a total of 24 credit hours. The courses that are required to complete the minor must be approved by the department. All biology minors must earn a “C” or better in all required and elective courses taken in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Students obtaining a minor in biology must also satisfy the requirements of the college and the University.