Department of Biological Sciences Senior Learning Community

The following information applies to Biology and Microbiology majors.

Biopsychology majors may choose to take their entire Senior Learning Community in either Psychology or Biology.

Steps to follow:

1. Students must declare their intention to complete a Research Track or Practicum Track project (internship) by the first week of March in the spring semester of their junior year. At the time of track selection, students must identify a Research or Practicum Advisor with whom they will prepare a research/thesis proposal. The biology Senior RFT Coordinator will help the students in this process.

2. The student and the Research/Practicum Advisor will decide upon a topic for in-depth investigation and select a committee of at least two additional faculty members, the majority of whom must be in the Biology Department. The advisor and the committee members will support the students during the investigation and thesis writing, and will serve as the evaluation team of the student's thesis and its defense.

1. Students electing the Practicum Track must arrange the off-campus practicum by the first of May in the spring semester of their junior year. The Practicum Advisor, together with the Biology Senior RFT Coordinator, will assist in arranging the practicum for the student and select an on-site supervisor. The practicum may also be a research project with a principal investigator at the practicum site. In case of a practicum, the committee can certainly include the on-site supervisor or the principal investigator.
2. Students in the Research Track will conduct research offered by the Research Advisor.

3. Research/Practicum experiences must be completed before the beginning of the last semester of the senior year. It is expected that the students will spend at least 120 hours at the practicum sites or performing the experimentation outlined in the research proposal. Students in the Practicum Track must keep a log of hours, which must be confirmed by the on-site supervisor. In addition, they must request an evaluation letter from their on-site supervisor or principal investigator.

4. The Senior RFT is organized as follows:

1. Students will register for BI/MI 400-E (zero units) either in the summer before their senior year or the fall of their senior year.
2. Students will work closely with their Research or Practicum Advisor and committee members during their experience, and also in the semester after completion of the experience, while registered for one unit of Senior RFT (BI/MI 400). During BI/MI 400, students will prepare their thesis either as a scientific paper (Research Track) or a review paper (Practicum Track). Both sets of students will formally defend their thesis to their committees. Questions at the defense are not restricted to the topic covered, and can include questions on basic biological concepts.

5. The Senior Capstone Course is organized as follows:

1. Senior biology majors are required to take the Biology Capstone Course (BI 491) Two versions are offered: BI 491-A “Molecules to Cells to Organisms” (fall semesters) and BI 491-B “Organisms to Ecosystems” (spring semesters).
2. There is a separate Microbiology Capstone Course (MI 491), which is offered only in spring semesters.
3. Students will give lectures on topics of current interest in biology and/or microbiology, and are required to actively participate in class discussions and during others’ lectures. Grades will be based upon quality of lectures, exam scores, writing assignments, and active participation.