Question #1. What makes Biology at Western Washington University stand out among other universities?
Question #2: How can freshman biology students prepare for their first quarter at Western?
Question #3: How can transfer biology students prepare for their first quarter at Western?
Question #4: Are study habits the same in Biology at Western as at High School and Community College?
Question #5: When should students declare a Biology Major?
Question #6: How do students declare a Biology Major?
Question #7: What is PHASE I or PHASE II when students declare a Biology Major?
Question #8: How do students see and are assigned a Biology Faculty Adviser?
Question #9: What is the Mid-Checkpoint to complete a Biology Major in 4 years?
Question #10: How do Biology Majors change their Faculty Adviser?
Question #11: How do students enroll in Biology Classes?
Question #12: Can I take a biology class without taking the required prerequisite?
Question #13: Do students need to take a required number of credits at WWU to get a BA or BS degree?
Question #14: When should Biology Majors start thinking about looking for a job/career?
Question #15: What Exchange Program opportunities exist?
Question #16: Are there research opportunities for undergraduates?
Question #17: Are there internship opportunities for undergraduates?
Question #18: What paperwork does the Biology Department require for Graduation?
Question #19: What kind of jobs can Biology Majors get with a Biology Degree?
Question #20: When should Biology Majors take the GRE and should majors take the Subject exam?
Question #21: What do students need to do to get a Biology Minor?
Question #1. What makes Biology at Western Washington University stand out among other universities?
1. High quality/broad-base study in the science of biology
We believe that students need to study the broad spectrum of biology even though they may know the area they wish to focus. With this foundation in biology, students then specialize in their area of interest about their junior and senior years of study. Besides comprehensive knowledge in biology, students gain transferable skills in critical thinking, analytical and time management skills; the ability to design & implement statistically reliable research in field/laboratory conditions; an array of technical skills with a variety of equipment, instrumentation, and computer technologies; while gaining proficient communication skills that include scientific written and oral presentation. Biology at Western is “hands-on” learning as much as classroom instruction.
2. All classes (including labs) are taught by researching biology PhD faculty
It is critical to get a good start to the “hands-on” study in biology. The introductory biology classes are taught by researching/teaching faculty who specialize in the subject area of the class. Lecture sizes range from 48-72 while lab sizes are 24 each. Faculty teach both the lectures and the labs in all lower and upper division classes. In addition to faculty teaching in the labs, a graduate student TA and 1-2 seniors are in the labs to help students get a great start. This attains a low student-to-faculty ratio for maximum individual learning.
3. Modern facility, equipment, and location
Since 1998, WWU completed construction of four new science buildings: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Science Education. The 82,000-square-foot Biology Building features teaching labs, research labs, environmental control rooms, seawater lab, image analysis labs, darkrooms, computer labs, and multimedia lecture halls. A greenhouse on campus supports teaching and research in botany. The department frequently uses the facilities of the Shannon Point Marine Center near Anacortes, an important focus of the marine biology program. The beautiful nearby Cascade and Olympic Mountains and the rich diversity of the aquatic and terrestrial habitats close to campus enhance the biological learning experience.
4. Research, mentorship, and internship opportunities
When students declare their biology major, they are assigned a biology faculty advisor to mentor them in their biological studies. Students in lower-division science classes with financial aid may ask to begin working in biology research laboratories or they may ask to volunteer in these labs. As they grow in their biology expertise and narrow down an area of interest, they may start research for credit with a graduate student or faculty member. They also have the opportunity to develop their own research under the mentorship of their faculty advisor and the financial support of our Biology Alumni. Biology majors also gain valuable work experience during the summer with internships in both laboratories and field work.
Question #2: How can freshman biology students prepare for their first quarter at Western?
Answer #2: Freshman Students
STUDY YOUR MATH! If you have not completed 1 quarter of college-level Calculus or completed the AP Calculus AB/BC Exam with a “3” or higher, you will need to take a Math Placement Test before classes begin to register for your math class http://www.wwu.edu/depts/assess/tc/mathplace.htm. Students, who recently completed math classes, place much higher on the Math Placement Test. Depending on your math level class, biology majors start their first quarter with a math class and a Chem 121-General Chemistry I class. A sample schedule might be:
- Chemistry 121 - General Chemistry I
- Math 118-Accelerated Pre-Calculus or Math 124 or 128-Calculus or Accelerated Calculus
- And about 5 credits of General University Requirement course/s
For a total of 14-15 quarter credits.
Depending on the math-level, there are many options to complete a biology major in 4 years. Contact Nancy.Kirchgatter@wwu.edu to decide on the best schedule of classes for you.
Question #3: How can transfer biology students prepare for their first quarter at Western?
Answer #3: Transfer Students
STUDY YOUR MATH! If you have not completed one quarter of Math 124-Calculus & Analytic Geometry I, check this site for more information about the tests, sample tests, and for test site information: http://www.wwu.edu/depts/assess/tc/mathplace.htm. For transfer students without one quarter of calculus completed, the Math Placement Test should be taken before or at TRANSITIONS. The Math Placement Test results are needed to plan your registration for Fall Quarter classes.
Transfer After One Year of College:
Students who transfer to Western with 45 credits, and wish to graduate with a biology degree in a total of 4 years, should have completed the college equivalents Math 124 - CALCULUS; Chem 121, 122, 123 - GENERAL CHEMISTRY WITH LABS; and English 101 - WRITING & CRITICAL INQUIRY plus some transferable credits for a total of 45 credits. Other options are available. Contact <Nancy.Kirchgatter@wwu.edu>.
Transfer After Two Years of College:
Students who transfer to Western with about 90 credits, AA or AAS degrees should have completed the above equivalents, plus Biol 204, 205, 206 - GENERAL BIOLOGY, and Chem 351, 352 - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY or Physics 114 & 115 - PRINCIPLES OF PHYSICS. (Contact the department advisor if you decide to take Physics choice. Nancy.Kirchgatter@wwu.edu).
DTA-AA transfer agreements allow students to complete all the General University Requirements (GUR) at the community college and are not the best degree for science majors to use. It seems impossible for students to complete a DTA-AA requirements and the Math, Chem, & Biol classes needed to complete a biology major in 4 years. Students, who transfer with less math/science than in the above scenarios, will not be able to graduate in 2 more years with a Biology BA or BS degree. With nothing left to study but all science classes, we suggest that these students take a little longer to graduate and include a non-science minor. One non-science class a quarter will make the heavy science coursework of the biology major more manageable.
The DTA-AS transfer agreement allows students to take more math/science classes at the community college and save some General University Requirements (GUR) to be taken with their science 300/400-level classes. This is a very good idea, but this transfer agreement is designed for all sciences majors. It may require more Calculus and Organic Chemistry/Physics than a biology student may wish to take. Most biology majors only require 1 quarter of Calculus, 2 quarters of Organic Chemistry and 2 quarters of Physics while the DTA-AS could require 3 quarters of Calculus, 1 year of General Chemistry, 1 year of Organic Chemistry, 1 year of Biology or 1 year of Physics with Calculus. Students need to check with their college transfer advisors and WWU Admissions Counselors to determine the best plan of study.
When you are accepted by Admissions at Western, contact Nancy Kirchgatter, Program Manager and Advisor (Nancy.Kirchgatter@wwu.edu ) to declare a Biology Major, and plan the courses to take your first quarter at Western.
Question #4: Are study habits the same in Biology at Western as at High School and Community College?
Answer #4: NO! Every biology major will tell you that the science/math classes at Western are more rigorous than they had expected. Successful Biology majors plan to study 3-4 hours per week for every math/science credit that they take. We recommend that students take no more than 10 credits of Math/Science classes and 5 credits of non-science classes in any one quarter. This means about 30-40 hours study per week for math/science plus 5-10 hours per week of study for non-science to earn the good grades that you are accustom. New students need to identify and refine their learning styles; improve their study and time management skills; along with their critical thinking skills. Western offers a lot of support both in the Biology Department and university-wide to help you achieve good grades. The Tutorial Center is not just a place that you go when you are in academic trouble, but a valuable resource for all students. Use this center to improve your study skills. Check it out at: http://www.wwu.edu/depts/tutorialcenter/.
To better understand the expectations for successful study habits in biology, we recommend that you purchase and read Essential Study Skills for Science Students by Daniel Chiras (ISBN: 0-534-37595-2). The cost is about $2.75 at Western’s AS Bookstore.
Question #5: When should students declare a Biology Major?
Answer #5: As soon as you know that you want to study a major in Biology and have a WWU student number, please declare your Biology Major. The advantage to declaring a major in the Biology Department is to be connected with the department and a Biology Faculty Adviser. This is critical in the planning the best order of your classes. Your Faculty Adviser will mentor you toward new ideas in your studies that you may not have considered and in developing research, internship, and/or teaching assistant options.
Question #6: How do students declare a Biology Major?
Answer #6: On the Biology Web Page, select "Declare Biology Major" form http://www.biol.wwu.edu/biology/forms.html. This is an electronic interactive form. All students need to complete the top part of this form. If you have taken any Chemistry 121, 122, 123 or Biology 204, 205, 206 classes/equivalents, please enter your grades and the college that you took the course in the table at the lower part of the form. Submit the form. Or you may set up an appointment with the department advisor and complete the paperwork in the Biology Department Office. Contact Nancy.Kirchgatter@wwu.edu for an appointment.
- If you have taken any of the Chemistry/Biology classes/equivalents at another college/university, please attach or email/give an unofficial copy of your transcript/s to the department advisor. Your application cannot be processed until receipt of your transcript/s. WWU may or may not have transfer credits online, so you need to send in an unofficial transcript copy. The transcript does not need to be official like the one you sent to WWU Admissions.
Submit the online Declaration of Major form by entering your Western ID W number and password. Select the "SUBMIT" button. You will receive a copy of this form in your WWU email inbox. You may print or save this copy.
Our Biology Department will review your application and enter the results. The approved Declaration of Major form is sent back to you at your WWU email address. The Biology Department notifies the Registrar's Office that you made changes to your major.
Question #7: What is PHASE I or PHASE II when students declare a Biology Major?
Answer #7: The Biology Department has a two-step process for admission to a Biology BS, BA, or Minor degree program.
Phase I majors are students who declared their major to begin their study in biology and are in the process of completing the introductory biology and chemistry courses: Chem 121, Chem 122 and Chem 123; Biol 204, Biol 205, Biol 206. Phase I majors are assigned a biology faculty adviser and added to the biology majors email listserve. Admission to Phase II is required for biology majors to register for the 300/400-level courses. Admission to Phase II is competitive and is based on performance in the introductory courses.
Admission to Phase II:
- Phase I majors who complete Biol 204, Biol 205, Chem 121 and Chem122 with an average grade point of 2.9 or above, and are either enrolled in or have completed Biol 206 and Chem 123, are automatically admitted to Phase II.
- Students who complete Biol 204, Biol 205, Chem 121 and Chem 122 with an average grade below 2.9 will be admitted to Phase II after the completion of Biol 206 and Chem 123, if their average grade for the six courses combined is 2.9 or above.
- Students who complete Biol 204, Biol 205, Biol 206, Chem 121, Chem 122 and Chem 123 with an average grade below 2.9 are not admitted to Phase II.
- Students may repeat one of the six courses (on a space-available basis only) for the purposes of increasing their grade average to the 2.9 minimum.
Question #8: How do students see and are assigned a Biology Faculty Adviser?
Answer #8: Faculty Advisers are available during their office hours. Contact information and office hours are posted for each Biology Faculty at http://www.biol.wwu.edu/biology/PDF_files/FacSchedule.pdf. To officially have an assigned Biology Faculty adviser who shares your biology interests, please declare your Biology Major. Use the Declaration of Major form at https://west.wwu.edu/admcs/forms/Biology/BiolDecl2.asp
The Biology Department expects majors to see their adviser a minimum of two times a year. Fall Quarter, before Winter Quarter Registration begins, see your biology faculty advisor to plan both Winter and Spring Quarter coursework and other options. In Spring Quarter, talk about Work Experience or Internship/course work for Summer Quarter and the Fall Quarter course work.
Question #9: What is the Mid-Checkpoint to complete a Biology Major in 4 years?
Answer #9: Completion of a biology degree in four years can be a challenge if the introductory chemistry and biology series are not started during the freshman year. Students seeking to obtain a BS degree in Biology with in a four-year time span should have completed the following courses by the end of their sophomore year: Chem 121, 122, 123; Biol 204, 205, 206; Eng 101; Math 124; 2 quarters of physics or organic chemistry; 18 credits from the non-science sections of the General University Requirements (GUR). Major omissions from this list will make it difficult or impossible to complete this degree in two additional years. Students who are not on target at the end of their sophomore year should meet with Nancy Kirchgatter or their faculty advisor to discuss their degree plans and career goals and to work out a plan to graduate in a timely fashion.
Question #10: How do Biology Majors change their Faculty Adviser?
Answer #10: As students grow in their knowledge of biology, sometimes interest in a biological area changes and they want to change to another faculty advisor. Please see/email Nancy Kirchgatter <Nancy.Kirchgatter@wwu.edu>. All options can be discussed. Or print this form: http://www.biol.wwu.edu/biology/PDF_files/Chg_Advisor.pdf and set up an appointment to see your new adviser. After the new adviser signs the form, bring it back to the Biology Department Office. Your change of advisor will be made official.
Question #11: How do students enroll in Biology Classes?
Answer #11: The Biology Department checks prerequisites on the Biol 204, 205, 206 and some 300/400-level classes. In addition, most of the Biol 300/400-level classes are restricted to specific majors, while a very few require all students to apply for an override. Every quarter, students need to check the Quarter Enrollment Instructions: http://www.biol.wwu.edu/biology/forms.html for information on what each student needs to do to register for their biology class/es.
Look for Enrollment Instructions after October 15 for Winter Quarter Classes, February 4 for Spring Quarter Classes, and April 1 for Summer and Fall Quarters. From these instructions, you will be able to determine if you need to request an override before your registration appointment time.
If you need an override because 1) you took a prerequisite at another college and you transferred to Western before Winter 06, or 2) your major is not one of the majors restricted to register for the class; select the "Request Enrollment Override" form, or 3) all students must request an override. You must complete this electronic/interactive form. When you have filled out this form, select the email address of the Faculty who teaches the class. Select the "SUBMIT" button. Both the instructor of your class and your WWU email account will receive a copy of your override request. Monitor your request for your approval.
Three types of responses can be expected. 1) Approval. This enables you to register for the class at your appointment time. This override only over-rides the restriction. It may not hold a place for you in the class. 2) Wait. This tells you the instructor needs more information or the class is full and you are on a Waiting List. If you need to send additional information, please do so as soon as you can. 3) Denied an override. The reasons may not be given. You may want to contact the instructor to find out the reasons to better prepare for taking the class.
Question #12: Can I take a biology class without taking the required prerequisite?
Answer #12: NO. Because students need the information from the prerequisite class to do well, overrides are not issued for this reason. The prerequisite is the minimum amount of information needed to understand the material taught in the class. Some classes such as Biol 204, 205, 206 are a series of classes and build on information presented in the previous class/es.
Question #13: Do students need to take a required number of credits at WWU to get a BA or BS degree?
Answer #13: At least 50% of the credit hours required in a student's major must be earned at Western Washington University. That means about 45-55 credits of the 90-110 Biology major credits must be taken at Western. There are more requirements that must be noted.
Western requires that 60 credits must be in upper-division classes (300/400-level). Transfer students who have taken Organic Chemistry at a community college will not be able to count Chem 351, 352, etc equivalents as upper-division classes (60 credit minimum) even though they will be accepted as equivalent in your major. This will be an additional challenge in completing the 60 credit upper-division requirement. Biology BA majors need only take 37 credits at Western but must take 60 upper-division classes total. Check all the WWU Graduation Requirements at: http://www.wwu.edu/depts/registrar/degree_requirements.shtml.
Please make these guidelines part of your planning and discussions with your advisor.
Question #14: When should Biology Majors start thinking about looking for a job/career?
Answer #14: It is NEVER TOO EARLY to contact the Career Services Center in OM 280 or their web page at http://www.careers.wwu.edu. The Career Services Center helps freshmen and sophomores recognize personality traits, identify interests & skills, and choose a major. As juniors, they will help you check out internships, research graduate schools, do informational interviews, and complete a career assessment test. As seniors, please register with the Career Services Center, attend job search workshops, review job openings, and participate in the on-campus recruiting to mock interviews. As alumni, use any of the resources available when you were a current student.
The Biology Department and the Career Services Center co-sponsor workshops in “Interview Skills for Science Jobs” , Resume Writing”, “Tips for Successful Job Searches”, and much more. Your Biology Faculty Advisor is a great resource for job/career ideas. The Biology Department Information Listserve sends out a large volume of job recruiting information and applications. Although seniors are very interested in this information, all other students should be looking at this information to explore their own job interests.
Question #15: What Exchange Program opportunities exist?
Answer #15: Western offers excellent support in national and international exchange programs. Check their web page at: http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~ipewwu/. Biology Majors need to plan their exchange experiences very carefully with their biology major faculty adviser. Many wonderful, enriching experiences are available, but graduation in 4 years could be greatly delayed. Choices need to be made carefully.
Biology Majors, who decide to participate in the exchange program, need to complete the Leave of Absence form found in the Department Forms at:http://www.biol.wwu.edu/biology/PDF_files/Leave.pdf. This form gives structure to evaluating the enrichment the exchange will give toward completing a Biology Major.
Question #16: Are there research opportunities for undergraduates?
Answer #16: The Biology Department offers many research opportunities. Majors have the opportunity to design and implement statistically reliable research both comparative and experimental. In addition, majors may take a series of individual research credits that give experience 1) Assisting in the maintenance of experimental setup. 2) Individual or collaborative research. 3) Analysis and presentation of results. Biology Alumni funds are available for part of this research. Get more information from the Biol 395, 494, and 495 research forms. http://www.biol.wwu.edu/biology/forms.html. Talk to your biology faculty advisor about your options.
Question #17: Are there internship opportunities for undergraduates?
Answer #17: Internships are an excellent way for majors to transition from college to the workplace. The intern gains an understanding of the workplace environment, reinforces the desire to work in the field, and the internship is an asset on the resume. Because the biological field is very diverse, there is not a set internship program. To accommodate this diversity, majors approach prospective employers based on interest in the program. Employers contact both the Biology Department and Career Services Center for perspective applicants. These applications are posted on both department web pages. Use the Biol 496 – Work Experience form for instructions to set up the internship with the employer’s supervisor and the faculty advisor: http://www.biol.wwu.edu/biology/PDF_files/Biol_496.pdf.
Question #18: What paperwork does the Biology Department require for Graduation?
Answer #18: Graduation materials are due to the Registrar's Office at least 2 quarters before you plan to graduate. Set up an appointment time to meet with your Biology Faculty Adviser. Take to this appointment, your Biology Department major checklist. You should have this filled out to current enrollment information. Bring any transcripts that show classes you took related to your major. You and your adviser will complete the major checklist form listing all the classes you will take to complete the major requirements. When you and your adviser have agreed on the classes, you have completed the major checklist as if all classes are completed, your adviser will sign the major checklist form.
Take the signed major checklist to the Biology Office BI315 for the Biology Department Chair signature. You may pick up your major checklist 2 or 3 days later. Take it to the Registrar's Office with your other graduation materials. These materials can be found at: http://www.wwu.edu/depts/registrar/degree_application.shtml.
Question #19: What kind of jobs can Biology Majors get with a Biology Degree?
Answer #19: Biological Education Required for Jobs in Biological Fields:
Biology at Western provides a quality education that trains students to work in basic biological fields. These objectives are reflected in 4 goals. All these skills transfer to a wide variety of biological as well as non-science careers.
1. Provide students with a complete knowledge base of principles, concepts, and skills to enable function as contributing members of the biology profession.
2. Apply biological knowledge to design sound experiments and gather data that speak to testable hypothesis.
3. Write proficiently, consistent with the criteria exhibited by the scholars in the discipline.
4. Develop appropriate technical skills with the instrumentation of biology.
Professions in Biology:
Professions in biology are diverse. Please explore the web sites listed under Biology Jobs. http://www.biol.wwu.edu/biology/jobanc.html. The Career Center Link covers many other areas of Job and Internship possibility. Check this out at http://www.careers.wwu.edu/.
Many specialties require additional training after graduation from Western. The BS program is recommended for students who plan to engage in occupations requiring a specialty in biology: teaching biology in secondary schools and in community colleges, technical-level biological research, or principal-investigator-level biological research and teaching.
Many students simply want to make biology the focus of a liberal arts education and are not directly interested in post-graduate studies, professional careers, or teaching in biology. The Biology BS or a B.A combined with another discipline will nurture skills in critical thinking and communication in both presentations and writing. These are important skills in most professional jobs.
Looking for Job Type Ideas:
You may know that Biology is the major for you and are ready to proceed to the next step. But some of you are still exploring your interest in the biological field and want to know more about it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook—updated every 2 years—is a career reference that describes the job duties, working conditions, education and training requirements, earnings levels, and employment levels and projected employment change, and employment prospects for hundreds of occupations. It presents the analysis of the Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment projections, along with related information, to help students and job seekers identify and learn about careers. Explore these job descriptions at: http://www.bls.gov/search/ooh.asp?ct=OOH. Use search words like: biology, marine, genetics, ecology, animals, plants, research, outdoor field work, biology, medicine, or any of your interest areas.
Question #20: When should Biology Majors take the GRE and should majors take the Subject exam?
Answer #20: Even if you are not sure you want to go the graduate school, be advised to take your GRE or specialty exam in your senior year or right after graduation. You will do your best when the materials are fresh in your mind. The results are good for 5 years. You will need to know what graduate schools you might apply so that you can check if they require additional exam requirements.
BE PREPARED to take the GRE! This is an expensive and day-long exam. There are many tutorials and classes you can take to prepare for this exam. Ask your adviser, the Career Services Center, and biology graduate students for advice. Obtain information about the GRE from as many sources as possible.
Question #21: What do students need to do to get a Biology Minor?
Answer #21: The Biology Minor organizes classes in a way that help students take biology classes which complement your major. The Biology Minor Checklist may be printed from the program web page http://www.biol.wwu.edu/biology/PDF_files/05-06Minor.pdf or pick up a form in the Biology Department Office. Starting Fall 05, all biology minor students are under the same average grade requirements and must apply to take Biol 300/400-level classes when they are completing Biol 206. See these average grade requirements under “Question #5” or on the Biology Minor Checklist form. Biology Minors are to consult with their major adviser about what biology classes are best for them. Remember that 20 credits of Biology need to be taken at WWU to complete a Biology Minor.
Anytime before your graduation, your major adviser and the Biology Department Chair need to sign the Biology Minor checklist form. When your major advisor has signed your Biology Minor Checklist form, you may drop off the Minor Checklist for the Biology Department Chair signature in the Biology Department Office (BI315). Pick up the signed Biology Minor checklist in a couple of days and take it to the Registrar's Office.
Additional Questions about the Biology Department?
Contact Nancy Kirchgatter, Program Manager and Advisor, Nancy.Kirchgatter@wwu.edu
