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Undergraduate Catalog

2012 - 2013

BS in Conservation Biology
(64–68 hours*)

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The Discipline

The conservation biology major is designed to provide students with a broad scientific background in preparation for a career in conservation fields. Graduates will be equipped to deal with the issues and problems of sustainable resource usage, conservation of endangered biota, long-term preservation of biodiversity, development and preservation of natural resources, and management and conservation of ecosystems. This major is recommended for those seeking graduate programs in a variety of areas of biology, especially conservation biology. The major also prepares students well for obtaining positions in Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) focusing on conservation biology.

Students majoring in conservation biology should consider completing a minor to strengthen their technical or applied sociological skills. Possible minors include anthropology, geography (geography; geographic information systems; urban, rural, and environmental planning), international development, management (global management), political science, recreation management and youth leadership (nonprofit management), sociology, women's studies.

Program Requirements    |    View MAP

  1. Complete the following:
      BIO 130 : Biology. (4:3:1)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter
      DESCRIPTION: General biology course with laboratory for biology majors. Introduction to disciplines in the life sciences including methods for scientific inquiry, biochemical dynamics, cell structure and function, evolutionary theory, bioenergetics, and ecological interactions.

      Course Outcomes


      BIO 220A : Biological Diversity: Animals. (4:3:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      BIO 220A : Biological Diversity: Animals. (4:3:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter
      PREREQUISITE: PDBIO 120
      DESCRIPTION: Comparative organization and evolutionary significance of morphological, physiological, reproductive, and ecological differences in invertebrates and vertebrates. Laboratory included.

      Course Outcomes


      BIO 220B : Biological Diversity: Plants. (4:3:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      BIO 220B : Biological Diversity: Plants. (4:3:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter
      PREREQUISITE: PDBIO 120
      DESCRIPTION: Comparative organization and evolutionary significance of morphological, physiological, reproductive, and ecological differences in fungi, algae, and principal groups of land plants. Laboratory included.

      Course Outcomes


      BIO 347 : Religion and the Environment. (3:3:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      BIO 347 : Religion and the Environment. (3:3:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:On Demand
      PREREQUISITE: Introductory biology or instructor's consent.
      DESCRIPTION: The role religion has played historically in defining how humans relate to nature and its creatures. How religion frames environmental values and ethics today, emphasizing LDS viewpoints.

      Course Outcomes


      BIO 350 : Ecology. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring
      PREREQUISITE: PDBIO 120
      DESCRIPTION: Distribution and abundance of organisms and their interactions with the physical and biotic components of the earth.

      Course Outcomes


      BIO 420 : Evolutionary Biology. (2:2:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      BIO 420 : Evolutionary Biology. (2:2:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring
      PREREQUISITE: MMBIO 240 & PWS 340
      RECOMMENDED: Concurrent enrollment in Bio 421.
      DESCRIPTION: Intensive examination of evolution as the conceptual cornerstone of biology.

      Course Outcomes


      BIO 421 : Evolutionary Biology Laboratory. (1:0:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      BIO 421 : Evolutionary Biology Laboratory. (1:0:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring
      PREREQUISITE: MMBIO 240
      DESCRIPTION: Hands-on applications and analytical tools of evolutionary biology; emphasizing inference methodology and evidence complementing the theoretical constructs introduced in Bio 520, including comparative anatomy, phylogenetic inference, population genetics, species concepts, and human evolution.
      NOTE: Concurrent enrollment with Bio 420 is strongly recommended.

      Course Outcomes


      BIO 450 : Conservation Biology. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      BIO 450 : Conservation Biology. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall
      PREREQUISITE: BIO 220A & BIO 350; or BIO 220B & BIO 350
      DESCRIPTION: Scientific principles of conservation: applying population genetics, and phylogenetic and ecological theory to preservation of biological diversity; developing sustainable ecological systems compatible with human resource use.

      Course Outcomes


      MATH 112 : Calculus 1. (4:5:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      OFFERED: Honors also.
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring; Summer
      PREREQUISITE: Math 110 and 111 or equivalent.
      DESCRIPTION: Differential and integral calculus: limits; continuity; the derivative and applications; extrema; the definite integral; fundamental theorem of calculus; L'Hopital's rule.

                : Honors Calculus 1.

      Course Outcomes


      MMBIO 240 : Molecular Biology. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      MMBIO 240 : Molecular Biology. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring
      PREREQUISITE: CHEM 105; Bio 130 or MMBio 151 or PDBio 120.
      DESCRIPTION: Fundamentals of protein and nucleic acid structure and their function in the context of the classical experiments that have informed our current models of biology at the molecular level.

      Course Outcomes


      PWS 340 : Genetics. (2:2:1)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring
      PREREQUISITE: MMBIO 240
      DESCRIPTION: Genetic mechanisms, their fundamental nature, interactions, and applications to human affairs. Genetics in quantitative terms. Extensive practice in problem solving.

      Course Outcomes


      STAT 201 : Statistics for Engineers and Scientists. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      STAT 201 : Statistics for Engineers and Scientists. (3:3:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring
      PREREQUISITE: MATH 112; or MATH 119
      DESCRIPTION: The scientific method; probability, random variables, common discrete and continuous random variables, central limit theorem; confidence intervals and hypothesis testing; completely randomized experiments; factorial experiments.

      Course Outcomes


  2. Complete one of the following chemistry options:
      Either
        CHEM 105 : General College Chemistry. (4:5:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        CHEM 105 : General College Chemistry. (4:5:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring; Summer
        PREREQUISITE: Math 110 (or equivalent) or concurrent enrollment.
        DESCRIPTION: Atomic and molecular structure including bonding and periodic properties of the elements; reaction energetics, electrochemistry, acids and bases, inorganic and organic chemistry.
        NOTE: Primarily for students in engineering and biological sciences. Three lectures and two recitation sections per week.

        Course Outcomes


        CHEM 106 : General College Chemistry. (3:4:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        CHEM 106 : General College Chemistry. (3:4:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Summer
        PREREQUISITE: CHEM 105; or CHEM 111
        DESCRIPTION: Continuation of Chem 105 but covering most of the topics in a more quantitative way. Detailed treatment of thermodynamics and equilibria.
        NOTE: Three lectures and one recitation section per week.

        Course Outcomes


        CHEM 107 : General College Chemistry Laboratory. (1:0:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        CHEM 107 : General College Chemistry Laboratory. (1:0:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring; Summer
        PREREQUISITE: Chem 106 or Chem 112 or concurrent enrollment.
        DESCRIPTION: Chemical properties, chemical reactions, collection and interpretation of data, preparation of reports.
        NOTE: Required for most students needing one year of general chemistry.

        Course Outcomes


        CHEM 285 : Introductory Bio-organic Chemistry. (4:4:1)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        CHEM 285 : Introductory Bio-organic Chemistry. (4:4:1)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring
        PREREQUISITE: Chem 101 or equivalent.
        DESCRIPTION: Principles of organic chemistry and biochemistry relating to biomolecule structure and function.

        Course Outcomes


      Or
        CHEM 105 : General College Chemistry. (4:5:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        CHEM 105 : General College Chemistry. (4:5:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring; Summer
        PREREQUISITE: Math 110 (or equivalent) or concurrent enrollment.
        DESCRIPTION: Atomic and molecular structure including bonding and periodic properties of the elements; reaction energetics, electrochemistry, acids and bases, inorganic and organic chemistry.
        NOTE: Primarily for students in engineering and biological sciences. Three lectures and two recitation sections per week.

        Course Outcomes


        CHEM 106 : General College Chemistry. (3:4:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        CHEM 106 : General College Chemistry. (3:4:0)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Summer
        PREREQUISITE: CHEM 105; or CHEM 111
        DESCRIPTION: Continuation of Chem 105 but covering most of the topics in a more quantitative way. Detailed treatment of thermodynamics and equilibria.
        NOTE: Three lectures and one recitation section per week.

        Course Outcomes


        CHEM 107 : General College Chemistry Laboratory. (1:0:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        CHEM 107 : General College Chemistry Laboratory. (1:0:3)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring; Summer
        PREREQUISITE: Chem 106 or Chem 112 or concurrent enrollment.
        DESCRIPTION: Chemical properties, chemical reactions, collection and interpretation of data, preparation of reports.
        NOTE: Required for most students needing one year of general chemistry.

        Course Outcomes


        CHEM 351 : Organic Chemistry. (3:3:1)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        CHEM 351 : Organic Chemistry. (3:3:1)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring
        PREREQUISITE: CHEM 105; or CHEM 111
        DESCRIPTION: Chemical bonds and molecular structure, conformation and configuration, functional classes, reactions and mechanisms, syntheses.
        NOTE: Primarily for majors in chemical engineering and the biological sciences.

        Course Outcomes


        CHEM 352 : Organic Chemistry. (3:3:1)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        CHEM 352 : Organic Chemistry. (3:3:1)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring; Summer
        PREREQUISITE: CHEM 351
        DESCRIPTION: Continuation of Chem 351.

        Course Outcomes


        CHEM 353 : Organic Chemistry Laboratory--Nonmajors. (1-2:0:6)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        CHEM 353 : Organic Chemistry Laboratory--Nonmajors. (1-2:0:6)(Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        WHEN TAUGHT:Fall; Winter; Spring; Summer
        PREREQUISITE: Chem 352 or concurrent enrollment (preferred).
        DESCRIPTION: Physical and chemical properties, isolation and purification, characterization, syntheses.
        NOTE: For predentistry, premedicine, and other majors who do not intend to take Chem 455.

        Course Outcomes


      Note: Students considering graduate or professional school should choose the second option.

  3. Complete at least five hours from the following tools courses:

  4. Complete at least six hours from the following management and policy elective courses:

  5. Complete at least five hours from the following biology electives:

  6. Complete an exit interview.

 

*Hours include courses that may fulfill university core requirements.



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