Department of Biology

Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Biology

Two introductory courses (8 cr.) must be completed prior to enrolling in 300+ courses required for the degree.

Students must take:
BIOL 151General Biology II4
BIOL 150General Biology I4
200 level Required Courses
BIOL 215Genetics4
BIOL 240Biometry4
300 and 400 level Courses
Select 6 Biol prefix courses of 300-400 level. Excludes BIOL 49218-24
Remaining Coursework8
Students take elective Biol courses and/or directed research (BIOL 492) to equal 8 additional credits. BIOL 111, BIOL 115, BIOL 127, and BIOL 202 are NOT acceptable).
CHEM 121General Chemistry I5
CHEM 122General Chemistry II5
CHEM 240Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry5
or CHEM 341 Organic Chemistry I
PHYS 211
PHYS 212
College Physics I
and College Physics II
8-10
or PHYS 251
PHYS 252
University Physics I
and University Physics II
General Education Coursework38
Minor/Concentration(s)--Students earn two minors (physical science and chemistry) with required coursework. A minor or 3rd concentration may be earned to reach 120 credits required for graduation.
Total Hours103-111

Bachelor of Science with a Major in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

Bioinformatics and Computational Biology is a cross-disciplinary field that encompasses computer science, mathematics, and biology in order to extract meaningful information from large biological datasets. Minot State University is the only school within the surrounding five state region to offer an undergraduate bioinformatics degree.

GOALS: To prepare students for a career in biological data analysis and management. At the end of this program, students will:

  • Have an understanding of different computer programming languages that can be applied to answer various biological questions with big datasets.
  • Have the fundamental biological scaffolding for major principles in biology, including concepts in molecular and cellular biology, evolution, and general zoology, botany, or microbiology.
  • Understand and apply biologically relevant statistical analyses.
  • Be able to manage and work with “Big Data” management systems and datasets.
  • Be comfortable with the hands-on, laboratory preparation methods that precede data analysis, and be able to take a biological system and prepare it for proper data analyses.
General Education
General Education Requirements38
Core Requirements Coursework
Biology
Students must take:
BIOL 150General Biology I4
BIOL 215Genetics4
BIOL 301Evolution3
BIOL 480Molecular Biology4
BIOL 402Bioinformatics4
BIOL 492Directed Research1-5
One of the following:4
General Biology II
Introductory Microbiology
Chemistry
CHEM 121General Chemistry I5
CHEM 122General Chemistry II5
Mathematics
MATH 165Calculus I4
MATH 208Discrete Mathematics I4
MATH 345Linear Models4
One of the following:
MATH 210Elementary Statistics4
or BIOL 240 Biometry
Computer and Data Science
(17 credits; which would qualify the student for a Certificate in Data Science)
CSCI 111Introductory Programming and Big Data4
DATA 211Applied Statistics and Data Visualization4
DATA 240Programming for Data Science4
CSCI 260UNIX and Linux Systems4
CSCI 356Database Management4
Total Hours108-112

The Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) program at Minot State University is a four-year program leading to the Bachelor of Science Degree in Medical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology. The program consists of courses that are designed to give the medical laboratory science student the necessary, scientific background to enter clinical training at an accredited hospital laboratory.

The program consists of three years of academic coursework completed at Minot State University. Through an affiliation with the University of North Dakota (UND), students spend 12 months in a clinical internship at one of the many participating accredited hospitals, as a member of the Western College Alliance for MLS.

The academic portion of the program provides the student with a broad-based background in the sciences as well as General Education courses in communications, the humanities, and the social and behavioral sciences. The clinical year provides practical, hands on, experience in clinical laboratory techniques.

The first two years of the program primarily involve General Education courses and fundamental courses in chemistry, microbiology, anatomy, and physiology. The third year involves the students in courses more directly relevant to their major, such as parasitology, hematology, and immunology. These courses address more specifically what the student will encounter during the clinical internship year. Minot State University’s medical laboratory science program is accredited by the NAACLS through UND. All affiliated hospitals are accredited by the Council on Medical Education. Upon completion, the student is eligible to take the national examination conducted by the Board of Registry to become a certified clinical laboratory scientist by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists MT (ASCP) and the National Certification Agency for Medical Laboratory Personnel National Exam for certification as Medical Laboratory Scientist.

Acceptance to clinical year requires:

  • Cumulative GPA of at least 2.80.
  • No more than one D in any math or science prerequisite course.
  • No  standing letter grade of D or F in any MLS major/core course.
  • A recommendation from the applicant's college/university advisor.
  • Completion of required prerequisite coursework.

Bachelor of Science with a Major in Medical Laboratory Science

Required Courses
BIOL 150General Biology I4
BIOL 103Intro to Medical Lab Science1
BIOL 202Introductory Microbiology4
BIOL 220Anatomy and Physiology I4
BIOL 221Anatomy and Physiology II4
BIOL 450Parasitology4
BIOL 455Hematology4
BIOL 465Immunology4
CHEM 121General Chemistry I (& CHEM 121L)5
CHEM 122General Chemistry II (& CHEM 122L)5
CHEM 230Quantitative Analysis5
CHEM 240Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry5
CHEM 481Biochemistry I3
or CHEM 381 Fundamentals of Biochemistry
MGMT 301Fundamentals of Management3
MATH 103College Algebra4

Biology Minor (Teaching and Non-Teaching)

Students must take:
BIOL 150General Biology I4
BIOL 215Genetics4
Select two of the following:8
General Biology II
Introduction to Botany
Introductory Microbiology
Choose three 300 or 400 level courses12
Total Hours28

Bioinformatics Minor

BIOL 402Bioinformatics4
Mathematics Courses:
MATH 146Applied Calculus3
MATH 165Calculus I4
Computer Science
CSCI 160Computer Science I4
CSCI 161Computer Science II4
CSCI 260UNIX and Linux Systems4
CSCI 356Database Management4
Total Hours27

Biology Concentration

Students must take:
BIOL 150General Biology I4
Select two of the following:8
General Biology II
Introduction to Botany
Introductory Microbiology
Genetics
Total Hours12

Faculty

Biology Faculty

Dr. Alexandra Deufel
Professor

Dr. Joseph Pettit
Assistant Professor

Dr. Rachel Schomaker
Assistant Professor

Janelle Green
Instructor

Medical Laboratory Science

Dr. Rachel Schomaker
Program Coordinator