Program: Conservation Biology [CON] - SUNY Cortland

2015-16 Undergraduate Catalog

Apr 10, 2025

This major in the Biological Sciences Department provides a multidisciplinary approach to understanding and preserving Earth’s plant and animal species and the ecosystems on which they depend. Students in this major can prepare for entry into a variety of environmental professions or graduate school.

Career Potential

Ecologist
Naturalist
Field Biologist
Environmental Educator
Wildlife Ecologist

A. Biology Courses: 36 credit hours

1. Required Core Biology Courses

BIO 201 - Biological Sciences I (4 cr. hr.)
BIO 202 - Biological Sciences II (4 cr. hr.)
BIO 210 - Cellular Biology (4 cr. hr.)
BIO 312 - Genetics (4 cr. hr.)
BIO 405 - Conservation Biology (3 cr. hr.)
BIO 412 - General Ecology (4 cr. hr.)

2. Additional Related Courses

Choose three courses from the following, with at least one course from group a and one from group b:

a. Organismal Biology

BIO 304 - Microbiology (4 cr. hr.)
BIO 401 - Invertebrate Zoology (4 cr. hr.)
BIO 402 - Biology of Vertebrates (4 cr. hr.)
BIO 411 - Ornithology (3 cr. hr.)
BIO 418 - Fungi (4 cr. hr.)

b. Ecology and Evolution

BIO 310 - Field Biology (3 cr. hr.)
BIO 315 - Marine Biology (4 cr. hr.)
BIO 512 - Limnology (3 cr. hr.)
BIO 521 - Molecular Biology (3 cr. hr.)
BIO 522 - Evolutionary Analysis (3 cr. hr.)
BIO 524 - Physiological Ecology (3 cr. hr.)

3. Additional Biology

Select from any of the biology major's courses at the 300 level or above to total at least 36 credit hours in biology.

B. Supporting Areas: 24-26 credit hours

1. Required Courses: Science and Mathematics

CHE 221 - General Chemistry I (4 cr. hr.)
CHE 222 - General Chemistry II (4 cr. hr.)
CHE 301 - Organic Chemistry I (4 cr. hr.)
GLY 281 - Data Analysis in Natural Science (3 cr. hr.) or
MAT 201 - Statistical Methods (3 cr. hr.) or equivalent course

2. Elective courses: select three courses from the following:

Students interested in seeking a research graduate degree are advised to take one year of physics, one year of calculus, and CHE 302 and CHE 304.

MAT 121 - Calculus A (3 cr. hr.) or
MAT 135 - Calculus I (4 cr. hr.)
MAT 122 - Calculus B (3 cr. hr.) or
MAT 236 - Calculus II (4 cr. hr.)
PHY 105 - Elementary Mechanics and Heat (4 cr. hr.) or
PHY 201 - Principles of Physics I (4 cr. hr.)
PHY 106 - Elementary Electricity, Light and Sound (4 cr. hr.) or
PHY 202 - Principles of Physics II (4 cr. hr.)
CHE 302 - Organic Chemistry II (3 cr. hr.)

C. Geographic Information Systems Requirement: Three credit hours

GRY 324 - Introduction to Cartography and Geographic Information Systems (3 cr. hr.)

D. Policy and Practice: 9-11 credit hours

Choose at least three courses from the following:

ECO 335 - Resource and Environmental Economics (3 cr. hr.)
EST 100 - Introduction to Environmental Studies (3 cr. hr.)
GRY 315 - Ecotourism (3 cr. hr.) Cross-listed with REC 315
GRY 327 - Computer Mapping (4 cr. hr.)
GRY 328 - Geographic Information Systems (4 cr. hr.)
GRY 370 - Will the World Provide? A Research Experience for Students (3 cr. hr.)
PHI 320 - Environmental Ethics (3 cr. hr.)
POL 240 - Introduction to Public Administration and Public Policy (3 cr. hr.)
POL 242 - Environmental Policy (3 cr. hr.)
POL 308 - Environmental Law (3 cr. hr.)
REC 310 - Wilderness and American Culture (3 cr. hr.)
REC 315 - Ecotourism (3 cr. hr.) Cross-listed with GRY 315
REC 402 - Management of Recreation Resources (3 cr. hr.)
SCI 320 - Science, Technology and Culture (3 cr. hr.)
SOC 340 - Environmental Sociology (3 cr. hr.)

E. Conservation Applications: Five credit hours

CON 460 - Conservation Biology Seminar (2 cr. hr.)
CON 461 - Conservation Biology Internship (3-15 cr. hr.)

F. Additional Requirements for the B.A.

Composition and General Education courses: 27 credit hours
Foreign language: completion through the intermediate, 202 level
Free elective courses: to complete 124 total credit hours

G. Additional Requirements for the B.S.

Students are required to complete 72 credit hours of science and math courses which may be taken from the following prefixes: BIO, BMS, CAP (except CAP 100 and 104), CHE (except CHE 224, 225, 305 and 306), CON, ENS, GLY, MAT, MCS, PHY. GRY 327 and GRY 328 may also be taken to satisfy the science and math requirement.

Additional requirements include:

Composition and General Education courses: 27 credit hours
Foreign Language courses: 0-3 credit hours
Free Elective courses: to complete 124 total credit hours

Total Credit Hours Required for Graduation: 124

Example of the major in Conservation Biology over four years

* indicates prerequisite; Link to General Education (GE ); Link to Foreign Language

First Year Fall

BIO 201 - Biological Sciences I (4 cr. hr.) or
BIO 202 - Biological Sciences II (4 cr. hr.)
CHE 221 - General Chemistry I (4 cr. hr.)
CHE 224 - Problem-Solving in General Chemistry I (1 cr. hr.)
COR 101 - The Cortland Experience: A First Year Seminar (1 cr. hr.)
CPN 100 - Writing Studies I (3 cr. hr.)
CPN 102 - Writing Studies in the Community I (4 cr. hr.)
GE course (3 cr. hr.)

Total credit hours for semester: 16

First Year Spring

BIO 201 - Biological Sciences I (4 cr. hr.) or
BIO 202 - Biological Sciences II (4 cr. hr.)
CHE 222 - General Chemistry II (4 cr. hr.)
CPN 101 - Writing Studies II (3 cr. hr.) or
CPN 103 - Writing Studies in the Community II (4 cr. hr.)
GE course (3 cr. hr.)

Total credit hours for semester: 15

Second Year Fall

BIO 210 - Cellular Biology (4 cr. hr.)
CHE 301 - Organic Chemistry I (4 cr. hr.)
MAT 201 - Statistical Methods (3 cr. hr.)
GE course (3 cr. hr.)
GE course (3 cr. hr.)

Total credit hours for semester: 17

Second Year Spring

BIO 312 - Genetics (4 cr. hr.)
Policy elective (3 cr. hr.)
MAT/Science Elective (3 cr. hr.) *
GE course (3 cr. hr.)
Foreign language (3 cr. hr.)

Total credit hours for semester: 16

Third Year Fall

PHY 105 - Elementary Mechanics and Heat (4 cr. hr.)
BIO elective (3 cr. hr.)
GE course (3 cr. hr.)
Policy elective (3 cr. hr.)
MAT/science elective (3 cr. hr.) *

Total credit hours for semester: 16

Third Year Spring

BIO 412 - General Ecology (4 cr. hr.)
GRY 324 - Introduction to Cartography and Geographic Information Systems (3 cr. hr.)
BIO 405 - Conservation Biology (3 cr. hr.)
GE course (3 cr. hr.)
Elective (3 cr. hr.)

Total credit hours for semester: 16

Fourth Year Fall

CON 461 - Conservation Biology Internship (3-15 cr. hr.)
MAT/science elective (3 cr. hr.)
Policy elective (3 cr. hr.)
GE course (3 cr. hr.)
BIO elective (3 cr. hr.)

Total credit hours for semester: 15

Fourth Year Spring

CON 460 - Conservation Biology Seminar (2 cr. hr.)
BIO elective (3 cr. hr.)
MAT/science elective (3 cr. hr.)
Elective (3 cr. hr.)
Elective (3 cr. hr.)

Catalog

Career Potential

A. Biology Courses: 36 credit hours

1. Required Core Biology Courses

2. Additional Related Courses

a. Organismal Biology

b. Ecology and Evolution

3. Additional Biology

B. Supporting Areas: 24-26 credit hours

1. Required Courses: Science and Mathematics

2. Elective courses: select three courses from the following:

C. Geographic Information Systems Requirement: Three credit hours

D. Policy and Practice: 9-11 credit hours

E. Conservation Applications: Five credit hours

F. Additional Requirements for the B.A.

G. Additional Requirements for the B.S.

Total Credit Hours Required for Graduation: 124

Example of the major in Conservation Biology over four years

First Year Fall

Total credit hours for semester: 16

First Year Spring

Total credit hours for semester: 15

Second Year Fall

Total credit hours for semester: 17

Second Year Spring

Total credit hours for semester: 16

Third Year Fall

Total credit hours for semester: 16

Third Year Spring

Total credit hours for semester: 16

Fourth Year Fall

Total credit hours for semester: 15

Fourth Year Spring

Total credit hours for semester: 14

Explore

Visit

Contact