ECU DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
East Central University’s Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences offers degrees in Biology and Environmental Health Sciences. This diverse department trains students to become biologists, medical professionals, public health workers, and environmental safety officers. Search for BES scholarship opportunities here.
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BES DEGREE OPTIONS AT ECU
Biology
A bachelor of science is designed for students who plan to become practicing biologists in industry or government, or plan to pursue a graduate degree in Biology. This degree program is usually chosen by those students who need pre-professional training before entering the schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, or other health-related professional schools or graduate school. the life sciences provide many areas from which students can choose careers. To meet these needs, the Biology program offers a variety of courses and several concentrations.
Biology Teacher Certification
A bachelor of science for teacher certification gives a prospective science teacher an appropriate academic background in Biology and Physical Sciences and in the methods of teaching.
Clinical Laboratory Science
A Bachelor of Science for Clinical Laboratory Science prepares students to conduct and supervise complex medical tests, clinical trials, and research experiments. Students also learn to manage clinical laboratories. The management of these labs would include consulting with physicians or researchers on diagnoses, disease causation, the spread of disease, and research outcomes. This degree concentration requires three years of prescribed study on campus followed by a year of clinical training in an approved hospital school of clinical laboratory science.
Ecology
Course work in this program includes a variety of courses that align with the Ecological Society of America 4DE framework. Courses include Zoology, Organic Chemistry, Biostatistics, Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, Animal Parasitology, Field Methods, Herpetology, Plant Physiology, Wildlife Management, Human Physiology, Ecology and Undergraduate Research. The life sciences provide many areas from which students can choose careers; to meet these needs, the Biology program offers a variety of courses and several concentrations. Graduating with a concentration in Ecology prepares you for a diversity of careers, including research, writing, policy, NGOs, consulting, government, and more.
Health Sciences
East Central University offers courses that are required for admission to professional schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Optometry, Chiropractic Medicine, Physicians associates, or Veterinary Medicine. Although the pre-professional science student may select any degree major, most successful candidates major in Biology. Course work must be arranged so as to complete the required work in time for admission exams and application in your program (usually spring of junior year). For more
information, contact the Department of BES.
Medical Botany
A Bachelor of Science in Medical Botany empowers students to apply for course work in Botany, Zoology, Genetics, Physiology, Microbiology, Medical Botany, Entomology, and Plant Ecophysiology. It provides flexibility through electives so that many path options are available, all with the goal in mind of students understanding the complex relationship between plants and humans. Ultimately, this deep understanding will enable students to enter graduate school or employment so that they may transform their futures in biotech, agribusiness, pharmacology, medicine, homeopathy, horticulture, law, Native American affairs, research, and others into successful futures.
Molecular Biology
The Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology prepares students for graduate research and/or employment in the rapidly growing fields of biotechnology, agribusiness, industry, law enforcement, and molecular biology.
Environmental Health Science
The Environmental Health Science degree prepares majors for employment in private industries, environmental protection organizations, public health departments, environmental consulting firms, and governmental agencies including the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Public Health Service. Learn more about Environmental Health topics.
- The Environmental Health Science (EHS) concentration is designed to prepare students for professional positions protecting human health from environmental hazards and protecting the natural environment.
- The Environmental Management and Natural Resources concentration prepares students to work with governments and environmental industries to assess the environmental impact for optimum management strategies.
- The Public Health concentration prepares students to work for government health departments as well as community public health initiatives, including hygiene, diet, and disease transmission risks.
All three Environmental Health Science degree concentrations require related courses from other academic departments such as Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Computer Science, and Physics. Students are required to complete a three to a six-credit-hour professional internship at an approved internship site.
All three Environmental Health Science concentrations are accredited through the National Environmental Health, Science and Protection Accreditation Council (NEHSPAC). This is the only program in Oklahoma that holds this accreditation. Students in this renowned program have eligibility to participate in the US Public Health Service (USPHS) sponsored JRCOSTEP internship program, as well as exclusive access to two valuable internships: the National Environmental Health Association’s (NEHA) National Environmental Public Health Internship Program (NEPHIP) and the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) Summer Program in Environmental Health (SUPEH).
