Biology

First-Year Applicants

All freshman applicants to Florida Southern Colleges full-time degree programs must submit the following information:

• A completed application form
• An official high school transcript
• SAT and/or ACT scores (unless applying Test-Optional)
• Academic recommendation

Transfer Applicants

Applying to Florida Southern as a transfer student is easy. Submit:

• A completed application form
• Personal statement
• All official college transcripts
• Social standing form

If transferring fewer than 24 credits, also include your official high school transcript and SAT/ACT scores.

Learn More about transfer admissions

International Applicants

Review all international admission requirements

FSC's Biology curriculum is comprehensive and flexible, built to serve students pursuing pre-professional programs, graduate research, and careers across the biological sciences. The Department of Biology includes many types of engaged learning activities throughout all courses: lab components, field trips, problem-based learning, case studies, group discussions, and the use of scientific computer programs are woven into coursework at every level.

All biology students have the opportunity to design and implement their own original research project. Research is not reserved for your senior year; it is integrated throughout the program, building toward presentation at the Biology Department's annual poster competition and, for outstanding projects, national and international scientific conferences.

Pre-Professional Program (P3)

More than 90% of students who complete FSC's Pre-Professional Program (P3) are accepted into their professional program of choice. P3 provides expert advising, guided workshops, and personalized strategic support, ensuring that every aspect of your undergraduate experience, from coursework to research to extracurriculars, positions you as a highly competitive applicant to medical, dental, veterinary, and other health professional programs.

Secondary Education Certification

Students who complete both the Biology major and the required professional education courses through FSC's School of Education will meet the certification requirements for teaching Biology in the state of Florida at the secondary level (grades 6-12).

The BS in Biology is a 124-credit hour degree with 72-77 hours of major requirements. The curriculum is built around a rigorous science core and a broad elective structure that allows students to tailor their program to their specific goals.

Note: All biology majors and minors must earn a grade of C or better in all BIO courses and courses cross-listed with BIO.

Science and Mathematics Core

All Biology majors complete a foundational sequence spanning the three core Biology courses (Biological Essentials, Organismal Biology, and Ecology and Evolution), two semesters of general chemistry, two semesters of organic chemistry with laboratory, biostatistics, and two semesters of physics. This core provides the scientific breadth that medical, dental, veterinary, and graduate programs require.

Biology Electives

Students choose 20 semester hours of biology electives, at least eight of which must be at the 3000 or 4000 level, from a wide-ranging list covering marine biology, human anatomy and physiology, genetics, microbiology, cell biology, animal behavior, tropical ecology, parasitology, bioinformatics, neuroscience, conservation biology, and more. This flexibility allows students to build a program tailored to medicine, ecology, marine science, or any other direction they want to pursue.

Research Requirement

All Biology majors complete four to six hours of original research, choosing from ecology research, molecular biology research, site-specific research in biology, or an honors senior thesis with departmental approval.

The Biology Minor is a natural complement for students in any major who want a stronger scientific foundation alongside their primary field of study. It is particularly well suited for students pursuing pre-health careers who are majoring in chemistry, psychology, exercise science, or another discipline, and want the breadth of biological coursework that professional school prerequisites require. It is also a popular addition for any student that wants a deeper grounding in the life sciences.

The minor requires 20 hours of BIO courses that count toward the Biology major, excluding BIO 1005 and BIO 2280. With the breadth of elective options available, spanning marine biology, genetics, ecology, cell biology, anatomy and physiology, animal behavior, and more, students can tailor the minor to their specific interests and career goals.

Biology students at FSC are part of a close-knit scientific community with access to a strong network of pre-professional and honor organizations. Get involved with:

• Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society, national biological honor society
• Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Professional Honor Society, for students pursuing health professional programs
• Rho Rho Rho Marine and Atmospheric Honor Society, for students with interests in marine and environmental science
• Scientista, a student organization exploring the roles and accomplishments of women in science.

Yes. FSC's Biology program is one of the strongest pre-med foundations in Florida, with a Pre-Professional Program that provides expert advising and guided workshops, a LECOM Early Acceptance Program that gives qualified students a direct pathway to medical school, access to the Anatomage table and state-of-the-art Berend Good Labs, and a 14:1 student-faculty ratio that means faculty know your goals and how to help you reach them. Graduates have been accepted to medical programs at Duke, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Miami, and Auburn, among others.

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) is one of the nation's most renowned medical colleges. FSC's partnership with LECOM allows qualified students to apply for early acceptance into LECOM's College of Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, School of Pharmacy, or School of Podiatric Medicine, before completing their bachelor's degree. High school students who meet requirements may apply for conditional acceptance into both FSC and LECOM simultaneously.

The Tiny Earth Network is an authentic undergraduate research program affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison that engages students in the search for novel antibiotics from soil bacteria, one of the most pressing challenges in modern medicine. FSC is a partner institution, and Biology students begin working in the Tiny Earth program in their very first semester.

Biology is one of the most versatile science degrees available. FSC Biology graduates pursue careers as physicians, physician assistants, dentists, optometrists, pharmacists, veterinarians, physical therapists, research scientists, public health professionals, science educators, and science policy analysts. The analytical and research skills the program develops transfer across a remarkable range of fields.

Yes. Biology is one of the most common and well-suited majors for pre-dental and pre-veterinary students. The required coursework aligns directly with the prerequisite requirements of most dental and veterinary programs, and FSC's LECOM partnership provides a direct early acceptance pathway to dental school for qualified students.

Every FSC Biology student completes original research in collaboration with a faculty mentor. Students present their findings at the Biology Department's annual poster competition, and outstanding projects go on to national and international scientific conferences. FSC students are also competitive applicants for NSF-funded summer research programs, with Mocs earning positions at the University of Chicago and the University of New Mexico.