home
Faculty and Staff Recent News The Biology Curriculum Requirements for a Bio Major Added Emphases to a Major Math & Statistics Guidelines for majors Requirements for a Bio Minor Course Offerings Capstone Requirement Honors Program Facilities Research and Teaching Labs Field Station Greenhouse Smail Gallery Student Opportunities and Support BioClub Research, Jobs, Internships Science and Research Office (SRO)
Health Professions Advisory Committee
(HPAC)
|
|
Expectations for Our Students
We expect that by graduation, all Macalester Biology students should
understand that science is a continual and dynamic process of investigation.
All students should appreciate that biological knowledge
progresses via the support and rejection of competing hypotheses by the
scientific community. Students should understand that these decisions
are based on empirical evidence and logical arguments developed through
inductive and deductive reasoning. To this end, all our students should become
familiar with the historical development of some of the major concepts in
biology. In addition, all our students should be able to develop scientifically
informed positions on some of the social issues related to the biological topics
they have studied.
All biology majors should be able
to understand and communicate the major
concepts and investigational
methods that currently define biology and that they should learn basic laboratory and
field techniques used in the various biological subdisciplines. After completing
the four required core courses, students should be able to demonstrate their understanding
of the central theories and methods in molecular biology, cell biology,
genetics, physiology, ecology, phylogenetics, and evolution, and use the vocabulary
that embodies this knowledge. Through the laboratory component of the core courses,
students should learn to articulate a testable hypothesis and design an
effective investigative approach; collect, organize and analyze data using appropriate
quantitative tools including statistical and graphical methods; and effectively
communicate their ideas orally and in writing using customary scientific
formats and styles.
All biology graduates should
demonstrate an understanding of theories and
specialized research techniques
and be able to comprehend and critique
primary scientific literature in
their area(s) of interest. Upon graduation,
students should be well prepared
to pursue their interests in a variety of ways,
including graduate or
professional schools, public service, or entry into the
work force.
Finally, we expect all biology
graduates to be able to use their knowledge and
communication skills to assume a
leadership role in applying biological
concepts and theories
appropriately to investigate and/or solve a variety of
problems, both in the area of
their specialization and in the broader public
sphere.
|
|
