Program Learning Goals

  1. Students will be able to explain the processes of evolution and its underlying mechanisms.

  1. Students will be able to explain the following core concepts as discussed in Vision and Change: A Call to Action 2010 Report (American Association for the Advancement of Science) :
    1. Structure and function (the basic units of biological structure that define the functions of living things)
    2. Information flow, exchange and storage (the influence of genetics on the growth and behavior of organisms)
    3. Pathways and transformations of energy and matter (the ways in which chemical transformation pathways and the laws of thermodynamics govern the growth and change of biological systems.
    4. Systems (the ways in which living things are interconnected and interact with one another.
    5. Biodiversity at the genetic, organismal, community, and global scales.
  2. Students will be able to read, understand, and critically interpret primary scientific literature.
  3. Students will be able to communicate results of biological research.
  4. Students will be able to recognize and apply ethical principles to basic and applied practice and understand the role of science and scientists in society.
  5. Students will demonstrate appropriate laboratory skills including scientific technique, maintenance of a laboratory notebook, writing laboratory reports, and adhering to all safety procedures.