Majors, Minors, and Certificate Programs
This section outlines the specific requirements for every program in the College of Arts and Sciences that begin with the letters E and F.
Ecology
See Biological Sciences or Environmental and Plant Biology.Economics
Economics (B.A.)
Major code BA4221
Two opportunities are open to students interested in majoring in economics: a liberal arts program in the College of Arts and Sciences and a business economics program in the College of Business. To major in economics in the College of Arts and Sciences, you must complete the B.A. degree requirements of the college and the following program:
MATH 163A Intro to Calculus 4
40 hours of economics, including:
ECON 103 Prin. of Microeconomics 4 ECON 104 Prin. of Macroeconomics 4 ECON 303 Microeconomics 4 ECON 304 Macroeconomics 4 ECON 381 Intro to Econ. Statistics and Econometrics 4 ECON 385 Intro to Econ. Methodology and Research 4 or ECON 482 Topics in Econometrics
If you have definite career goals, you are encouraged to follow a specific track within the economics major. A track identifies electives that are most relevant to a given career. Additional information is available from the Department of Economics.
Courses for the prelaw track
ECON 213 Current Economic Problems 4 ECON 316 Economics and the Law 4 ECON 332 Industrial Organization 4 ECON 334 Econ. and Antitrust Law 4 ECON 337 Govt. Reg. of Business 4
Courses for the policy analysis track
ECON 213 Current Economic Problems 4 ECON 312 Economics of Poverty 4 ECON 313 Econ. of the Environment 4 ECON 315 Economics of Health Care 4 ECON 425 Public Policy Economics 4 ECON 430 Public Finance 4
Courses for the business economics track
ECON 305 Managerial Economics 4 ECON 320 Labor Economics 4 ECON 332 Industrial Organization 4 ECON 337 Govt. Reg. of Business 4 ECON 340 International Trade 4 ECON 360 Money and Banking 4
Economics Minor
Minor code OR4221
A minor in economics consists of a minimum of 28 credit hours in economics including ECON 103 Prin. of Microeconomics 4 ECON 104 Prin. of Macroeconomics 4 ECON 303 Microeconomics 4 ECON 304 Macroeconomics 4
At least two other courses at the 300 level or above
Economics Pre-Foreign Service Major (B.A.)
Special Curriculum; major code BA4223
To prepare for the annual foreign service officer examinations, you are advised to acquire as broad an education as possible. Facility in written and spoken English; competency in a foreign language; and a good background in economics, history, political science, business, or public administration are essential. A pre-foreign service major is available through the Departments of Economics, History, or Political Science. You can obtain detailed information about foreign service officer examinations, including sample questions from previous examinations, from these departments. Economics-Prelaw Major (B.A.)
Special curriculum; major code BA4222
If you are in the College of Arts and Sciences and plan to enter law school, complete the specific requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree. No special curriculum is prescribed; as a prelaw major, you may complete a major of your principal interest. The Departments of Economics, English, History, Philosophy, Political Science, and Sociology have designated advisors assigned to help students interested in law careers. For further information, see Law in this section of the catalog. English
The Department of English offers majors in English, creative writing, prelaw, and pretheology. If you are an Arts and Sciences student seeking secondary school teaching certification in English, you will complete that portion of your degree program by satisfying the requirements under Integrated Language Arts in the College of Education section of the catalog.Honors work in English is available through (1) the Honors Tutorial College-see Departmental Honors under Honors Tutorial College, (2) an intensive two-year major program by tutorial instruction offered by the department beginning each fall quarter-information is available from the department, or (3) English 499H-information is available from the department.
Due to changes in standards for teacher licensure in the State of Ohio, the current program in English is subject to change. If you are interested in becoming licensed to teach English at the secondary level (middle school or high school), read the section on Integrated Language Arts and contact the Office of Student Services in the College of Education.
English Major (B.A.)
Major Code BA5231
The major requirement for the literature-based B.A. degree consists of at least 56 hours above 199, including: Two of the following three:
ENG 201 Critical Appr. to Fiction 4 ENG 202 Critical Appr. to Poetry 4 ENG 203 Critical Appr. to Drama 4 ENG 301 Shakespeare: Histories 4 or ENG 302 Shakespeare: Comedies or ENG 303 Shakespeare: Tragedies
Two of the following three:
ENG 311 English Lit. to 1500 4 ENG 312 English Lit 1500-1660 4 ENG 313 English Lit 1660-1800 4 ENG 314 English Lit 1800-1900 4 or ENG 315 English Lit 1900-Present
Two of the following three:
ENG 321 American Lit. to 1865 4 ENG 322 American Lit. 1865-1918 4 ENG 323 American Lit. 1918-Pres. 4 ENG 351 Hist. of the English Lang. 4 or ENG 352 Dev. of Amer. English 4 or ENG 353 Struct. of Amer. English 4 ENG 399 Literary Theory 4 ENG 460 Literary Topics 4 ENG 464 Major English Authors 4 or ENG 465 Major American Authors 4 or ENG 466 Major Intl. Authors 4
Two 300-or 400-level elective
ENG 307J is a prerequisite for ENG 399 and consequently for ENG 460, 464, 465, and 466. You are encouraged to satisfy your Tier I junior composition requirement with 307J. Because a "J" course taken to satisfy the Tier I requirement will not count toward hours in the major, 307J is not listed with other major requirements.
English Minor
Minor code OR5231
The English minor consists of a minimum of 28 hours above 199, includingTwo of the following courses:
ENG 201 Critical Appr. to Fiction 4 ENG 202 Critical Appr. to Poetry 4 ENG 203 Critical Appr. to Drama 4
One of the following:
ENG 311 English Lit. to 1500 4 ENG 312 English Lit 1500-1660 4 ENG 313 English Lit 1660-1800 4 ENG 314 English Lit 1800-1900 4 ENG 315 English Lit 1900-Present 4
One of the following
ENG 321 American Lit. to 1865 4 ENG 322 American Lit. 1865-1918 4 ENG 323 American Lit. 1918-Pres. 4
Three additional courses above 299
English-Creative Writing Major (B.A.)
Special curriculum; major code BA5232
By combining selected creative writing courses with the regular English major, you can complete a special program in creative writing. To major in creative writing, you will take 16 hours of creative writing, 12 of which will be in addition to the requirements for an English major, and 4 of which will be 481 or 482 or 483 instead of 460. English-Prelaw Major (B.A.)
Special curriculum; major code BA5234
If you are in the College of Arts and Sciences and plan to enter law school, complete the specific requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree in English (BA5231, BA5232) and take relevant electives in other schools and departments. Consult your faculty advisor. Law schools prescribe no special curriculum. As a prelaw major, you may complete a major of your principal interest. The Departments of Economics, English, History, Philosophy, Political Science, and Sociology have designated advisors assigned to help students interested in law careers. For further information, see "Law" in this section of the catalog. English-Pretheology Major (B.A.)
Special curriculum; major code VBA5233
If you plan to enter a theological seminary or do graduate study in religion, it is recommended that you take a broad program, including the following (with suggested minimum quarter hours): philosophy (12); courses on the texts and history of religions (15); English composition and literature, world literature (21); history, including HIST 354, 356C, and 370 (15); social sciences (21); foreign languages (18); natural sciences (9); public speaking (3). Arrange your program to meet the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree and the university General Education Requirements. It is advisable to major in philosophy, English, or one of the social sciences. Check the entrance requirements of the theological seminaries, other religious educational institutions, or graduate schools of your choice and plan your curriculum accordingly. A pretheology major is also available from the Department of History or Philosophy. Study of the Environment
The study of the environment includes the physical nature of the planet as well as plant and animal interactions involving other living organisms, space, land, and water. The Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Environmental and Plant Biology, Geography, and Geological Sciences offer programs for preparation in the study of the environment. These programs allow you to develop a fundamental knowledge of the nature of basic environmental parameters; a sense of the complex interactions of living organisms, including humans, on those parameters; and a basis for approaching solutions to problems resulting from this impact. To major in the study of the environment at Ohio University, choose a discipline for intensive investigation (biological sciences, chemistry, environmental and plant biology, geography, geological sciences, microbiology) and, in consultation with an advisor in that department, develop a program to meet your goals.The following degree programs are offered:
- Preparation for Environmental Biology (Biological Sciences Emphasis)
- Preparation for Environmental Biology (Plant Biology Emphasis)
- Preparation for Environmental Chemistry
- Preparation for Environmental Geography
- Preparation for Environmental Geology
In addition, the Department of Geography offers an environmental prelaw major.
For the specific requirements of each program, refer to the respective department's listing in this section of the catalog.
The College of Arts and Sciences sponsors the undergraduate Environmental Studies Certificate Program for students who are interested in environmental studies but do not wish to major in the field. The program is available to students in any major within the university. See the Environmental Studies Certificate Program listing in this section for requirements.
Environmental and Plant Biology
For students interested in careers in plant biology, plant pathology, biotechnology, environmental biology, natural resources, conservation, field biology, agronomy, plant breeding, freshwater and marine biology, or cell biology, the Department of Environmental and Plant Biology offers major programs in plant biology, environmental biology, field biology, advanced training in plant biology, and cell biology and biotechnology.Plant Biology Major (B.A. or B.S.)
Major codes BA2111, BS2111
The B.A. degree in plant biology is designed for students interested in the plant sciences who desire a broad liberal education. The flexibility in this program allows for either a minor or second major in another discipline such as economics, business administration, computer science, anthropology, sociology, geography, geological sciences, microbiology, or biological sciences. If you plan to do graduate studies in plant biology or a related biological science, consult a departmental advisor for assistance in selecting a program to prepare you for an advanced degree. Requirements for the B.A. degreeare a minimum of 40 credit hours in PBIO, including
PBIO 110, 111 Intro to Plant Biology 12
Minimum of two courses from each of the following three areas:
Area A
BIO 331 Plant Genetics 5 PBIO 412 Plant Pathology 5 PBIO 424 Plant Physiology 6 PBIO 427 Molecular Genetics 3 PBIO 431 Cell Biology 5 PBIO 450 Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering 4 PBIO 453 Develop. Physiology 4
Area B
PBIO 309 Plant Systematics and Ohio Flora 6 PBIO 321 Agricultural Plant Ecology 4 PBIO 322 Tropical Plant Ecology 4 PBIO 425 Plant Ecology 5 PBIO 426 Physiol. Plant Ecology 5 PBIO 475 Plant Speciation and Evolution 3
Area C
PBIO 307 Morphology of Algae and Bryophytes 6 PBIO 308 Morph. of Vascular Plants 6 PBIO 310 Biology of Fungi 5 PBIO 312 Plant Anatomy 5 PBIO 420 Freshwater Algae 5 PBIO 460 Paleobotany 6
Extradepartmental requirements
CHEM 121, 122, 123 Prin. of Chemistry 12 BIOS 171, 173 Intro to Zoology 6
One course from the following:
MATH 163A Intro to Calculus 4 or MATH 263A Calculus 4 MATH 250 Intro to Prob. and Stat. 4 CS 210 Programming in C 5 PSY 120 Elem. Statistical Reasoning 4
Requirements for the B.S. degreeare a minimum of 50 credit hours in PBIO, including
PBIO 110, 111 Intro to Plant Biology 12 PBIO 404 Undergraduate Research 2-6 PBIO 415 Quantitative Methods in Plant Biology 5
A minimum of two courses from each of areas A, B, and C listed under B.A. requirements.
Additional courses to complete the 50 credit hour requirement are to be selected from areas A, B, or C, or from other PBIO courses numbered above 200, with the exception of those courses not intended for plant biology majors.
Extradepartmental requirements:
CHEM 121, 122, 123 Princ. of Chemistry 12 CHEM 301, 302 Organic Chemistry 6 BIOS 171, 173 Intro to Zoology 6 PHYS 201, 202, 203 Intro to Physics 15 MATH 163A, 163B Intro to Calculus 7 or MATH 263A, 263B Calculus 8 PSY 221 Statistics for Beh. Sci. 5
Plant Biology Minor
Minor code OR2111
Requirements for a minor in plant biology consist of a minimum of 28 credit hours of coursework in plant biology, including PBIO 110 and 111, and at least two courses at the 300 level or above. Plant Biology-Cell Biology and Biotechnology Major (B.S.) Special curriculum; major code BS2118
Required PBIO courses
PBIO 110, 111 Intro to Plant Biology 12 PBIO 309 Plant Systematics and Ohio Flora 6 PBIO 312 Plant Anatomy 5 PBIO 331 Plant Genetics 5 PBIO 404 Undergraduate Research 2-6 PBIO 424 Plant Physiology 6 PBIO 431 Cell Biology 5 PBIO 450 Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering 4
At least one of the following
PBIO 412 Plant Pathology 5 PBIO 426 Physiol. Plant Ecology 5 PBIO 427 Molecular Genetics 3 PBIO 453 Develop. Physiology 4
Required nondepartmental courses:
CHEM 151, 152, 153 Fund. of Chemistry 15 CHEM 490, 491, 492 General Biochemistry 10 CHEM 303, 304, 305, 306, 307 Organic Chemistry, Lab 14 or CHEM 301, 302, 303, 304 Organic Chemistry, Lab or 11 BIOS 171,173 Intro to Zoology 6 MICR 311 Microbiology 6 PHYS 201, 202, 203 Intro to Physics 15 or PHYS 251, 252, 253 General Physics MATH 163A, B Intro to Calculus 7 or MATH 263A, B Calculus or 8
Recommended departmental elective
PBIO 415 Quantitative Methods in Plant Biology 5
Arts and Sciences degree requirements (including language), university General Education Requirements, and/or electives.
Plant Biology-Environmental Biology Major (B.S.)
Special curriculum; major code BS2113
This preprofessional program gives you a broad base for developing a career in environmental sciences, conservation, natural resources, forestry, environmental quality control, or ecology. Because a graduate degree may be required for entry into some positions, training beyond the bachelor's degree is strongly recommended. See also the environmental degree programs listed under the Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Geography, and Geological Sciences. Required PBIO courses
PBIO 110, 111 Intro to Plant Biology 12 PBIO 309 Plant Systematics and Ohio Flora 6 PBIO 331 Plant Genetics 5 PBIO 404 Undergraduate Research 2-6 PBIO 415 Quantitative Methods 5 PBIO 425 Plant Ecology 5
Minimum of three courses from the following two areas, with at least one course in each area:
Area A
PBIO 248 Trees and Shrubs 4 PBIO 307 Morphology of Algae and Bryophytes 6 PBIO 308 Morphology of Vascular Plants 6 PBIO 310 Biology of Fungi 5 PBIO 312 Plant Anatomy 5 PBIO 420 Phycology 5
Area B
PBIO 247 Vegetation of N. America 4 PBIO 321 Agricultural Plant Ecology 4 PBIO 322 Tropical Plant Ecology 4 PBIO 410 Plants and Soil 4 PBIO 412 Plant Pathology 5 PBIO 424 Plant Physiology 6 PBIO 426 Physiological Plant Ecol 5 PBIO 475 Plant Speciation and Evolution 3
Required nondepartmental courses
CHEM 151, 152, 153 Fund of Chemistry 15 CHEM 301, 302 Organic Chemistry 6 BIOS 171, 173 Intro to Zoology 6 BIOS 275 Animal Ecology 4
or any BIOS course of 4 credits or more at 300-400 level (see recommended electives below)
GEOG 201 Environmental Geography 4 GEOL 101 Intro to Geology 5 GEOG or GEOL one additional course of 4 credits or more MATH 163A Intro to Calculus 4 or MATH 263A Calculus 4 PHYS 201, 202 Intro to Physics 10 PSY 221 Stat. for Behavioral Sci. 5 BUSL 370 Environmental Law 4 or POLS 425 Environ. and Nat. Res. Politics and Policy
Strongly recommended electives
PBIO103 Plants and People 4 PBIO additional courses from Areas A and B ECON 103 Prin. of Microeconomics 4 ECON 104 Prin. of Macroeconomics 4 ECON 313 Econ. of the Environment 4 MATH 163B Intro to Calculus 3 BIOS 275 Animal Ecology 4 BIOS 430 Invertebrate Biology 6 BIOS 431 Limnology 5 BIOS 435 Entomology 6 BIOS 471 Ornithology 6 BIOS 474 Mammalogy 6 BIOS 477 Population Ecology 4 BIOS 481 Animal Conservation Biol 4
Arts and Sciences degree requirements (including language), university General Education Requirements, and/or electives.
Plant Biology-Field Biology Major (B.S.)
Special curriculum; major code BS2115
The program in field biology is appropriate for students who are interested in jobs in conservation and other areas of field biology that do not require graduate training. Students who plan on pursuing a graduate degree in biology will have to acquire additional background in physics, math, and chemistry, and will, therefore, generally be better off majoring in environmental biology (BS2113) or plant biology (BS2111). Students majoring in field biology should consider earning an Environmental Studies Certificate at the same time. Required PBIO courses
PBIO 110, 111 Intro to Plant Biology 12 PBIO 309 Plant Systematics and Ohio Flora 6 PBIO 310 Biology of Fungi 5 PBIO 404 Undergraduate Research 2-6 or PBIO 490 Internship or 1-10 PBIO 425 Plant Ecology 5
Additional PBIO courses to make a total of at least 55 hours. A total of no more than 10 hours of PBIO 404 and 490 combined may count toward the 55-hour requirement. It is recommended that at least three of the courses used to satisfy the 55-hour requirement (excluding those listed above as "required PBIO courses") have a field component-e.g., PBIO 248, 303, 307, 310, 321, 410, 411, 412.
Required nondepartmental courses
BIOS 171, 173 Intro to Zoology 6 BIOS 275 Animal Ecology 4
An additional 8 hours from BIOS or MICR courses numbered 200 or above
CHEM 121, 122, 123 Prin. of Chemistry 12 GEOL 101 Intro to Geology 5
4 additional hours from GEOL (GEOL 231: Water and Pollution recommended to satisfy this requirement)
8 hours in GEOG from the following:
GEOG 201 Environmental Geog. 4 GEOG 260 Maps 4 GEOG 302 Meteorology 5 GEOG 303 Climatology 5 GEOG 316 Biogeography 4 GEOG 353 Environmental Planning 4 GEOG 440 Environ. Impact Analysis 4 GEOG 447 Resource Management 4 GEOG 466 Remote Sensing 4 GEOG 478 Geographic Information Systems 5 GEOG 494 Field Problems 4
It is recommended that PSY 120 be used to fulfill the Tier I quantitative skills requirement.
Arts and Sciences degree requirements (including language), university General Education Requirements, and/or electives
Environmental Studies Certificate Program
The field of environmental studies encompasses the complex interactions between humans, other organisms, and the biophysical environment. The Environmental Studies Certificate Program is open to students in any major program within the university who want to gain knowledge and understanding about the interdisciplinary field of environmental studies. Completion of this program, which is the equivalent of a minor, results in the awarding of a certificate and is officially recognized on your transcript upon graduation.You can earn a certificate in environmental studies by completing 32-35 hours of approved coursework selected from the courses outlined below. Many certificate courses satisfy both Tier and Arts and Sciences requirements. Further, courses taken as part of an Arts and Sciences major will also count toward fulfilling the certificate. Be advised that some courses require prerequisites, and plan accordingly.
Core Requirements (8-9 hours)
GEOG 201 Environ. Geography 4 or GEOL 215 Environ. Geology BIOS 220 Conserv. and Biodiversity 4 or BIOS 275 Animal Ecology 4 or PBIO 425 Plant Ecology 5
Quantitative Skills (4-5 hours)
Choose an approved course in statistics, such as
ECON 381 Intro to Econ. Statistics and Econometrics 4 GEOG 271 Intro to Stat. in Geog. 5 MATH 250 Intro to Prob. and Stat. 4 PESS 409 Tests and Measurements 4 PBIO 415 Quantitative Methods 5 POLS 483 SPSS 4 PSY 221 Stat. for Behavioral Sci. 5
Natural Sciences (8-9 hours)
One chemistry course (any except CHEM 115)
One of the following:
BIOS 376 Field Ecology 4 BIOS 429 Marine Biology 5 BIOS 431 Limnology 5 BIOS 481 Animal Conservation Biol. 4 CE 452 Water and Wastewater Analysis 3 EH 260 Intro to Environmental Health and Safety 4 EH 312 Solid and Hazardous Waste Management 4 EH 440 Air Quality and Pollution Control 4 GEOG 302 Meteorology 5 GEOL 231 Water and Pollution 4 GEOL 330 Prin. of Geomorphology 5 GEOL 480 Hydrogeology I 4 MICR 211 Environ. Microbiology 4 PBIO 247 Vegetation of N. America 4 PBIO 426 Physiol. Plant Ecology 5
Social Sciences (12-13 hours)
POLS 425 Environ. and Natural Res. Politics and Policy 4
Two courses in two different departments from the following
BUSL 370 Environmental Law 4 ECON 313 Econ. of the Environment 4 ECON 314 Natural Res. Economics 4 GEOG 241 Global Issues in Environ. Geography 4 GEOG 350 Land Use Planning 4 GEOG 440 Environ. Impact Analysis 4 GEOG 447 Resource Management 5 HIST 306 American Environ. History 4 POLS 426 Politics of Environ. Mvt. 4 SOC 340 Human Population Ecology 4
European Studies
See International Studies.Foreign Languages and Literatures
See Classics or Modern Languages.Foreign Service
See Economics, History, or Political Science, Pre-Foreign Service Major.Forensic Chemistry
See Chemistry-Forensic Chemistry Major.French
See Modern Languages.
University Advancement and Computer Services revised this file (https://www.ohio.edu/catalog/00-01/general/majors3.htm) on December 4, 2000.
Please E-mail comments or suggestions to " ucat@www.ohiou.edu ."