The Department of Biology recognizes the importance of breadth of knowledge, specialization and the scientific skills and attitudes associated with finding and using new knowledge.
To this end, the department:
Provides students a well-balanced academic program at the baccalaureate and master's degree levels
Functions as a scholarly unit promoting faculty and student research
Serves as a resource for biological expertise, to the university and larger community
More specifically, the goals of the department are to:
Provide the highest quality educational experience possible biology majors and minors and students enrolled in service courses used in other programs.
Create a learning environment integrating research concepts with inquiry-driven pedagogy.
Strengthen the involvement in research by our faculty (as measured by increased productivity of publications, funding success, presentations and graduate student research).
Provide meaningful service to the EMU academic community, the disciplines of our faculty, the broader scientific community and the local and regional communities.
Major Requirements: 60-62 hours
Required Foundation Courses: 29 hours
BIO 110 - Introductory Biology I [GEKN] 3 hrs
BIO 111 - Introductory Biology I Laboratory [GEKN] 2 hrs
or BIO 112 - Introductory Biology I Lab, Small World [GEKN] 2 hrs
BIO 120 - Introductory Biology II 3 hrs
BIO 121 - Introductory Biology II Laboratory 2 hrs
BIO 301 - Genetics 3 hrs
BIO 305 - Cell and Molecular Biology 3 hrs
BIO 306W - Cell and Molecular Biology and Genetics Laboratory [GEWI] 4 hrs
or BIO 311W - Laboratory in Ecology [GEWI] 4 hrs
BIO 310 - Ecology 3 hrs
BIO 315 - Evolution 3 hrs
BIOT 403 - Methods for Teaching Secondary Biology 3 hrs
Restricted Elective Courses: 4 hours
Select four credit hours from the following list. BIO 306W and BIO 311W may count as either a required foundation course or an elective course but not both.
BIO 306W - Cell and Molecular Biology and Genetics Laboratory [GEWI] 4 hrs
BIO 311W - Laboratory in Ecology [GEWI] 4 hrs
BIO 320 - General Microbiology 3 hrs
BIO 321 - General Microbiology Laboratory 2 hrs
BIO 326 - Human Physiology 4 hrs
BIO 330 - Neuroanatomy 4 hrs
BIO 377 - Special Topics 1 hr
BIO 378 - Special Topics 2 hrs
BIO 379 - Special Topics 3 hrs
BIO 380 - Special Topics 4 hrs
BIO 401 - Completing an Honors Thesis 2 hrs
BIO 402 - Seminar in Biology 1 hr
BIO 410 - Limnology 4 hrs
BIO 411 - Animal Physiological Ecology 4 hrs
BIO 412 - Biogeography 3 hrs
BIO 413 - Wetland Ecosystems 4 hrs
BIO 414 - Community Ecology 4 hrs
BIO 415 - Microbial Ecology 4 hrs
BIO 416 - Behavioral Ecology 4 hrs
BIO 417 - Conservation Biology 4 hrs
BIO 418 - Plant Communities of Michigan 4 hrs
BIO 419 - Ecosystem Ecology 4 hrs
BIO 424 - Food Microbiology 4 hrs
BIO 426 - Immunobiology 3 hrs
BIO 428 - General Virology 3 hrs
BIO 429 - Bacterial Pathogenesis 3 hrs
BIO 433 - Marine Biology 4 hrs
BIO 443 - Developmental Biology 3 hrs
BIO 444 - Cell Culture Techniques and Methods 4 hrs
BIO 445 - Recombinant DNA Techniques 4 hrs
BIO 446 - Genome Analysis 4 hrs
BIO 447 - Scanning Electron Microscopy 4 hrs
BIO 455 - Plant Evolution and Classification 4 hrs
BIO 456 - Freshwater Algae 4 hrs
BIO 457 - Aquatic Plants 4 hrs
BIO 458 - Trees and Shrubs 4 hrs
BIO 459 - Mycology 4 hrs
September 2025
College of Arts and Sciences
214 Pray Harrold,
YPSILANTI,
Michigan,
48197, United States
EMU admits students on a sliding scale based primarily on a combination of high school grade point average. If you have a high GPA, you may be admitted even if your test score is below our average. If you have a high test score, you may be admitted with a lower-than-average GPA.
The average student coming to EMU directly from high school has a GPA of 3.28
Full admission minimum test scores can be found below:
TOEFL: 61 iBT
IELTS: 6.0
Pearson English Language Test (PTE): 44
Application Deadline:
Fall: July 1; Winter: November 1
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
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