Natural History Program (BA)

Faculty Advisors: Dr. Bruce Parfitt, Ernest Szuch and Nanette Kelly

The Bachelor of Arts Program in Natural History is designed for students with a naturalist’s interest in biology. Potential careers exist as naturalists with parks, nature centers or organizations such as the Nature Conservancy and the Sierra Club. Generally, this program is not intended for students planning graduate  studies in the life sciences (in such cases, students are advised toselect a Bachelor of Science program with electives suitable to their goals). In the Bachelor of Arts program there are three core biology courses: Organismal Biology (BIO 111); Principles of Biology (BIO 113) and Ecology (BIO 327). To provide students in this program with enhanced communication skills, the program also requires three communication/writing courses to include: Introduction to Public Speaking (COM 210), and two courses designated as biology writing courses with a grade of C or better. Possible course substitutions for one of the biology writing courses are News and Feature Writing (COM 225) or Communications in Business (COM/ENG 338, recommended) with a grade of C or better. Advanced biology course requirements for this program are a minimum of five additional 400-level courses in field or organismal biology that list Ecology (BIO 327) as a prerequisite. The mission of this program is to provide students with a program of naturalist-oriented courses in biology, as the focus of a broad and liberal education.

Requirements.

1. Completion of an oral examination during senior year (>92 credit hours) as part of the department’s assessment of the Program in Natural History.
2. All requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Bachelor of Arts  degree, including general education requirements  with a foreign language requirement.
3. Thirty-two (minimum) to forty (maximum) credits in biology including a core sequence of  BIO 111 , BIO 113 , BIO 327 ; five additional courses with BIO 327  as a prerequisite.
4. Communication/writing courses to include COM 210  and two biology writing courses with grades of C or better. COM 225  or COM 338  / ENG 338  (recommended) with a grade of C or better may be substituted for one biology writing course.
5. Courses in non-biological natural sciences and mathematics to include the following or their equivalent (or higher): CHM 150 , CHM 151 ; MTH 111 ; PHY 143 .
6. Electives to complete a minimum of 120 credits.
7. At least 33 credits of upper division courses (courses numbered 300 or above).
8. A cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better in biology and in all work at the University of Michigan-Flint.
9. Grades of C- or better in all core courses used as prerequisites.