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General Features of the Program
One of the strongest departments at the University, the Biology Department is dedicated to excellence in teaching. The primary goal of the Biology program is to give students a strong background in the core fields of biology. Majors develop skills in critical and logical thought, acquire knowledge of the fundamental areas of biology, gain experience in the laboratory and field, and develop ethical decision-making ability.

The undergraduate program features intensive laboratory and field experience with close contact between students and faculty. All members of the Department hold the Ph.D. and are active as scholars in their respective fields. Strong features of the program are small class sizes and close personal attention to every student.

Course Requirements
All LMU students receive a strong foundation in the humanities through the University's Core Curriculum . Biology majors also complete a lower division premajor that includes general biology, calculus, chemistry and physics.

Students are required to take 7 upper division biology courses (6 for the B.A.), with a minimum of 4 laboratories. These include a series of required upper division biology courses designed to provide a general background in biology.

Students must take at least one course from each of the 4 following areas: cell/organism function, molecular biology, organismal diversity and populations. In addition, they must take one course in field or marine biology and one course in plant biology, courses which may simultaneously satisfy one of the 4 area requirements.

To complete the 7 or 6 course upper division requirement, majors must also take biology electives from such subjects as biochemistry, physiology, genetics, molecular biology, developmental biology, cell biology, comparative anatomy, ecology, marine biology, field biology, field botany, mammalogy, endocrinology, immunology, hematology, microbiology and parasitology.

A research or seminar course at the senior level is required of all majors. This affords an opportunity to work closely with faculty on a specialized topic.

The biology curriculum offers over 25 upper division courses covering a wide array of topics, from molecular biology to marine biology and ecology, many of which have required or optional laboratories.

The Department's offerings are especially strong in several areas, including genetics, molecular biology, and marine biology and ecology.

A variety of field and marine courses is taught, including a Baja California summer course at the Department's marine station south of San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico, and a summer course in African wildlife biology.