Department of Environmental Biology
An EB Degree as a Pathway to Health Professions
Many students enroll in an EFB degree program with the ultimate goal of a career in medicine, veterinary science, or other health professions. EFB majors such as Environmental Biology or Biotechnology provide pathways that support admission to professional schools in health-related areas, including human and veterinary medicine. A rigorous foundation in the basic biological sciences, calculus, physics and organic chemistry is provided by the core requirements of these majors. Potential electives include certain benchmark courses that admissions committees of professional schools frequently look for, such as comparative vertebrate anatomy and animal physiology. Pre-veterinary students will find strong supporting courses and faculty interest in vertebrate biology, and pre-medical students can pursue such relevant elective subjects as microbiology and environmental toxicology.
In addition, our students take advantage of Syracuse University’s broad array of relevant courses and the fine advising, counseling and resources of their Health Professions Advisory Program. Students can earn credit for a variety of internships, such as paid or volunteer work in clinics and other professional settings.
Faculty Advisors: Dr. Lee Newman; Dr. Christopher Whipps
Course suggestions: In addition to fulfilling the requirements for a BS in Environmental Biology, students should have passed two semesters each of organic chemistry, calculus and physics. These courses are part of the core requirements in Biotechnology. Further, students should distribute at least 19 of their upper division elective credit-hours in the manner described below.
Essential courses
- EFB 303 - Introductory Environmental Microbiology (4 cr) Fall
- EFB 385 - Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy (4 cr) Spring
- EFB 462 - Animal Physiology: Ecological & Environmental (3 cr) Fall
Suggested Electives
The following elective courses are available at ESF or Syracuse University. Students should take at least four courses from this list, the particular courses to be determined in consultation with the advisor. (POI = permission of instructor)
|
Course # |
Course Title |
Credits |
Prerequisites |
Offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BTC 401 | Molecular Biology Techniques | 4 | EFB307/308, EFB325 | |
| EFB 360 | Epidemiology | 3 | General Biology | |
| EFB 400 | Toxic Health Hazards | 3 | General Biology | |
| EFB 420 | Internship in EFB | 3-5 | ||
| EFB 440 | Mycology | 3 | - | Fall |
| EFB 480 | Principles of Animal Behavior | 4 | - | Spring |
| FCH 530 | Biochemistry I | 3 | 2 sem organic chemistry | Fall |
| FCH 532 | Biochemistry II | 3 | 2 sem organic chemistry | Spring |
| ANT 431 | Human Variation | 3 | - | yearly |
| ANT 432 | Disease and Human Evolution | 3 | General Biology | yearly |
| ANT 433 | Human Skeletal Anatomy | 3 | POI | yearly |
| ANT 455 | Culture and AIDS | 3 | - | - |
| ANT 465 | Medical Anthropology | 3 | POI | even |
| ANT 467 | Culture and Mental Disorders | 3 | POI | even |
| BIO 462 | Functional Animal Ecology | 3 | Animal Physiology | yearly |
| BIO 447 | Immunology | 3 | Cell Biology, Genetics | yearly |
| BIO 501 | Biology of Cancer | 3 | Cell Biology, 1 sem Organic Chemistry | yearly |
| BIO 503 | Developmental Biology | 3 | - | Even |
| BIO 518 | Endocrinology | 3 | Cell Biology, 1 sem Organic Chemistry | yearly |
| PSY 315 | Drugs and Human Behavior | 3 | - | yearly |
| PSY 321 | Introduction to Sensation and Perception | 3 | - | on demand |
| PSY 322 | Human Information Processing | 3 | - | yearly |
| PSY 323 | Brain and Behavior | 3 | Biopsychology or equiv, POI | yearly |
| PSY 324 | Developmental Biopsychology | 3 | - | yearly |
| PSY 331 | Laboratory in Sensation and Perception | 2 | Research methodology | on demand |
| PSY 332 | Laboratory in Human Information Processing | 2 | Behavior, POI | yearly |
| PSY 333 | Laboratory in Brain and Behavior | 2 | Biopsychology or equiv, POI | yearly |
| PSY 334 | Laboratory in Developmental Biopsychology | 2 | - | yearly |
| PSY 422 | Cognition of Left/Right Brain Function | 3 | Biopsychology or equiv, POI | yearly |
| PSY 423 | Cognition of Left/Right Brain Function Laboratory | 2 | Biopsychology or equiv, POI | yearly |
| PSY 426 | Cognitive Neurochemistry | 3 | Biopsychology or equiv, POI | irregular |
| REL 551 | Ethics and the Health Professions | 3 | - | yearly |
| BEN 305 | Engineering Analysis of Living Systems I | 4 | Gen Biol, Gen Chem, Calc, Gen Phys | yearly |
| BEN 306 | Engineering Analysis of Living Systems II | 4 | BEN 305 | yearly |
| BEN 310 | Bioenergetics and Transport Phenomena | 4 | Gen Phys, Calc | irregular |
| BEN 465 | Skeletomuscular Biomechanics | 3 | BEN 305, Calc, POI | yearly |