College of Arts and Sciences

Undergraduate –Biology

Prerequisites:  PCB 3023C – Molecular and Cell Biology
Corequisites:   None
Course Description:
This course will provide and introduction to the role that hormones play in regulating vertebrate physiology with special emphasis on human systems. Students will learn about general concepts of endocrinology, as well as the relevant mechanisms that lead to endocrine disorders in humans.

BSC 2086C - Human Anatomy and Physiology II

Corequisites:   None
Course Description:
This course focuses on the biological mechanisms of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and mechanisms of action with an emphasis on cellular responses to drugs.  Students will learn the basic mathematical principles of pharmacokinetics and receptor binding as well as the relationship between drug concentration and effects.  The mechanisms of action and side effects of the major classes of drugs will be covered as well as background information on the pathological conditions they treat. No new faculty or additional resources are required for this course.

Corequisites:    None
Course Description:
This course will provide an introduction to the geological, physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the ocean.  The role of the ocean in the global system will also be addressed.   Current topics such as sea level rise and coastal erosion impacts on marine environments surrounding Florida will be discussed. No new faculty or additional resources are required for this course.

BSC 2086C - Human Anatomy and Physiology II

Corequisites:  None
Course Description:
This course will include an examination of the diversity, ecology, and evolutionary history of aquatic invertebrates in coastal habitats.  Current topics such as sea level rise and pollution of aquatic habitats will be discussed. A lab fee will be assessed. No new faculty or additional resources are required for this course.

Corequisites:   None
Course Description:
This course is designed to introduce students to marine plants in the pelagic open-ocean and coastal environments. Primary focus will be on the ecology, biochemistry, physiology, and life history strategies of both phytoplankton and benthic marine algal communities. A lab fee will be assessed. No new faculty or additional resources are required for this course.

PCB3063C Genetics

Corequisites:  None
Course Description:
This course will explore the ecological and evolutionary roles of microbes in a variety of ecosystems.  We will discuss the diversity of microbes in natural settings and how different evolutionary lineages have adapted to their specialized roles.  To that end, we will discuss microbial colonization, recruitment, succession and senescence, and how different communities and guilds respond to changes in their environment. A lab fee will be assessed.  No new faculty or additional resources are required for this course.

Corequisites:   None
Course Description:
This laboratory-intensive course exposes students to modern molecular biology techniques.  Students will receive instruction related to recombinant DNA and protein technologies.  Experimental design and data analysis will also be addressed. A lab fee will be assessed. No new faculty or additional resources are required for this course.

Summary of the Changes:
The department of biology is adding several specialized tracks of study to its current BS degree program.  One of these is a track in Biomedical Sciences.  This track is designed to provide a broad background in biology with a special emphasis on preparing students for careers in the medical and veterinary sciences.  The biomedical track provides all of the prerequisites for entry into most medical, veterinary, dental, physician’s assistant, pharmacy, chiropractic, optometry and podiatric schools. PCB 4XXX Endocrinology (3 cr) and BSC 4XXX Biological Basis of Pharmacology (3 cr) will be created as a major elective to help support this track.  Total semester hours is either 96 or 98 depending on choices made by students.  No additional resources are necessary to add this track of study since it simply guides students to the most appropriate coursework that we currently offer for the medical fields.
 (Click here to view the Program of Study)

Summary of the Changes:
The department of biology is adding several specialized tracks of study to its current BS degree program.  One of these is a track in Molecular and Cell Biology and Biotechnology.  This track is designed to provide a broad background in biology with a special emphasis on the inner workings of the cell.  This track is especially suited for students interested in pursuing graduate education or research careers focused in cellular and molecular biology and biotechnology.  MCB 4XXXC Molecular Biology Techniques (4 cr) and PCB 4XXX Endocrinology (3 cr) will be added as major electives to help support the track.  Total semester hours for the track are either 91 or 92 depending on choices made by students.  No additional resources are necessary to add this track of study since it simply guides students to the most appropriate coursework that we currently offer for the fields of molecular and cell biology and biotechnology.
(Click here to view the Program of Study)

Summary of the Changes:
The department of biology is adding several specialized tracks of study to its current BS degree program.  One of these is a track in Coastal Biology.  This track is designed to provide a broad background in biology with a special emphasis on the biology of coastal organisms and ecosystems.  This track is especially suited for students interested in pursuing graduate work and research careers in coastal, freshwater and marine systems. ZOO 4XXXC Coastal Invertebrate Biology (4 cr) and OCE 3XXX Oceanography (3 cr) will be added as major electives to help support this track.  Total semester hours for the track are either 91 or 92 depending on choices made by students.  No additional resources are necessary to add this track of study since it simply guides students to the most appropriate coursework that we currently offer for the field of coastal biology.    (Click here to view the Program of Study)

Summary of the Changes:
The department of biology is adding several specialized tracks of study to its current BS degree program.  One of these is a track in Applied Coastal Environmental Science.  This track is designed to train students for entry into positions with government and environmental agencies to do environmental work.  Courses in OCE 3XXX Oceanography (3 cr) and BOT 4404C Marine Botany (4 cr) have been created to support this track.  Total semester hours for the track are either 103 or 107 depending on whether the student has had physics in high school.  No additional resources are required to provide this track.
(Click here to view the Program of Study)

Summary of the Changes:
The department of biology is adding several specialized tracks of study to its current BS degree program.  One of these is a track in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.  This track is designed to provide a broad background in biology with a special emphasis on the evolution and ecology of organisms.  This track is especially suited for students interested in pursuing graduate education or research careers focused in ecological and evolutionary fields. ZOO 4XXXC Coastal Invertebrate Biology (4 cr) and BSC 4XXXC Microbial Ecology (4 cr) will be added as major electives to support this track.  Total semester hours will be 91 or 92 depending on choices made by students.  No additional resources are necessary to add this track of study since it simply guides students to the most appropriate coursework that we currently offer for the fields of ecology and evolutionary biology. (Click here to view the Program of Study)

Graduate –Biology

Prerequisites:  None

Corequisites:   None
Course Description:
The theoretical aspects of Bright Field, Dark Field, Phase Contrast, Fluorescence, Confocal and Electron Microscopy will be discussed.  Mastery of specimen preparation techniques, thick and thin sectioning, special staining, freeze fracture, enzyme histochemistry, immunolabelling, and heavy metal staining will be accomplished.  These advanced techniques will allow students to observe cellular structure and ultrastructure, while the use of specific labels to probe for macromolecules will emphasize the link between structure and function in biology. A lab fee will be assessed. No new faculty or additional resources are required for this course.

Prerequisites:  None

Corequisites:   None
Course Description:
This course is designed to offer students an in depth study of marine plants in the pelagic open-ocean and coastal environments. Primary focus will be on the ecology, biochemistry, physiology, and life history strategies of both phytoplankton and benthic marine algal communities. A lab fee will be assessed. No new faculty or additional resources are required for this course.

Prerequisites:  PCB3043C Ecology or equivalent

Corequisites:   None
Course Description:
This course will focus on how to design, conduct, and analyze some of the most frequently employed ecological experiments.  Types of studies discussed will include (but are not limited to) assessing biodiversity, determining environmental constraints on population growth, and calculation of ecophysiological tolerances.  Emphasis will be placed on how to effectively design studies to test hypotheses in heterogeneous natural environments and how to interpret experimental results.  No new faculty or additional resources are required for this course.

Prerequisites:  None

Corequisites:   None
Course Description:
This course consists of a lecture series by experts from a wide range of biological disciplines that students attend. No new faculty or additional resources are required for this course.

Prerequisites:  None

Corequisites:   None
Course Description:
This course will include an examination of the diversity, ecology, and evolutionary history of aquatic invertebrates in coastal habitats.  Current topics such as sea level rise and pollution of aquatic habitats will be discussed.  Students will also learn how to collect data on invertebrate diversity and use these data in an environmental bioassessment context. No new faculty or additional resources are required for this course.

Prerequisites:  PCB 3023C Molec and Cell Bio; or by permission of the instructor

Corequisites:   None
Course Description:
This laboratory-intensive course exposes students to modern molecular biology techniques.  Students will receive instruction related to recombinant DNA and protein technologies.  Experimental design, data analysis, and data presentation will also be addressed. No new faculty or additional resources are required for this course.

Prerequisites:  None

Corequisites:   None
Course Description:
This course focuses on the biological mechanisms of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and mechanisms of action with an emphasis on cellular responses to drugs.  Students will learn the basic mathematical principles of pharmacokinetics and receptor binding as well as the relationship between drug concentration and effects.  The mechanisms of action and side effects of the major classes of drugs will be covered as well as background information on the pathological conditions they treat.  Students will review relevant journal articles from a peer reviewed pharmacological journal and lead class discussion. No new faculty or additional resources are required for this course.

Summary of the Changes:
The requested action is to add the following courses:
MCB 6XXXC (3) Integrative Microscopy
BOT 5XXXC (4) Advanced Marine Botany
PCB 6XXX (3) Quantitative Ecology
BSC 5XXX (1) Biology Seminar
ZOO 5XXXC (4) Advanced Coastal Invertebrate Biology
MCB 5XXXC (4) Advanced Molecular Biology Techniques
BSC 5XXX (3) Advanced Biological Pharmacology
The reason for adding the aforementioned courses is to add depth and variety to our M.S. program.  These courses will be added to the Program of Study under Core Requirements.  Addition of these courses will not change the total credit hours required for the program.
(Click to view the Program of Study)

Summary of the Changes:
Several changes are being made to the admission requirements of the Biology M.A. degree program, as well as the wording of portions of the catalog.  In addition, several new courses are being created to add to the program.  The following specific actions are requested:
1)  Replace the current program description of the Master of Arts in Biology with the following paragraph:  "The Master of Arts (M.A.) in Biology degree program is designed primarily to provide secondary school teachers and professionals in environmental fields with advanced training in the biological sciences.  It is expected that the M.A. Biology degree program will enhance the understanding of the scientific process among secondary school teachers and environmental professionals in northeast Florida.  This will result in improved science education for secondary school students and improved management of environmental resources."
2)  The first admission requirement will now read:  "1.  Applicant must hold a B.A. or B.S. in biology, science education or equivalent degree from a nationally (or internationally) accredited university or institution.  For students that do not hold a B.A. or B.S. in biology the following courses  are required for admission:
BSC 1010C  4  General Biology I (with lab)
BSC 1011C  4  General Biology II (with lab)
CHM 2045C  4  General Chemistry I (with lab)
CHM 2046C  4  General Chemistry II (with lab)
CHM 2210     3  Organic Chemistry I
CHM 2210L  1  Organic Chemistry I Lab
Either MAC 2241  4  G(M) Calculus for Biology or STA 2014  3  G(M) Elementary Statistics for Health and Social Sciences
Plus at least 16 additional credit hours of biology electives. 
Contact the Graduate School with questions.
3)  Prerequisites will be removed from the program.  The department had initially included this list as admission requirements but had inadvertently listed them as prerequisites.  This has obviously led to confusion since students in the M.A. program are not required to take these courses while in the program, but were expected to have them for admission.  So most of the prerequisite courses are being moved into the first admission requirement as explained above.
4)  Lastly, we are adding courses in MCB 6XXXC (3) Integrative Microscopy, BOT 5XXXC (4) Advanced Marine Botany, PCB 6XXX (3) Quantitative Ecology, BSC 5XXX (1) Biology Seminar and ZOO 5XXXC (4) Advanced Coastal Invertebrate Biology, MCB 5XXXC (4) Advanced Molecular Biology Techniques and BSC 5XXX (3) Advanced Biological Pharmacology.  These courses will add depth and variety to our M.A. program.  These courses will be added to the Program of Study under Core Requirements.  Addition of these courses will not change the total credit hours required for the program.
(Click to view the Program of Study)

Undergraduate –Music

Prerequisites:  Successful completion of MUH 2018 Evolution of Jazz for Non-Music Majors.

Corequisites:   None
Course Description:
This course presents an advanced study of America's "classical" music: Jazz. It is designed as a continuation of the Evolution of Jazz course, MUH 2018. In addition to presenting a detailed comparative analysis of jazz artists and literature, the course focuses on the social impact involved in the development of jazz from 1890 to the present. Unique audio and video concert footage and interviews enable an in-depth study.   No new faculty or additional resources are required for this course.