Advising Information for Biology Majors

Listed here are some hints and guidelines to help you proceed through your academic career as a Biological Sciences major.

General information

If you feel that you are having academic problems, please talk to a faculty advisor. Let us help you before the problems become too great. Come to the Department Office and one of the secretaries will be happy to assist you in contacting a faculty advisor. Peer help is available to you through Beta Beta Beta (Biology Honors Club). Inquire about tutoring through Department advisors or from Tri-Beta's faculty Advisor.

You should refer to the Catalog for prerequisites and rules governing your academic career at UNO, including procedures for grade appeals, late adds, drops or resignations.

The "University Student Handbook" contains a lot of useful information. It can be accessed online or you can request a copy from the Office of the Dean of Student Life (280-6222).

The College Office (SC 1100) handles late adds, drops or resignations, as well as printing unofficial transcripts and mid-term grade reports (Freshman only).

A course failed at UNO must be repeated at UNO for earned credit. A student may not fail a course here, take the course at another institution, return to UNO and receive credit for that course.

Placement tests

Consult the "Placement tests" section of the current UNO Bulletin (available online and at the bookstore) to determine which English and Math class you should take. You may always take a course at a lower level than your placement scores indicate but never higher. Sometimes it is better to take the lower level course, especially if your scores are marginal; the difference could mean higher grades during your academic career.

You must be qualified for both ENGL 1157 and MATH 1125 in order to be placed in any BIOS Course.

Course load and credit hours

To be considered full time, you must take at least 12 credit hours for the Fall and Spring semesters, and at least 6 credit hours for the Summer semester. On average, each credit hour of class requires 3 hours of work per week i.e. a 15 credit hour course load will require 45 hours per week of your time. New students are advised not to take more than 15 credit hours for the first semester. You are not allowed to take more than 19 credit hours without permission from the Dean of the College. If you are placed on probation, you will not be allowed to register for more than 13 hours.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites are listed in the current UNO catalog (available online or at the bookstore). Prerequisites can change at any time. Please keep abreast of prerequisite changes. The catalog that you entered under might list different prerequisites, but everyone must adhere to the current prerequisites.

Prerequisites apply to all students: undergraduate and graduate students: College of Sciences majors or non-science majors. The policy of the Department of Biological Sciences regarding prerequisites for courses is strictly enforced. Do not register for a Biological Sciences course for which you do not have the proper prerequisite(s) because the Department will purge students and request an administrative drop from the course. Prerequisite means: SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION of a course with a grade of "C" or higher. Concurrent enrollment in a course does not suffice for prerequisite. Prerequisites for generic number courses (BIOS 3490, 3590, 4490, 4590) can be obtained from the Departmental Office (CRC 200). BIOS 2002, 2092, 3092, and 4091 are considered research courses and do not suffice as a prerequisite for other courses.

A freshman may enter a 2000 level course if s/he has completed the prerequisites for the course.

An undergraduate or post baccalaureate student (Classifications 1-5) may not enroll in a 6000 level course; these courses are designed graduate level students alone.

Introductory courses

Biology introductory courses for Freshman Majors are BIOS 1073/ 1071 (Biodiversity lecture and lab) and BIOS 1083/1081 (Form and Function lecture and lab). Either one may be taken first. Both lecture and lab must be taken concurrently unless you have prior successful completion of either lecture or lab. In this case, please come to the Departmental Office (CRC 200) for a waiver form so that you will be able to register for lecture without lab or vice-versa without fear of being dropped. If no waiver form is obtained previously, you will be dropped from the rolls of the particular course for which you registered. Please help prevent this from happening and obtain a waiver form.

Do not take BIOS 1063/1061 or BIOS 1053/1051; these courses are designed for non-science majors and cannot be counted towards your degree.

Chemistry requirements: CHEM 1017 requires successful (or exemption from) completion of MATH 1125 or a score of 23 or higher on the ACT. Do not take CHEM 1023; Biology majors must take CHEM 1028 instead.

Grades

You may repeat a course for which you have not received a satisfactory grade ("C" or better) at any time. If you have under 60 hours you may "Repeat/Delete" up to 9 hours of credit for which you received unsatisfactory grades and have those grades "Deleted" from you UNO GPA (this pertains to courses under the 3000 level. Only courses taken at UNO can be repeated/deleted). This does not delete the record of the grades from your official transcripts. "Repeat/Delete" Forms may be obtained in the College Office (SC 1100). "Repeat/Deletes" are not done automatically. This process is designed only for your GPA at UNO. If you transfer to another College/University, they will count all grades in your GPA. Your complete academic career will be shown on your transcript.

You may not repeat a course in which you have received a grade of "C" or better without obtaining permission from the Dean of the College or the catalog description states that the course may be repeated for credit.

If you are in a remedial course, the grading system is "P", "S", "U", or "F". If you receive any other grade than an "F", the credit hours are not figured into your GPA. If you receive an "F", the credit hours ARE figured into your GPA.

Grade Appeal (Final Grade only): First, talk to the instructor of the course to be certain there has been no error in his/her calculations or another type of error occurred. If problem cannot be resolved, make an appointment with the Chair of the Department. You may request, in writing, a presentation of the case to the Departmental Appeals Board after following due procedures.

Grade of "I": A grade of "I" automatically becomes a grade of "F" if it is not converted before the deadline for adding courses for credit (as printed in the catalog) of the next regular semester (Fall or Spring) i.e. all work must be completed by this date.

Amnesty: You may elect to take "Amnesty" after three years of absence from University, College or Junior College course work. Amnesty starts you out with a clean slate at UNO. Amnesty does not "wipe" the grades off of your official transcript. If you transfer to another University, your entire performance is recorded on your transcript.

Transfer students

Grades of "D" are not transferable to UNO from any university/college.

If you are a transfer student who needs to have courses above the freshman level evaluated, you should seek help through the Departmental Office (504-280-6307; CC 200).