Course Planning

GENERAL INFORMATION

The university's core curriculum and many basic requirements are common to all courses of study in zoology. Refer to the WSU catalog of the year that you entered Weber State for information on these requirements. No matter which concentration in zoology is chosen, the following should be completed in the first year of study:

Principles of Zoology I (Zoo 1110)

Principles of Zoology II (Zoo 1120)

Zoology Orientation (1990)

and the required support courses in mathematics, chemistry, physics, botany, and English (see the catalog for specifics). See the zoology department section of the WSU catalog for complete requirements of the zoology major and minor (see below for minor requirements). The following information is for pursuing training and career preparation in specialized areas of zoology.  

ZOOLOGY MAJOR

Get course descriptions here.

ZOOLOGY MINOR

Grade Requirements: A grade of "C-" or better in courses used toward the minor.

Credit Hour Requirments: Minimum of 19 credit hours in Zoology courses.

Course Requirements for Minor
Zoology Courses Required (19 Credit Hours)

Zool SI1110 Principles of Zoology I (4)
Zool SI1120 Principles of Zoology II (4)
Zool 3720 Evolution (3)
Elective Zoology Courses (8 credit hours)
Select 8 credit hours of Zoology courses at or above the 2000 level)

BIOLOGY TEACHING MAJORS

Weber State University has been successful in placing many biology teachers in secondary schools. The life science departments and College of Education at Weber State work closely with the Utah State Board of Education to help prospective teachers meet state certification requirements. The state board requests that prospective biology teachers complete the biology composite teaching major. This major provides introductory training in anatomy, ecology, genetics, physiology, and taxonomy; a broad background in plant, animal, and microbial sciences, and support courses in chemistry, geology, math, and physics. For complete course listings, see "biology composite teaching major" in the WSU Catalog. Students desiring to become biology teachers should discuss the details of the program with the advisor as early as possible.

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND ECOLOGICALLY ORIENTED PROGRAMS

Entry into these careers requires a bachelor's degree in some area of biological science. Zoology is an excellent choice to prepare for this type of employment. Certain jobs in this area require advanced degrees. Zoology at WSU provides the necessary undergraduate preparation for entry into M.S. and Ph.D. programs.

In addition to coursework, it is extremely valuable for students seeking these careers to experience temporary (usually summer) employment with state or federal wildlife agencies during their college career. The wildlife advisor and the WSU Career Service Center can supply information about these opportunities.

Coursework should follow the normal zoology major requirements with the following suggestions. When selecting zoology elective courses, choose the ecology courses (Zool 4470, 4480) and courses dealing with vertebrate groups (Zool 4350, 4650, 4660, 4670, and 4680). Students interested in becoming wildlife conservation officers should choose criminal justice with law enforcement concentration as a minor.

Students desiring employment in wildlife management or research or preparation for graduate school normally choose botany as a minor.

Several courses, in addition to those required, can provide excellent skills and background for careers in zoology-related fields. Among these is statistics, a branch of mathematics which has become very important in all biological fields.  Statistics in psychology (Psych 3600) serves well to introduce the basic concepts and procedures needed by zoologists.

It is increasingly essential for zoologists to have some expertise with computers which serve as valuable tools in storing and analyzing data, modeling of biological processes, and in writing. Computer competence (IS&T 1000) provides an introduction to computers and computing.

Two other courses in the life sciences teach important skills useful in all of biology. Research design (Zool 4890) teaches how to set up and carry out research projects. Information resources in the life sciences (Botany 3340, Micro 3340, Libsci 3340 or Zool 3340) introduces students to various sources of biological information found in libraries and how to find, interpret, and use this information for writing reports and assembling background information on specific topics.