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Professor Martha J. Powell, Chairperson
Office: 319 Biology Bldg.
The department offers programs leading to the master of science, master of science in marine science (biological sciences), and doctor of philosophy degrees. The graduate program is designed to make available to students a broad basic training in the biological sciences, with a specialization in the field of the research problem. Research problems are available in the following fields: aquatic entomology, biochemistry, coastal oceanography, comparative animal physiology, developmental genetics, developmental toxicology, estuarine processes, ichthyology, immunology, limnology, marine and freshwater biology, microbial ecology, microbial genetics, microbial physiology, molecular and cellular biology, plant and animal ecology, plant and animal physiological ecology, plant taxonomy, stream ecology, systematics, virology, and wetlands ecology.
The J. Nicholene Bishop Biological Station (480 acres in Hale County), the University of Alabama Arboretum (60 acres in Tuscaloosa County), the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (Dauphin Island), the Point Aux Pins Marsh Lab, and extensive plant and animal collections are available to students for study and research.
Before entering graduate study in the biological sciences, the student is expected to have a substantial knowledge of chemistry, mathematics, and physics, and to have completed basic courses in the biological sciences with high standards of scholarship. In general, a curriculum equivalent to that required of undergraduate majors in the Department of Biological Sciences is expected. Students admitted without this background may be required to make up course deficiencies without receiving graduate credit.
Two types of admission to the graduate program in the biological sciences are possible: regular admission and conditional admission. In general, to be considered for regular admission, a student must have an overall scholastic average of 3.0 (based on a 4.0 system), including a 3.0 grade point average for the last 60 hours attempted and a 3.0 average in all biological sciences courses attempted. In addition, the applicant must have received a combined score of at least 1200 on the verbal and quantitative portions on the general test of the Graduate Record Examination.
Consideration for conditional admission requires an overall scholastic average of 2.5 (based on a 4.0 system), including a 3.0 average for the last 60 hours attempted and a 3.0 average in all biological sciences courses attempted. Also required is a combined score of at least 1000 on the verbal and quantitative portions on the general test of the Graduate Record Examination. Each student admitted conditionally to the biological sciences graduate program must maintain a 3.0 average for his or her first 12 hours in the Department of Biological Sciences at The University of Alabama. All hours taken in the semester in which the student reaches 12 hours will be considered, even if by so doing the total exceeds 12 hours. If this requirement is not met, the student will be automatically dismissed without appeal following the semester in which these 12 hours are earned, except in those cases that are obviously beyond the student's control.
Students should refer to the Graduate Student Handbook of the Department of Biological Sciences for additional information.
Master of science. Two plans, I and II, are available for the M.S. degree. A student pursuing an M.S. degree under either plan is expected to submit a formal research proposal by his or her second semester in residence, and to take final written and oral examinations before the degree is granted. Plan I requires 24 hours of coursework and a formal thesis; Plan II requires 30 hours of coursework and a written research report approved by the student's graduate committee. A "B" average must be maintained in all coursework.
Doctor of philosophy. A minimum of 48 semester hours of graduate course credit is required for the Ph.D. degree. A "B" average must be maintained in all coursework. Students are also required to take at least 24 hours in BSC 699 Dissertation Research. All requirements for the Ph.D. must be completed within a period of seven years following admission to the doctoral program. There is no general requirement for a foreign language, although individual graduate committees may require a language. A formal dissertation is required, in addition to preliminary written and oral examinations and a final oral examination.
Additional information on the various degree programs is available on request from The University of Alabama, Department of Biological Sciences, Box 870344, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0344; or visit our Web site: http://www.as.ua.edu/biology.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
Courses at the 500 level are not open to students who have received credit for the same courses at the 400 level.
Prerequisites: BSC 114:115, BSC 116:117, BSC 300, or permission of the instructor.
Morphology of animals, primarily vertebrates, with emphasis on functional aspects of anatomy. Laboratory deals mainly with comparative anatomy of the vertebrates. Offered fall semester.
BSC 503:504 Introduction to Biological Sciences Instruction. Two hours.
Prerequisites: Strong background in biological sciences, formal application, and interview.
Students in the M.S. program who are not teaching assistants may receive up to 2 hours' credit. Students in the Ph.D. program who are not teaching assistants may receive up to 4 hours' credit provided they teach two different laboratories. Offered fall and spring semesters.
BSC 506 Introduction to Research in Biological Sciences. One hour.
Corequisite: Student must be in the first year of the graduate program.
Surveys research programs in biological sciences. Offered fall and spring semesters.
BSC 507 Research Techniques in Biology. One to six hours.
Individualized instruction and the application of research techniques to specific problems for graduate students in the department. Offered fall and spring semesters.
BSC 512 Limnology. Three hours. May be taken separately or with BSC 513.
A study of freshwater environments and organisms living in lakes, ponds, and streams. Offered fall semester. A. Ward.
BSC 513 Limnology Laboratory. Two hours. One laboratory period.
An optional laboratory accompanying BSC 512. Offered fall semester. A. Ward.
BSC 514 Dendrology. Three hours. One lecture and one four-hour laboratory period.
Identification, classification, characteristics, and distribution of the principal forest trees of the United States. Two weekend field trips are required. Offered alternate fall semesters. Haynes.
BSC 515 Ecology of Aquatic Plants and Wetland Ecosystems. Three hours. Three lectures.
Prerequisites: BSC 114:115 and BSC 116:117, or permission of the instructor.
Physiology and ecology of submerged, floating, and emergent aquatic plants and attached microflora of the littoral and wetland regions of aquatic ecosystems. Offered alternate spring semesters.
BSC 516 Aquatic Vascular Plants. Four hours. Two lectures and one four-hour laboratory period.
Prerequisite: BSC 434 or BSC 534.
Identification, classification, characteristics, and distribution of aquatic plant species. One weekend field trip is required. Offered alternate fall semesters. Haynes.
BSC 517 Environmental Modeling. Three hours. Two lectures and one discussion period.
Prerequisites: BSC 114:115, BSC 116:117, CH 101, CH 102, and MATH 125 (or equivalent).
An integrated survey of quantitative principles and computer-based solution techniques important for understanding environmental systems and for environmental problem solving. Offered alternate fall semesters. Roden.
BSC 520 Principles of Systematic Zoology. Three hours. Three lectures.
Prerequisites: BSC 373 or permission of the instructor.
An introduction to the principles, methods, and applications of systematic zoology and the zoological classifications. Offered alternate fall semesters. Harris, Lydeard.
BSC 521. Geomicrobiology. Three hours.
Prerequisites: One year of chemistry ( CH 101:102); either physical science ( GEO 101:102), ecology ( BSC 385), microbiology ( MBY 310), or permission of the instructor.
This interdisciplinary course examines the interrelationships between microorganisms and earth processes and environments. Topics will focus on microorganismal involvement in mineral precipitation and dissolution and processes that control distribution of elements at and below the surface of the earth, as well as geochemical and mineralogical factors that exert important controls on microbial evolution and the structure of microbial communities. A. Ward, E. Roden.
BSC 522 Climate Dynamics. Three hours.
Prerequisites: PH 101:102, MATH 125, GY 101:102.
This course will provide students with a quantitative introduction to the earth's climate on global and regional scales, including interaction between atmosphere, ocean, and biosphere. Offered alternate fall semesters. M. Ward.
BSC 523 Freshwater Ecosystems. Three hours.
Prerequisites: CH 101:102, CH 231:232 recommended, MATH 125, BSC 412/512 or equivalent. This course addresses the integration of physical and chemical components of drainage basins with biological metabolism, growth and reproduction along functional gradients of river, wetland, reservoir, and lake ecosystems. Offered alternate spring semesters.
BSC 524 Human Physiology. Three hours. Three lectures.
Prerequisite: BSC 300. May be taken with BSC 525 or separately.
Examines the cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, muscular, neural, renal, reproductive and respiratory systems. Offered spring semesters. Secor.
BSC 525 Human Physiology Laboratory. One hour. One four-hour laboratory period.
Prerequisite: BSC 424.
Corequisite: BSC 524.
Centers on principles of physiology and instrumentation for physiology. Offered alternate fall semesters. Bauman.
BSC 528 Biology of Fishes. Three hours. Two lectures and one laboratory period.
Prerequisite: BSC 373 or permission of the instructor.
A survey of the structure, function, ecology, and classification of fishes. Offered alternate spring semesters. Harris.
BSC 531 Pathogenic Microbiology. Three hours. Three lectures.
Prerequisite: BSC 311 or permission of the instructor.
A study of microorganisms related to health and disease. Offered spring semester. Winters.
BSC 532 Pathogenic Microbiology Laboratory. Three hours. One lecture and two laboratory periods.
Prerequisite: BSC 313 or permission of the instructor.
Prerequisite or corequisite: BSC 531 or permission of the instructor.
Practical experience in the isolation, characterization, and identification of pathogenic microorganisms. Offered alternate spring semesters. LeBlanc.
BSC 534 Plant Taxonomy. Four hours. Two lectures and one four-hour laboratory period.
Characteristics and distribution of the major families of vascular plants, and practice in the collection and identification of flowering plants. One weekend field trip is required. Offered alternate spring semesters. Haynes.
BSC 535 Immunology. Four hours. Three lectures.
Prerequisite: BSC 310 or permission of the instructor.
Thorough exploration of various aspects of modern immunology at the molecular and cellular levels. Offered fall semester. LeBlanc.
BSC 536 Immunology Laboratory. Three hours. One lecture and two laboratory periods.
Prerequisite: BSC 435, BSC 535, or permission of the instructor.
Practical experience in modern immunological techniques. Offered alternate spring semesters. LeBlanc.
BSC 539 Molecular Biology Laboratory. Three hours. One lecture and one four-hour laboratory period.
Prerequisites: CH 337 and either BSC 450 or BSC 550, or permission of the instructor.
A survey of the common analytical techniques used in molecular biology. Topics include protein purification and characterization, enzymology, DNA isolation and restriction endonuclease mapping, and gene cloning. Offered spring semester. Heath.
BSC 541 Developmental Biology. Three hours. Three lectures.
Prerequisites: BSC 300 and BSC 315, or permission of the instructor.
The course provides basic information about events in developing animal systems, emphasizing cellular, molecular, and genetic research approaches to the study of development. Offered spring semester. O'Donnell, Johnson.
BSC 544 General Virology. Three hours. Three lectures.
Prerequisites: BSC 300 or BSC 311, and BSC 450 or BSC 550; or permission of the instructor.
The molecular biology of bacterial, animal, and plant virus replication, including the biophysical, biochemical, and biological properties of virus particles. Offered spring semester. Winters.
BSC 550 Fundamentals of Biochemistry. Three hours. Three lectures.
Prerequisite: CH 332 or permission of the instructor.
A one-semester survey of protein structure, enzyme kinetics, bioenergetics, and metabolism and its regulation. Offered fall and spring semesters. Churchill, Heath.
BSC 551 Molecular Biology. Three hours. Three lectures.
Prerequisite or corequisite: BSC 550 or permission of the instructor.
A one-semester survey of the synthesis, processing, and degradation of DNA, RNA, and protein and the regulation of these processes. Offered spring semester. Churchill, Johnson, O'Donnell.
BSC 555 Laboratory Animal Science. Two hours. One lecture and one laboratory period.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.
A study of the husbandry and use of animals in research, including handling, housing, breeding, nutrition, diseases and parasites, basic techniques of anesthesia and surgery, and administration of drugs and medication. Offered fall and spring semesters. Neville.
BSC 556 Microbial Ecology. Three hours. Three lectures.
Prerequisite: BSC 311 or permission of the instructor.
A study of microorganisms in the environment, with emphasis on their roles in energy transformations, biogeochemical cycles, and biotic interactions. Offered alternate fall semesters. Suberkropp, Olson.
BSC 557 Microbial Ecology Laboratory. Two hours. One four-hour laboratory period.
Prerequisite: BSC 311 or permission of the instructor.
Corequisite: BSC 556.
A laboratory course that provides training in techniques for examination of the abundance, diversity, and activity of microorganisms in natural water, soil, and sediment environments. Offered alternate fall semesters. Roden, Olson.
BSC 558 Teratology. Two hours. Two lectures.
Prerequisites: BSC 315 or permission of the instructor; BSC 460 or BSC 560 is recommended.
A survey of the causes, detection, and prevention of birth defects, emphasizing developmental origins and mechanisms of abnormal development. Offered irregularly.
BSC 560 Human Developmental Biology. Three hours. Three lectures.
Prerequisites: BSC 300 and either BSC 400 or BSC 500 are recommended.
Development of the human embryo and fetus, including molecular, physiological, and structural aspects of morphogenesis and functional development. Offered irregularly.
BSC 564 Phycology. Four hours. Two lectures and one four-hour laboratory period.
Freshwater and marine algae and their structure, development, taxonomy, and distribution. Offered irregularly.
BSC 565 Principles of Toxicology. Three hours. Three lectures.
Prerequisite: BSC 300.
A study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms and of methods for predicting the likelihood of these effects. Includes descriptive, mechanistic, and regulatory aspects. Offered irregularly.
BSC 566 Environmental Toxicology. Three hours. Three lectures.
Prerequisites: CH 331 or equivalent, and BSC 300.
An introduction to the toxicology of environmental pollutants and natural toxic substances. Includes biological, chemical, and regulatory aspects and risk assessment. Offered irregularly.
BSC 572 Mycology. Three hours. Two lectures and two laboratory periods.
Prerequisite: BSC 310, BSC 371, or permission of the instructor.
An introduction to the fungi and their biology, including aspects of their structure and function, taxonomy, genetics, and ecology. Offered alternate fall semesters. Suberkropp.
BSC 575 General Entomology. Four hours. Two lectures and one four-hour laboratory period.
Prerequisite: BSC 376 or permission of the instructor.
A survey of the structure, function, classification, and habits of insects. Offered irregularly.
BSC 576 Aquatic Insects. Four hours. Two lectures and one four-hour laboratory period.
Prerequisite: BSC 475, BSC 575, or permission of the instructor.
A survey of aquatic insects, with emphasis on their identification, life histories, and ecology. Offered alternate spring semesters. M. Ward.
BSC 580 Plant Ecology. Three hours. Three lectures.
A study of the relationships of plants to their environments and of their functions in the ecosystem. Offered irregularly.
BSC 581 Plant Ecology Laboratory. One hour. One four-hour laboratory every other week.
Prerequisite or corequisite: BSC 580.
Offered irregularly.
BSC 582 Conservation Biology. Three hours. Three lectures.
A thorough examination of the principles of conservation biology. Offered alternate spring semesters. Lydeard.
BSC 584 Aquatic Biology Seminar. One hour.
Review and discussion of current topics in aquatic biology. Offered fall semester.
BSC 587 Biogeography. Three hours. Three lectures.
Prerequisite: BSC 385 or permission of the instructor.
Examination of the ecological and historical factors influencing the geographic distribution of plants and animals. Offered alternate fall semesters.
BSC 589 Forest Ecology (same as GY 589). Four hours. Three lectures.
Prerequisites: BSC 116:117 or equivalent, GY 101, and GY 102; or permission of the instructor.
BSC 590 Stream Ecology. Four hours. Two lectures and one laboratory period.
Prerequisite: BSC 385.
A thorough study of the structural (physical and biological) and functional (energy flow, nutrient cycling, community structure) attributes characteristic of stream and river ecosystems. Offered alternate spring semesters. M. Ward.
BSC 592 Aquatic Biogeochemistry. Three hours. Three lectures.
Prerequisite: GEO 470, GEO 570, or permission of the instructor.
An analysis of major and trace elemental cycles in aquatic environments, emphasizing the interaction of biological, chemical, and physical processes in a quantitative framework. Offered alternate spring semesters. Roden.
BSC 594 Signal Transduction in Neurobiology. Three hours.
Prerequisites: Undergraduate-level genetics and cell biology or developmental biology.
Seminar on current topics related to signal transduction, as it pertains to the molecular basis of neurobiology and development. Offered alternate fall semesters. Caldwell.
BSC 595 Advanced Cell Biology. Three hours. Three lectures.
Prerequisite: BSC 300 or permission of the instructor.
Presents the structures, functions, and relationships of cellular organelles and the
cytoskeleton. Offered fall semester. Smith-Somerville.
BSC 596 Bioremediation. Three hours. Three lectures.
Prerequisite: BSC 450 or BSC 550, and CH 331; or permission of the instructor.
Study of the biological degradation of toxic chemicals in the environment. Offered
irregularly. Churchill.
BSC 598 Research Not Related to Thesis. One to fifteen hours. Pass/fail.
Offered fall and spring semesters.
BSC 599 Thesis Research. One to fifteen hours. Pass/fail.
Offered fall and spring semesters.
BSC 602 Advanced Molecular Research Seminar. One hour. Pass/fail.
Student presentations of research background and current results. Students may enroll each semester. Offered fall and spring semesters. O'Donnell.
BSC 603 Current Topics in Molecular Biology. One hour. Pass/fail.
Student presentations of current research literature. Offered fall and spring semesters. Johnson.
BSC 604 Development, Toxicology, and Physiology Seminar. One hour. Pass/fail.
Offered irregularly.
BSC 605 Ecology and Systematics Seminar. One hour. Pass/fail.
Offered fall and spring semesters.
BSC 606 Advanced Ecology and Systematics Seminar. One hour. Pass/fail.
Students attend and participate in a one-hour weekly seminar and present a 45-minute seminar during the semester. The seminar presented should be a synthesis of research on a particular topic in ecology or systematics, requires a practice session, and includes written evaluations by the faculty.
BSC 607 Advanced Research Techniques in Biology. One to six hours.
Individualized instruction and the application of research techniques to specific problems at an advanced level for graduate students in the department. Offered fall and spring semesters.
BSC 612 Aquatic Secondary Production. Three hours. Three lectures.
A study of the population and production dynamics of aquatic animals, including theory, methods, and interpretation of the role of animals in ecosystem bioenergetics. Offered alternate spring semesters. Benke.
BSC 613 Aquatic Ecosystem Ecology. Two hours. Seminar/discussion.
Prerequisite: BSC 412, BSC 512, or permission of the instructor.
Analysis of the structure of and functional interactions and fluxes among physical, chemical, and biological components of aquatic ecosystems. Functional commonalities are sought among diverse ecosystems (lakes, rivers, reservoirs, shallow waters, land-water interfaces). Offered irregularly.
BSC 631 Molecular Genetics of Lower Eukaryotes. Three hours.
Prerequisites: BSC 300, BSC 315.
Survey of lower eukaryotic model systems using current and historical literature with an emphasis on the usefulness of these organisms to address particular biological questions. Offered alternate fall semesters. Johnson, Smith-Somerville.
BSC 632 Higher Eukaryotic Genetic Model Systems. Three hours.
Critical analysis of higher eukaryotic genetic model systems used in modern molecular research. Offered alternate spring semesters. Oppenheimer.
BSC 633 Critique of Research in Molecular Biology. Three hours.
Prerequisites: Any two graduate courses in molecular and cellular biology.
Critical analysis of current research in molecular biology. Narrow topics from rapidly moving fields will be selected for detailed reading and class discussion. Offered alternate fall semesters. Stephenson, Johnson.
BSC 634 Practical Molecular Biology. Three hours.
Prerequisites: Undergraduate-level biochemistry and genetics courses.
This course presents the theoretical basis for commonly used molecular biology procedures that are in general use in all fields of biology. Offered spring semester. Churchill, O'Donnell.
BSC 635 Developmental Genetics. Three hours. Two lectures and one discussion period.
Prerequisite: BSC 441, BSC 541, or equivalent.
A course in the genetic and molecular mechanisms of development for graduate students. Offered alternate fall semesters. Stephenson.
BSC 651 Population Ecology. Three hours.
Prerequisites: BSC 385 or equivalent and MATH 125 or equivalent.
Theory and practice of population ecology (plants and animals); sampling, population processes, regulation, interspecific interactions, age structure analysis, and applications in resource management. Offered alternate fall semesters. Benke.
BSC 652 Community Ecology. Three hours.
Prerequisites: BSC 385 or equivalent; MATH 125 or equivalent; CHS 525; ST 550 or equivalent.
Thorough investigation of theory and empirical studies of ecological communities (plant, animal, microbial), including methods, community structure, diversity, succession, links to ecosystem function, resource management. Offered alternate spring semesters. Arrington.
BSC 656 Microscopical Techniques. Four hours.
Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.
An introduction to the methods and applications of electron microscopy in biological research, including techniques for preparation of biological specimens, operation of the transmission and scanning electron microscopes, and photography. Offered irregularly. Smith-Somerville.
BSC 660 Protein Structure and Function. Three hours. Three lectures.
Prerequisite: BSC 439, BSC 539, CH 462, or CH 562.
A study of the structure and function of proteins: enzymatic reaction mechanisms and enzyme kinetics. Offered fall semester. Churchill.
BSC 685 Advanced Ecology. Four hours.
An accelerated survey of the general principles of ecology, covering evolution, auteceology, energetics, nutrient cycling, population dynamics, competition, predation, and community analysis. Offered irregularly.
BSC 695 Special Topics in Biological Sciences. One to four hours.
Courses with this number may address any biological topic not covered by existing courses. The credit hours and format are arranged as appropriate to each topic. The specific course title is added at the time the course is taught. Offered irregularly.
BSC 696 Resident Study at an Approved Biological Station. Two to six hours.
Prerequisite: Written approval from the department must be received in advance.
Credit for the course is determined by the extent of the coursework. Offered fall and spring semesters.
BSC 698 Research Not Related to Dissertation. One to fifteen hours. Pass/fail.
Offered fall and spring semesters.
BSC 699 Dissertation Research. Three to fifteen hours. Pass/fail.
Offered fall and spring semesters.
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