Natural Sciences Department
Chairperson: Mark Corson
Faculty: Peter Adam, Robert Arndt, Michael Bellamy, Kelsey Bowlin, Jeffrey Bradley, Leticia Cabrera, Alisha Campbell, James Campbell, Himadri Chakraborty, Gregg Dieringer, Christopher DiLoreto, Arghya Goswami, Kurt Haberyan, Vincent Hustad, Rafiq Islam, Ahmed Malkawi, Jay McGhee, Mohammed Meziani, John Pope, David Richardson, Shelley Riley, Rená Smith, Kathleen Spears, Gretchen Thornsberry, Jeffry Thornsberry, Richard Toomey, Patricia Warner, Clifton Watkins
Statement of Mission
Northwest Missouri State University focuses on student success—every student every day.
Degree Programs
The Department of Natural Sciences offers a wide range of programs leading to Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in the areas of biology, biochemistry, biology/psychology, chemistry, A.C.S. accredited chemistry, clinical laboratory sciences, earth science, ecology, environmental geology, environmental science, geology, marine biology, medicinal chemistry, nanoscale biology, nanoscale chemistry, nanoscale physics, physics, radiologic sciences, and wildlife ecology and conservation. Tracks in biology include general biology, cellular/molecular, and biomedical sciences.
The Department also offers Bachelor of Science in Education degrees in the areas of biology and chemistry.
In addition to the various degree programs, the Department of Natural Sciences provides guidance, information, and preparatory coursework on many career path areas including dental hygiene, dentistry, engineering, medicine, occupational therapy, optometry, physical therapy, pharmacy, physician's assistant, respiratory therapy and veterinary medicine.
Advanced Standing Requirement
A student qualifies for advanced standing as a biology major after the completion of 45 semester hours. In addition, all Biology majors and minors must complete the following classes with a grade of C or better: BIOL 04112/BIOL 04113 General Botany and Laboratory and BIOL 04114/BIOL 04115 General Zoology and Laboratory. All Biology majors and minors must also earn a grade of C or better in all biology course prerequisites prior to moving to a higher level course.
A student can receive advanced standing for the Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and A.C.S. accredited Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry when he/she has earned a grade of C or better in MATH 17120, CHEM 24114/CHEM 24115 and CHEM 24116/CHEM 24117. Requirements to achieve advanced standing for the Bachelor of Arts degree are a grade of C or better in MATH 17118, CHEM 24114/CHEM 24115 and CHEM 24116/CHEM 24117. All chemistry courses that are prerequisites to other chemistry courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher before a more advanced course may be taken. It is recommended that students take sequential courses in adjacent semesters.
All geology courses that are prerequisites to other geology courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher before a more advanced course may be taken.
Department Policies
Students enrolled in biology and chemistry laboratory courses are expected to sign a safety contract, purchase dissecting kits, laboratory coats, gloves, and eye protection devices. In addition, students may be expected to purchase laboratory manuals and/or field guides to supplement the textbook.
Problem courses (BIOL 04429, BIOL 04439, BIOL 04479, BIOL 04489) supplement regular course offerings. They may consist of acquisition of information from library sources, the actual pursuit of a research project, special courses on demand, or similar activities. The student is expected to work independently, but under the supervision of an instructor familiar with the area being studied. It is imperative that the student obtain written consent from the intended instructor prior to enrolling in the course. Written reports are due upon completion of the project and oral reports may be required. Credit is variable (1-3 hours) with a minimum of three to five hours per week expected for each credit hour, depending on the nature of the problem. A maximum of three hours is allowed to be applied toward a biology major or minor, but additional hours may be counted as general electives.
Current topics courses (BIOL 04210, BIOL 04510) may be repeated for additional experience, new material and progression of study. A maximum of eight credit hours is allowed to be applied toward a biology major or minor, but additional hours may be counted as general electives.
Special courses in marine science (marine botany, marine zoology, marine invertebrate zoology, estuarine and marsh ecology, marine mammals, marine ornithology, marine microbiology, marine vertebrate zoology and ichthyology, physical marine geology, chemical marine geology and marine chemistry) are available during the summer at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Contact the Marine Biology advisor, Department of Natural Sciences, for information and arrangements before February 1, as applications are required due to limited enrollment.
All students desiring a biology degree must complete a minimum of 15 hours of biology coursework (BIOL 04-xxx) from the Natural Sciences Department.
All biology graduating seniors (majors only) are required to take the ACAT subject matter test and provide the department with test results prior to graduation approval. ACAT exams are offered as part of BIOL 04491, Biological Science Seminar. All secondary education majors are also required to take the exit content exam in their endorsement areas for state certification.
Preparation for Medical, Dental, and Veterinary Programs
The Department of Natural Sciences at Northwest Missouri State University provides students with a number of different ways of preparing themselves for admission to professional programs in medicine (both M.D. and D.O.), dentistry, and veterinary medicine. Students are encouraged to speak with faculty advisors in order to identify the best path for them to achieve their goal.
Students interested in attending a medical program should be aware of prerequisites for admission to their intended school. These include minimum coursework in biology, chemistry, physics, and classes in our general education curriculum. In addition to these minimum requirements, students should select a major that provides them with enough additional coursework to give them the best possible chance of scoring well on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). This would include coursework in genetics, microbiology, physiology, anatomy, psychology, and sociology. For this reason, a number of different majors will successfully prepare students to go on to medical school. These include majors such as Comprehensive B.S. in Biology: Biomedical Track, Comprehensive B.S. in Biology: Cell/Molecular Track, B.S. in Chemistry: Biochemistry Emphasis, and B.S. in Chemistry: Medicinal Chemistry Emphasis.
Students interested in attending a dental program will find that entrance requirements are very similar to the entrance requirements for medical school. For this reason, majors such as Comprehensive B.S. in Biology: Biomedical Track, Comprehensive B.S. in Biology: General Biology Track, and B.S. in Chemistry: Medicinal Chemistry Emphasis would be appropriate selections.
Students planning on applying to programs in veterinary medicine would be wise to select a major such as Comprehensive B.S. in Biology: Biomedical Track or the Animal Science (Pre-Veterinary Option) offered through the School of Agricultural Sciences. Both of these major programs should provide students with the necessary prerequisites for admission. Students that take the Biology path are encouraged to complete additional elective coursework in Animal Science to supplement their educational background.
In addition to coursework, students intending to apply to medical school, dental school or veterinary school will need to gain additional experience shadowing, observing, and working in the work environment or their chosen field. This experience should be gained throughout the student's undergraduate career.
Test-Out Policy
Undergraduate students may test out of certain lower division courses in chemistry and physics. Examinations are only available during the first week of class.
Internship and Independent Study
Geology students may apply for no more than six credit hours of combined internship and independent study hours toward their major requirements.