Biology Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of their program curricula, students who complete a major in biology will have the following capabilities: 

• Foundations: To provide a broad foundation in the biological sciences.
  Outcomes: Foundational knowledge in the discipline will be evidenced by the student’s ability to learn the basic set of principles, factual knowledge, and techniques for each of the following areas of biology: 
  • organismal biology, and
  • ecology and evolutionary biology.
• Scientific Inquiry: To engage students in the methods of scientific inquiry.
  Outcomes: Exploration of the methods of scientific inquiry is demonstrated by the student’s ability to:
  • be an active learner—that is, to learn biology by doing biology (inquiry-based learning),
  • learn to design, carry out, analyze, report, and critique scientific studies,
  • correctly use the major instrumentation and techniques of modern biology, and
  • understand the basic methods of statistical analysis commonly used in the biological sciences.
• Communication: To develop effective communication skills and foster independent thought and creativity.
  Outcomes: Communication skills are demonstrated by the student’s ability to:
  • write a scientific report or paper using an appropriate format,
  • discuss and present scientific information coherently and in a variety of formats, and
  • demonstrate creative/independent thought and expression.
• Scientific Literacy: To promote critical analysis and scientific literacy within an ethical framework.
  Outcomes: Scientific literacy is demonstrated by the student’s ability to:
  • identify and access relevant and appropriate scientific information using research tools available through the library, online sources, and other information-gathering sources,
  • recognize the role and limitations of biology in understanding and solving some of the major problems facing humankind, and
  • debate and understand the basis of ethical decisions regarding biological concerns.
• Interdisciplinary Study: To promote interdisciplinary study and the foundations of liberal arts education.
  Outcomes: Interdisciplinary study is demonstrated by the student’s ability to:
  • understand and use both mathematics and chemistry in biological work, and
  • integrate and study biology within the overall context of the natural sciences, the liberal arts, and human endeavor.