Bulletin Year: 2023 - 2024 Graduate Bulletin

Courses

Search for courses listed in this bulletin. To find a semester course schedule (including instructors, meeting times and locations), go to mynmu.nmu.edu.

BI 463 Mammalogy 4 cr.  (3-0-2)
  • Prerequisites: BI 111, BI 112 or consent of instructor

Lectures, laboratories and field trips dealing with evolutions, systematics, morphology, ecology, behavior and identification of mammals, with emphasis on the Great Lakes region.

BI 465 Aquatic Insect Ecology 4 cr.  (2-0-4)
  • Prerequisites: BI 111 and BI 112 or consent of instructor
Lectures on aquatic insect evolution, ecology and physiology. Laboratories emphasize recognition of local fauna, qualitative and quantitative analyses of benthic communities and biogeochemistry of lakes and streams.
BI 467 Fish Ecology 4 cr.  (4-0-0)
  • Offered: Winter
  • Graded: A/F
  • Prerequisites: BI 210 or instructor's permission

This course will cover aspects of fish ecology from individual, population, community, and ecosystem levels.  We will discuss the role of the environment in determining fish physiology and behavior, the interactions among fishes and their environment, food-web dynamics, and ecosystem interactions.

BI 469 Wildlife and Fish Population Analysis 3 cr.  (3-0-0)
  • Graded: A/F
  • Prerequisites: BI 210 and either MA 109 or BI 412, or instructor’s permission.

This course will provide students with the theory and methods for drawing inferences about wildlife and fish populations using data from field studies of marked animals.

BI 491 Seminar 1 cr.
  • Prerequisites: Consent of instructor; course prerequisites and a minimum GPA may be required for some topics.
Variable content, depending on instructor. Students read extensively from periodical literature and meet weekly for reports and discussion. Course can be repeated provided there is a different topic for each enrollment.
BI 500 Planning and Proposing Scientific Research 2 cr.  (2-0-0)
  • Offered: Fall semesters and on demand
  • Graded: A/F
  • Prerequisites: Graduate standing

This course guides science graduate students as they plan research and write proposals. Discussions are based on readings of varied texts and on analysis of the primary literature. Students will gain a firm understanding of the scientific method, the process of peer review and the criteria used to evaluate research proposals.

BI 502 Scientific laboratory Instruction 2 cr.  (1-1-0)
  • Graded: A/F

This course provides training for students who intend to teach laboratory sections of university science courses.  Students will gain experience with varied teaching techniques used to maximize student learning.  Students will also gain familiarity with the social, technological, practical, and legal concerns with running a classroom.

BI 510 Advanced Human Physiology 4 cr.  (3-1-0)
  • Prerequisites: BI 208 or equivalent or consent of instructor

Detailed exploration of selected topics in human physiology. Basic concepts, as they relate to the normal physiology of the human, will be emphasized, but frequent extrapolation from this foundation to pathophysiology will be made. Discussions will present and interpret disease as a physiologic dysfunction, i.e., the emphasis will be on the physiologic interpretation of the abnormal state.

BI 511 Advanced Animal Physiology 3 cr.  (0-1-4)
  • Prerequisites: BI 208 or BI 327 and CH 220 or CH 322 or equivalent or consent of instructor

Recent advances in experimental animal physiology. Laboratory and library work enable the student to explore areas of special interest.

BI 513 Advanced Ecology 4 cr.  (2-0-3)
  • Prerequisites: BI 310, MA 105, and BI 516 or consent of instructor
Selected topics from the field of ecology are chosen for an in-depth study. Topics will vary depending on the expertise of the instructor. Students will be expected to prepare class presentations and participate in lectures and field studies.
BI 514 Population Genetics 3 cr.  (3-0-0)
  • Prerequisites: BI 312 and BI 412 or a course in statistics or consent of instructor
A study of large random mating populations and populations with inbreeding. Estimation of genetic variance, correlation and gene mutation rates. Effects of selection, subdivision and migration of gene frequency and population structure. The use of population genetic theory to solve practical problems.
BI 516 Bio Systems Analysis 1 cr.  (0-0-2)
The application of computers and computer programming toward analyzing biological problems. This course is designed to accompany BI 513 Advanced Ecology and BI 517 Population Ecology or to be taught as an independent topic.
BI 517 Population Ecology 3 cr.  (3-0-0)
  • Prerequisites: BI 310, MA 105, and BI 516 or MA 120
Exploration of current theories of population ecology and the application of computers to study and simulate plant and animal population dynamics.
BI 518 Gene Structure and Function 2 cr.  (0-2-0)
  • Prerequisites: BI 312, CH 450, credit for or concurrent enrollment in BI 418 or consent of instructor
Structure and function of prokaryotic and eukaryotic genes, with a focus on the molecular nature of genes and how recombinant DNA and other tools are used to investigate genes. The course will focus on reading and discussing primary scientific literature. Students begin by reading early papers that established the nature of the genes and the genetic code, followed by more recent papers about the regulation of gene expression.
BI 519 Bioinformatics 2 cr.  (2-0-0)
  • Prerequisites: BI 418 or consent of instructor

Introduction to bioinformatics, or the use of computers to analyze the information contained in nucleic acid and protein sequences. The course focuses on how to use resources available on the Internet to retrieve molecular sequences and how comparisons of these sequences can be used to assess the biological role of the sequences. The structure and function of nucleic acid and protein sequences will be investigated using computer analysis.

BI 520 Systematics 3 cr.  (2-1-0)
  • Prerequisites: BI 315, graduate standing or permission of the instructor
This course is designed to introduce students to the latest advances in the rapidly growing field of systematics. Systematics includes taxonomy and classification, and focuses on the discovery of the natural evolutionary relationships (phylogenies) between organisms. The course is divided into three parts: (1) introduction to taxonomy and systematics, (2) theoretical background to phylogenetic methods and (3) the construction of cladograms using computer software. The aim of the course is to present a coherent and logically consistent view of systematic theory founded on cladistic methodology and the principle of parsimony. Both morphological datasets and molecular datasets are used. Students also learn the fundamentals of molecular systematics, and how to analyze data from DNA sequences.
BI 589 Research in Biology 1-8 cr.
  • Graded: A/F
  • Prerequisites: Consent of instructor and department head

Independent research under the supervision of a member of the department. Supervisor and research project must be selected prior to enrollment in this course. 

Note: This course may be repeated for up to 12 credit hours.

BI 594 Methods in Biological Research 6 cr.  (1-3-3)
  • Prerequisites: Open to Biology Department Graduate Students or permission of Graduate Director or Department Head

This is a course designed to teach research methods at the graduate level.  Students will participate in three two-week rotations in scientific research laboratories.  Topics will vary with offering.  Course will meet for six hours daily for six weeks.

BI 595 Special Topics in Biology 1-4 cr.
  • Prerequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor
The content of the course does not duplicate existing course content and provides the department with a mechanism for presenting unique and timely topics. Specific topics are announced via departmental and university publications.
BI 596 Special Topics in Biology 1-4 cr.
  • Graded: S/U
  • Prerequisites: Graduate standing and consent of instructor
The content of the course does not duplicate existing course content and provides the department with a mechanism for presenting unique and timely topics. Specific topics are announced via departmental and university publications.
BI 597 Research in Biology 1-4 cr.
  • Graded: S/U
  • Prerequisites: Consent of instructor and department head

Independent study under the supervision of a member of the department. Supervisor and study must be selected prior to enrollment in the course and appropriate directed study forms must be completed.

BI 598 Directed Study Research in Biology 1-4 cr.
  • Prerequisites: Consent of instructor and department head

Independent study under the supervision of a member of the department. Supervisor and study must be selected prior to enrollment in the course and appropriate directed study forms must be completed.