Degree Requirements
The Coastal & Marine Science major combines a rigorous grounding in the foundational principles of biological science at all scales of organization from molecules to ecosystems with significant coursework in coastal science, marine science, ecology, conservation biology, coastal restoration, and related areas of the biological sciences. The curriculum offers students the opportunity for "real world" experiences through fieldwork in courses, independent research projects, and internships with outside partner organizations. Majors are well prepared for numerous job opportunities in coastal/marine/ecological research and environmental management. In addition, students in this track are very well prepared to continue their education in numerous graduate programs.
Required Courses
Choose BI 360 or BI 390
BI 111 is the first foundational course in biology and provides an introduction to the molecular concepts that form the basis of cellular life. Concepts in Biology I covers the basic principles of evolution, biochemistry, cell structure and function, signal transduction, cell division, transmission genetics, the central dogma of molecular biology, and control of gene expression. Two 50-minute lectures and one 75-minute discussion/week. A prerequisite to BI 112, 201, 202, 205, 206, 212, and 230; PS 335, 350, 351, 352, and 353.
Prerequisite: Co: Take BI-113
BI 112 is the second foundational course in biology. The course focuses on the cellular and organismal levels in the hierarchy of biological organization. Concepts in Biology II covers adaptations of plant and animal life in an evolutionary context and includes discussion of development, body and tissue organization, homeostasis, energy yielding metabolism, nutrition, digestion, circulation, nutrient transport, and gas exchange. Two 50-minute lectures and one 75 minute discussion/week. A prerequisite to BI 201, 202, 210, 212, 230, 245, 255, 274, 276, 278, 305, and 345.
Prerequisite: Pre: BI-111 and BI-113
The laboratory associated with Concepts in Biology I focuses on multiweek exercises that reinforce critical concepts on the molecular and cellular levels of biological organization. The laboratory incorporates student-designed experiments, extensive journal-format scientific writing, and emphasizes science as a process. One 3-hour laboratory/week.
Prerequisite: Co: Take BI-111
The laboratory associated with Concepts in Biology II focuses on introduction of techniques for observing organismal physiology and behavior that reinforce critical concepts on the cellular and organismal levels of biological organization. The laboratory incorporates an open-ended multiweek student-designed experiment, extensive journal-format scientific writing, and emphasizes science as a process. One 3-hour laboratory/week.
Prerequisite: Pre: BI-111 and BI-113;
Organisms to Populations is the third in the series of courses that serve as the foundation of the biology major. The focus of this course is on the evolutionary forces that lead to the biologically fascinating trade-offs between growth, survival, and reproduction. Topics covered include reproductive biology, transmission and population genetics, mechanisms of evolution and an exploration of adaptation, and life history characteristics in a diversity of organisms. A prerequisite to BI 210, 212, 306, 311, 312, 320, 325, 335, 340, 355, and 398.
Prerequisite: TAKE BI-111 BI-112 BI-113 BI-114 WITH MIN GRADE OF C, P
Ecology & Evolution is a sophomore level course in the core biology curriculum required for all majors administered through the Department of Biology. Students will discover the unity and interdependence of the living and non-living components of the environment while exploring the limitless diversity of life on earth through the lens of ecological theory. Topics include population dynamics, species interactions, abundance and diversity, nutrient cycling, succession, and stability. A prerequisite to BI 240, BI 260, BI 265, and BI 398
Prerequisite: BI-111 BI-113 BI-112 BI-114 MA-131ýMinimum grade of C, P
Organisms to Populations Laboratory is the mandatory corequisite for BI 201. The interactive laboratory course will concentrate on multi-week exercises that reinforce essential course concepts. Student-designed experiments, the process of science, and oral and written scientific communication are focal points of the course design.
Prerequisite: Co-req.:Take BI-201
Populations to Ecosystems Laboratory is the mandatory corequisite for BI 202. The interactive laboratory course will concentrate on multi-week exercises that reinforce essential course concepts. Student-designed experiments, the process of science, and oral and written scientific communication are focal points of the course design.
Prerequisite: Co-req.: Take BI-202
BI 274 is a lecture and field-oriented course that applies biological, chemical, and physical theory to the understanding and management of coastal ecosystems. The course utilizes empirical data collection with state-of-the-art research instrumentation to understand geospatial relationships between various processes.
Prerequisite: TAKE BI-112 BI-114 CH-153 CH-154 with Minimum Grade of C, P
BI 278 is a lecture and field-oriented course that explores the importance of coastal ecology with respect to history, biodiversity, sustainability, and innovation. Topics focus on the abiotic and biotic processes that influence aquatic communities including coastal streams, rocky intertidal zones, sandy beaches, marshes, harbors, and the open ocean.
Prerequisite: TAKE BI-112 BI-114 with Minimum grade of C, P
This course focuses on the GIS principles, methods, and techniques that are particularly relevant to and useful for problem solving in environmental analysis and management. Specfically this course has four major components: an overview of selected GIS principles including data models,scale and spatial sampling, and spatial autocorrelation; a review of the major techniques or issues for environmental data acquisition and integration; an introduction to environmental analysis and modeling techniques; and a discussion of several applied areas of environmental modeling techniques as related to coastal ecology, hydrology, natural hazards, natural resources management, and environmental planning.
Prerequisite: Take MA-140 or MA-151
Internships in Biology focus on gaining applied experience through study of a biological topic or an interdisciplinary project that provides majors with an opportunity to gain real-world experience not specifically available in Sacred Heart University's Biology curriculum. Students complete an internship portfolio under the direction of an appropriate professional in consultation with a biology faculty advisor.
Individual research projects in the basic areas of Biology under the supervision of faculty.
Senior Seminar is the capstone course for the Biology major. The course focuses on review of current research and literature on specialized fields of current interest in biological science. An independent project resulting in a research paper on a current question of scientific, public policy, or ethical focus and a final oral presentation on a selected topic is required.
Required Supporting Courses
Explores modern theories of atomic and molecular structure, chemical bonding and periodic relations, chemical reactions and stoichiometry, states of matter, and solutions. Three 50-minute lectures and one 50-minute discussion per week. A prerequisite to BI 230 and CH 152.
Prerequisite: Take CH-153
Explores chemical thermodynamics; chemical kinetics; chemical, ionic, and acid-base equilibria; electrochemistry; chemistry of the representative elements and transition elements; and nuclear reactions. Three 50-minute lectures and one 50-minute discussion per week.
Prerequisite: Take CH-151 and CH-153
Illustrates basic concepts presented in CH 151. Experiments include qualitative analysis of cations and anions, chromatography, synthesis, and FT-IR. One three-hour laboratory per week.
Prerequisite: Take CH-151
Illustrates basic concepts presented in CH 152. Experiments include quantitative analysis, equilibria, thermochemistry, spectrophotometry, and GC-MS. One three-hour laboratory per week. A prerequisite to CH 254 and 331.
Prerequisite: Take CH 151 and CH-153
Covers hydrocarbons, stereochemistry, arenes, alkyl halides, nucleophilic substitution and elimination reactions, and IR, NMR, MS, and UV spectroscopy in relation to structure determination. Two 75-minute lectures and one 50-minute discussion per week. A prerequisite to CH 222 and 252.
Prerequisite: Take CH-152 and CH-154
Covers basic techniques in organic chemistry: extraction, distillation, recrystallization; thin layer chromatography; gas chromatography; and IR spectroscopy. Emphasizes techniques in organic synthesis. One three-hour laboratory per week.
Prerequisite: Take CH-152 and CH-154
This course introduces macroeconomic concepts and analysis of unemployment and inflation within the context of the business cycle, the determinants of economic growth, the role of interest rates in savings and investment, the interaction of money and the banking system, and corrective monetary and fiscal policies. Students gain an international perspective by assessing the role of international trade and exchange rates in the modern global economy. A prerequisite to EC 301, EC 302, EC 303, EC 316, EC 321, EC 342, EC 373, and EC 399
Prerequisite: Take EC-202 AND MA-106 OR MA-109 OR MA-110 OR MA-151
This course studies interactions between humans and environments on land and sea in New England, Newfoundland, Ireland, Scotland, England, Norway, the Netherlands, as they fished and traded over long distances, creating vibrant cultures.
Prerequisite: Take HI-100 or HI-102 or HI-110 or HI-115
This course is geared toward liberal arts, science, business, and health science majors." It introduces descriptive statistics, probability distributions (both discrete and normal), confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, and correlation. Real-world applications are offered and computer statistical software may be used.
This course 1.) examines how human activities contribute to environmental problems such as climate change, pollution, disappearance of natural habitat, decreasing biodiversity, diminishing natural resources, deforestation, erosion, and desertification; 2.) analyzes the impact of environmental degradation on human populations and human societies; and 3.) identifies those steps taken and yet to be taken to end degradation and restore environmental health. A project in which students take action in some group organization or community to make its impacts on the environment more positive is required.
MA 151 is recommended
Elective Courses
Three Biology courses at the 200-level or higher are required, with at least two courses from the environmental area of study. Of these three elective courses at least one must be at the 300-level and at least two must include a lab (including the elective at the 300-level). BI 206/208 Anatomy & Physiology I is an exception and does not satisfy one of these elective requirements. BI 207/209 Anatomy & Physiology II can satisfy one of these elective requirements.
Three diverse topics in plant biology are introduced: plant evolution and diversity, plant ecology, and the linked topics of ethnobotany and economic botany. Laboratory work concentrates on field methodology, plant identification, and digital data collection. Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week.
Prerequisite: Take BI-112, BI-114
Microbial diversity and the evolution, physiology, genetics, and ecology of microbes are addressed. Specific topics include epidemiology and infectious disease and the use of microorganisms in industry and research. Laboratory work focuses on modern molecular methods of experimental microbiology and bacterial identification, including a semester-long research project. Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week.
Prerequisite: Take BI-111/113, BI-112/114, CH-151/152/153/154 ýMinimum grade C,T, P for BI courses only
Invertebrate Biology examines the evolution and ecology of invertebrates including phylogenetic relationships, life history, physiology, and morphological adaptations. Laboratory component includes dissections and field trips to Long Island Sound. Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week.
Prerequisite: Take BI-202/204 with minimum grade of C, P
Vertebrate Biology examines the evolution and ecology of the vertebrates including taxonomy and life history as well as the anatomy and physiology of extant and extinct vertebrates. Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week.
Prerequisite: Take BI-202/204 with a minimum grade of C, P
This course is a hands-on learning course examining the behaviorial and social ecology of wild dolphins, ecotourism and human impcts on the marine environment.
An introduction to how animals of all different types use behaviors as strategies for interacting with the environment. Behaviors studied include communication, habitat selection, migration, mate choice, breeding, and parental care. Development and physiological control of behaviors are also examined. Three hours of lecture and one laboratory/field session per week.
Prerequisite: Take BI-112, BI-114 and MA-131 with minimum grade of C, P
BI 260 examines the structure and function of marine habitats at the organismal, population, community, and ecosystem levels. Laboratory includes investigation of different types of estuarine and coastal habitats and design of basic and applied marine ecological investigations. Three hours of lecture and one laboratory session per week.
Prerequisite: Take BI-202/204 with a minimum grade of C
The focus of this course is on the science of conservation biology in the context of environmental policy, socioeconomic demands, and environmental ethics.
Prerequisite: Take BI-202 and BI-204
BI 274 is a lecture and field-oriented course that applies biological, chemical, and physical theory to the understanding and management of coastal ecosystems. The course utilizes empirical data collection with state-of-the-art research instrumentation to understand geospatial relationships between various processes.
Prerequisite: TAKE BI-112 BI-114 CH-153 CH-154 with Minimum Grade of C, P
BI 276 is a lecture and field-oriented course that studies in depth the principles of oceanography, emphasizing the chemical and physical processes that affect coastal oceans.
Prerequisite: TAKE BI-112 BI-114 CH-152 CH-154 with minimum grade of C, P
BI 278 is a lecture and field-oriented course that explores the importance of coastal ecology with respect to history, biodiversity, sustainability, and innovation. Topics focus on the abiotic and biotic processes that influence aquatic communities including coastal streams, rocky intertidal zones, sandy beaches, marshes, harbors, and the open ocean.
Prerequisite: TAKE BI-112 BI-114 with Minimum grade of C, P
This course explores the neural basis of behaviors that animals perform in natural settings. The mechanisms studied underlie specialized behaviors such as the detection of prey, attraction of mates, orientation, and other adaptive behaviors. The animal model systems described demonstrate how neural substrates of behavior can be highly specialized to solve problems encountered in an animal's particular environmental niche. These model systems also provide insights into the organization of similar sensory and motor systems in humans. Three hours of lecture.
Prerequisite: Take BI-111, BI-113, BI-112, BI-114
Chemical ecology explores the ways that naturally occurring chemicals control interactions between organisms in various environments and how humans can use this information.
Prerequisite: Take BI-202 and BI 204 with minimum grade of C, P
Examines the fundamental concepts of community ecology through primary literature and field studies.
Prerequisite: Pre-req BI-202/204 with C or better and MA-131 or MA-133
Examines the fundamental concepts of community ecology through primary literature and field studies. Ecology lab is the mandatory corequisite for Bi 350.
Prerequisite: Pre-req: BI-202/204 with C, P or better and MA-131 or MA-133
Restoration Ecology is the practiceof renewing and restoring degraded, damaged or destroyed ecosystems and habitats in the environment using ecological principles.
Prerequisite: Take Bi-202 and Bi-204 with minimum grade of C
Restoration Ecology is the practiceof renewing and restoring degraded, damaged or destroyed ecosystems and habitats in the environment using ecological principles.
Prerequisite: Take BI-202 and BI-204 with minimum grade of C, P