Capstone

To satisfy the CALS Capstone Experience:

1. Each student must meet with his/her assigned advisor.



2. The advisor discusses the student’s experiences in general and specifically in relation to the requirement for additional lab or field research.



3. Once satisfied that the student has had experiences that cover many of the characteristics expected of a capstone experience and that the student has registered for an appropriate course, the advisor fills in the web-based Capstone Experience Form.



4. A copy of this information is kept with the student’s file in the Biology Major office and used to generate exception requests if needed for CALS Office of Student Academic Affairs.

Background: The undergraduate experience should be more than the sum of the courses taken for a degree. To ensure that students integrate diverse bodies of knowledge, CALS requires a capstone experience.

This requirement should provide students with the following experiences:

1. Develop problem-solving skills



2. Expose student to multidisciplinary approach



3. Develop teamwork and interpersonal skills



4. Develop information resources



5. Societal, economic, ethical, scientific and professional aspects are considered



6. Written and /or oral reports are required of each student

The Biology Major does not oversee any course and, there is not a specific Biology Capstone Course. Instead, Requirement 6 (additional lab or field experience) of the Biology Major requirements is intended to expose students to many of the experiences listed above. Students may have some of these experiences in other courses, or other activities they undertake including work experiences, volunteer activities, etc. Advisors of CALS students need to discuss each advisee’s experiences and ensure that, between work done in fulfillment of Requirement 6 and other work the student has done, whether formal class work or other experience associated with their degree, the student has the experiences stated above.

Currently, any additional lab course from among those listed as intermediate or advanced biology courses, or any directed study completed after finishing one year of college biology is accepted for Requirement 6 by the Biology Major. This may or may not suffice as a capstone experience and it is up to the advisor to determine if the student has had experiences that meet the expectations identified above. On rare occasions an advisor could accept a course for the additional field or lab experience that was not research based, if this would better serve the student’s interests and goals. Experiences that are focused on teaching assistance, even if the course number used is a 699 course, are not appropriate for the Biology Major capstone.

When the advisor is satisfied that the student has met the intent of the Capstone Experience requirement, the advisor fills in the Capstone Experience form, at the Biology Major website. This form is reviewed by the CALS Co-Chair of the Biology Major for final approval.

The following list of courses will automatically be accepted in DARS as fulfilling the CALS Capstone Experience.

682's and 692's in biological science departments (taken senior year)

• Agronomy
• Anatomy
• Animal Science
• Biochemistry
• Biology
• Biomolecular Chemistry
• Botany
• Comparative Biosciences
• Dairy Science
• Entomology
• Environmental Studies
• Food Science
• Forest & Wildlife Ecology
• Genetics
• Horticulture
• Human Oncology
• Kinesiology
• Medical Genetics
• Medical Microbiology and Immunology
• Medical Physics
• Medicine
• Microbiology
• Molecular Biology
• Neurology
• Neuroscience Training Program
• Nursing
• Nutritional Sciences
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Oncology
• Ophthalmology &Visual Sciences
• Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
• Pediatrics
• Pharmacology
• Plant Pathology
• Soil Science
• Surgery
• Zoology