Biology/Business (BS/MBA)
With contemporary life sciences playing an ever-larger role in the economy, there is an increasing demand by employers for individuals with rigorous training in biology as well as business. Career opportunities in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are expanding significantly, and are likely to continue to do so for the foreseeable future as applications of modern biological research continue to grow.
The BS in Biology/MBA dual-degree program provides the type of broad training that contemporary employers in these industries value. It is the first program of its type in the Chicago area.
CURRICULUM
Program Requirements
Students will complete all the normal requirements for the BS in Biology. The MBA program is an 18-course program, including the following required courses:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BS Requirements | ||
| Biology Courses: Required | ||
| BIOL 101 | General Biology I | 3 |
| BIOL 111 | General Biology I Lab | 1 |
| BIOL 102 | General Biology II | 3 |
| BIOL 112 | General Biology II Lab | 1 |
| BIOL 251 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 265 | Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 282 | Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 335 | Intro to Biostatistics | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 1 | |
| Cell Biology Laboratory | ||
| Ecology Laboratory | ||
| Genetics Laboratory | ||
| Biology Courses: Electives | 16 | |
| At least two (2) elective courses must include a laboratory component and at least nine (9) credits must be at 300-level. | ||
| Chemistry | ||
| CHEM 160 | Chemical Structure and Properties | 3 |
| or CHEM 101 | General Chemistry A Lecture/Discussion | |
| or CHEM 105 | Chemical Principles | |
| CHEM 161 | Chemical Structure and Properties Laboratory | 1 |
| or CHEM 105 | Chemical Principles | |
| or CHEM 111 | General Chemistry Lab A | |
| CHEM 180 | Chemical Reactivity I | 3 |
| or CHEM 221 | Organic Chemistry I Lec/Disc | |
| or CHEM 223 | Organic Chemistry A Lec/Disc | |
| CHEM 181 | Chemical Reactivity I Lab | 1 |
| or CHEM 221 | Organic Chemistry I Lec/Disc | |
| or CHEM 225 | Organic Chemistry Lab A | |
| CHEM 240 | Chemical Reactivity II | 3 |
| or CHEM 222 | Organic Chemistry II Lec/Disc | |
| or CHEM 224 | Organic Chemistry B Lec/Disc | |
| CHEM 241 | Chemical Reactivity II Laboratory | 1 |
| or CHEM 222 | Organic Chemistry II Lec/Disc | |
| or CHEM 226 | Organic Chemistry Lab B | |
| CHEM 260 | Quantitative Methods in Chemistry | 3 |
| or CHEM 102 | General Chemistry B Lecture/Discussion | |
| or CHEM 106 | Basic Inorganic Chemistry | |
| CHEM 261 | Quantitative Methods in Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| or CHEM 106 | Basic Inorganic Chemistry | |
| or CHEM 112 | General Chemistry Lab B | |
| Mathematics | ||
| MATH 131 | Applied Calculus I | 3-4 |
| or MATH 161 | Calculus I | |
| MATH 132 | Applied Calculus II | 3-4 |
| or MATH 162 | Calculus II | |
| Physics | ||
| PHYS 111 | College Physics I Lec / Dis | 3 |
| or PHYS 121 | College Physics I Lec/Dis | |
| or PHYS 125 | General Physics I Lec/Dis | |
| PHYS 111L | College Physics Laboratory I | 1 |
| PHYS 112 | College Physics II Lec/Disc | 3 |
| or PHYS 122 | College Physics II Lec/Dis | |
| or PHYS 126 | General Physics II Lec/Dis | |
| PHYS 112L | College Physics Lab II | 1 |
| Economics | ||
| ECON 201 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 202 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| MBA Requirements | ||
| ACCT 400 | Financial Accounting for Business Decisions | 3 |
| MARK 460 | Marketing Management | 3 |
| ISSCM 400 | Quantitative Methods 1 | 0 |
| ISSCM 491 | Managerial Statistics 2 | 3 |
| ECON 420 | Managerial Economics 3 | 3 |
| MARK 425N | Business Communication | 1.5 |
| MGMT 426N | Leadership Development | 1.5 |
| MARK 470N | Research, Insights and Storytelling | 3 |
| FINC 470N | Business Finance | 3 |
| ISSCM 596N | Data Driven Decision Making | 3 |
| MGMT 441N | Business Ethics | 3 |
| or MGMT 446 | International Business Ethics | |
| MGMT 430N | Strategy and Leadership | 3 |
| HRER 417N | Managing and Motivating in the Workplace | 3 |
| MGMT 431N | Business Consulting Course | 3 |
| Three (3) MBA Electives | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 118 | |
- 1
Waived from: ISSCM 400 Quantitative Methods
If: Student receives grades of B or higher in MATH 131 Applied Calculus I & MATH 132 Applied Calculus II
- 2
Waived from: ISSCM 491 Managerial Statistics
If: Student receives grade of B or higher in BIOL 335 Intro to Biostatistics- 3
Waived from: ECON 420 Managerial Economics
If: Student receives grades of B or higher in ECON 201 Principles of Microeconomics & ECON 202 Principles of Macroeconomics. ECON 201 and ECON 202 also fulfill the Societal and Cultural Knowledge and Inquiry requirement of the Core Curriculum.
Biology Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | ||
| Any BIOL 200-Level Course | 1 | |
| Any BIOL 300-Level Course | ||
| BIOL 2TRN Biology 200-Level Transfer | ||
| BIOL 3TRN Biology 300-Level Transfer | ||
| Anthropology | ||
| ANTH 280 / BIOL 280 | Evolution of Human Disease | 3 |
| ANTH 281 / BIOL 281 | Evolution of the Human Diet | 3 |
| ANTH 325 / BIOL 325 | Primatology-Behavior & Ecology | 3 |
| ANTH 326 / BIOL 326 | Human Osteology Lec/Lab | 4 |
| ANTH 327 / BIOL 378 | Dental Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 346 / BIOL 346 | Biology of Women | 3 |
| ANTH 359 / BIOL 359 | Paleopathology | 3 |
| ANTH 360 | Issues in Archaeology | 3 |
| Chemistry | ||
| CHEM 361 / BIOL 366 | Principles of Biochemistry | 3 |
| Bioinformatics | ||
| COMP 381 / BIOL 388 | Bioinformatics | 3 |
| Environmental Science | ||
| ENVS 215 / BIOL 215 | Ornithology | 3 |
| ENVS 267 / BIOL 347 | Bird Conservation and Ecology | 3 |
| ENVS 319 / BIOL 329 | Winter Ecology | 3 |
| ENVS 340 / BIOL 340 | Natural History of Belize | 3 |
| ENVS 345 / BIOL 349 | Conservation and Sustainability of Neotropical Ecosystems | 3 |
| ENVS 369 / BIOL 348 | Field Ornithology | 3 |
| Forensics | ||
| FRSC 371 / BIOL 391 | Forensic Molecular Biology Lecture and Laboratory | 5 |
| Neuroscience | ||
| NEUR 101 | Introduction to Neuroscience 2 | 3 |
| NEUR 300 / BIOL 303 | Seminar in Neuroscience | 1 |
| NEUR 301 / BIOL 373 | Laboratory in Neuroscience I | 4 |
| NEUR 302 | Laboratory in Neuroscience II | 3 |
| Physics | ||
| PHYS 371 | Biophysics | 3 |
| Psychology | ||
| PSYC 240 / BIOL 240 | Psychology-Biology of Perception 2 | 3 |
| PSYC 311 / BIOL 313 | Lab in Psychobiology | 3 |
| PSYC 382 / BIOL 284 | Behavorial and Cognitive Neuroscience | 3 |
| PSYC 388 / BIOL 373 | Laboratory in Neuroscience I | 4 |
| Statistics | ||
| STAT 310 / BIOL 310 | Categorical Data Analysis | 3 |
| STAT 335 / BIOL 335 | Introduction to Biostatistics | 3 |
| STAT 336 / BIOL 336 | Advanced Biostatistics | 3 |
| STAT 337 / BIOL 337 | Quantitative Methods in Bioinformatics | 3 |
- 1
If not already taken as a 200-level required course.
- 2
Either BIOL 240/PSYC 240 Psychology-Biology of Perception OR NEUR 101 Introduction to Neuroscience (but NOT both) count as Biology Electives.
Lab Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 100-Level Labs | ||
| Both of the following courses are required: | ||
| BIOL 111 | General Biology I Lab | 1 |
| BIOL 112 | General Biology II Lab | 1 |
| 200-Level Labs | ||
| Choose one of the following courses: | ||
| Cell Biology Laboratory | ||
| Ecology Laboratory | ||
| Genetics Laboratory | ||
| Biology Elective Labs | ||
| Choose at least two of the following courses: | ||
| BIOL 205 | Plant Biology Lec/Lab | 4 |
| BIOL 210 | Laboratory Techniques | 2 |
| BIOL 242 | Human Structure and Function I | 4 |
| BIOL 243 | Human Structure and Function II | 4 |
| BIOL 252 | Cell Biology Laboratory 1 | 1 |
| BIOL 266 | Ecology Laboratory 1 | 1 |
| BIOL 283 | Genetics Laboratory 1 | 1 |
| BIOL 302 | General Microbiology Lec/Lab | 4 |
| BIOL 313 | Lab in Psychobiology | 3 |
| BIOL 315 | Introductory Immunology Lec/Lab | 4 |
| BIOL 316 | Limnology Lec/Lab | 4 |
| BIOL 323 | Comparative Anatomy Lec/Lab | 4 |
| BIOL 326 | Human Osteology Lec/Lab | 4 |
| BIOL 327 | Wetland Ecology | 4 |
| BIOL 340 | Natural History of Belize | 3 |
| BIOL 341 | Histology Lec/Lab | 4 |
| BIOL 342 | Human Anatomy | 4 |
| BIOL 350 | Vertebrate Physiology Lec/Lab | 4 |
| BIOL 355 | Parasitology Lec/Lab | 4 |
| BIOL 360 | Field Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 363 | Entomology Lec/Lab | 4 |
| BIOL 366L | Cell Physiology & Biochemistry Lab | 2 |
| BIOL 367 | Bioimaging | 4 |
| BIOL 368 | Plant Ecology Lec/Lab | 4 |
| BIOL 370 | Ichthyology Lec/Lab | 4 |
| BIOL 373 | Laboratory in Neuroscience I | 4 |
| BIOL 375 | Aquatic Insects Lecture & Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 385 | Prin Electron Microscopy Lec/Lab | 4 |
| BIOL 390 | Molecular Biology Laboratory | 4 |
| BIOL 391 | Forensic Molecular Biology Lecture and Lab | 5 |
| BIOL 395 | Special Topics in Biology (if designated as a laboratory course) | 3 |
| BIOL 395L | Special Topics Laboratory | 1-4 |
| BIOL 396 | Research 2 | 3 |
| BIOL 398 | Internship in Biology 2 | 1-3 |
| ANTH 326 | Human Osteology Lec/Lab | 4 |
| ENVS 340 | Natural History of Belize | 3 |
| ENVS 345 | Conservation and Sustainability of Neotropical Ecosystems | 3 |
| ENVS 398 | Special Topics (Topic: Bird Conservation & Ecology) | 3 |
| FRSC 371 | Forensic Molecular Biology Lecture and Laboratory | 5 |
| NEUR 301 | Laboratory in Neuroscience I | 4 |
| NEUR 302 | Laboratory in Neuroscience II | 3 |
| PSYC 311 | Lab in Psychobiology | 3 |
| PSYC 388 | Laboratory in Neuroscience I | 4 |
- 1
If not already taken as the 200-level required lab.
- 2
Either BIOL 396 Research OR BIOL 398 Internship in Biology (but NOT both) count as Biology Electives.
Suggested Sequence of Courses
The below sequence of courses is meant to be used as a suggested path for completing coursework. An individual student’s completion of requirements depends on course offerings in a given term as well as the start term for a major or graduate study. Students should consult their advisor for assistance with course selection
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| BIOL 101 | General Biology I | 3 |
| BIOL 111 | General Biology I Lab | 1 |
| CHEM 160 | Chemical Structure and Properties | 3 |
| CHEM 161 | Chemical Structure and Properties Laboratory | 1 |
| MATH 131 | Applied Calculus I | 3 |
| Hours | 11 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIOL 102 | General Biology II | 3 |
| BIOL 112 | General Biology II Lab | 1 |
| CHEM 180 | Chemical Reactivity I | 3 |
| CHEM 181 | Chemical Reactivity I Lab | 1 |
| MATH 132 | Applied Calculus II | 3 |
| Hours | 11 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| CHEM 240 | Chemical Reactivity II | 3 |
| CHEM 241 | Chemical Reactivity II Laboratory | 1 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Cell Biology | ||
| Ecology | ||
| Genetics | ||
| Select one of the following: | 1 | |
| Cell Biology Laboratory | ||
| Ecology Laboratory | ||
| Genetics Laboratory | ||
| ECON 201 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| Hours | 11 | |
| Spring | ||
| CHEM 260 | Quantitative Methods in Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 261 | Quantitative Methods in Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Ecology | ||
| Genetics | ||
| Cell Biology | ||
| ECON 202 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| Hours | 10 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Cell Biology | ||
| Ecology | ||
| Genetics | ||
| PHYS 111 | College Physics I Lec / Dis | 3 |
| PHYS 111L | College Physics Laboratory I | 1 |
| Hours | 7 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIOL Elective | 4 | |
| PHYS 112 | College Physics II Lec/Disc | 3 |
| PHYS 112L | College Physics Lab II | 1 |
| BIOL 335 | Intro to Biostatistics | 3 |
| Hours | 11 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| BIOL Elective | 4 | |
| BIOL Elective | 3 | |
| ACCT 400 | Financial Accounting for Business Decisions | 3 |
| Hours | 10 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIOL Elective | 4 | |
| BIOL Elective | 4 | |
| MARK 460 | Marketing Management | 3 |
| Hours | 11 | |
| Year Five | ||
| Students will complete 13 MBA courses in their 5th year with appropriate waivers. | 36 | |
| Hours | 36 | |
| Total Hours | 118 | |
Course Waivers
Biology majors admitted to the five-year program can take up to three of the required MBA courses listed above during their senior year. The MBA courses are taught in the evening on a quarter system, with the first quarter beginning at approximately the same time as the fall semester.
Course waivers are determined upon admission to the MBA program. Ideally, biology majors will be waived from ISSCM 400 Quantitative Methods, ISSCM 491 Managerial Statistics and ECON 420 Managerial Economics. Thus, they will take ACCT 400 Financial Accounting for Business Decisions and MARK 460 Marketing Management during their senior year. These graduate courses can be applied as six hours of free electives toward the BS in Biology degree.
Progress Through the Program
In addition to completing the normal requirements for the BS in Biology, students planning to enter the MBA program should do the following:
Freshman/Sophomore Years: Arrange their undergraduate course scheduling to preserve six hours of free electives until their senior year. The majority of biology majors have math and foreign language placements upon entrance that already give them the six hours of free electives. Through use of summer school, the remaining students can also readily have the free elective hours by the time they are seniors. During their first two years, students should take ECON 201 Principles of Microeconomics and ECON 202 Principles of Macroeconomics, which will satisfy the social science requirement of the Core Curriculum and allow the student to waive out of ECON 420 Managerial Economics.
Junior Year (2nd semester): Take the GMAT and make formal application to the MBA program. Take BIOL 335 Intro to Biostatistics. Biostatistics, which counts as an upper-level elective in the biology major and allows the student to waive out of ISSCM 491 Managerial Statistics.
Senior Year: Take ACCT 400 Financial Accounting for Business Decisions and MARK 460 Marketing Management, which will count as free electives toward the BS degree. Complete all requirements for the BS in Biology.
Fifth Year: During the fifth year, students who have followed the above directions will have a total of 13 MBA courses remaining. These courses can be completed full-time at the rate of three or four per quarter (including the summer quarter). Students also have the option to complete the MBA program on a part-time basis (usually one or two courses per quarter).
Guidelines for Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Programs
Terms
- Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s programs: In this type of program, students share limited credits between their undergraduate and graduate degrees to facilitate completion of both degrees.
- Shared credits: Graduate level credit hours taken during the undergraduate program and then applied towards graduate program requirements will be referred to as Shared credits.
Admission Requirements
Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s programs are designed to enhance opportunities for advanced training for Loyola’s undergraduates. Admission to these programs must be competitive and will depend upon a positive review of credentials by the program’s admissions committee. Accordingly, the admission requirements for these programs may be higher than those required if the master’s degree were pursued entirely after the receipt of a bachelor’s degree. That is, programs may choose to have more stringent admissions requirements in addition to those minimal requirements below.
Requirements:
- Declared appropriate undergraduate major,
- By the time students begin taking graduate courses as an undergraduate, the student has completed approximately 90 credit hours, or the credit hours required in a program that is accredited by a specialty organization,1
- A minimum cumulative GPA for coursework at Loyola that is at or above the program-specific requirements, a minimum major GPA that is at or above the program-specific requirements, and/or appropriate designated coursework for evaluation of student readiness in their discipline.2
Students not eligible for the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program (e.g., students who have not declared the appropriate undergraduate major) may apply to the master’s program through the regular admissions process. Students enrolled in an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program who choose not to continue to the master’s degree program upon completion of the bachelor’s degree will face no consequences.3
Ideally, a student will apply for admission (or confirm interest in proceeding towards the graduate degree in opt-out programs) as they approach 90 credit hours. Programs are encouraged to begin advising students early in their major so that they are aware of the program and, if interested, can complete their bachelor’s degree requirements in a way that facilitates completion of the program. Once admitted as an undergraduate, Program Directors should ensure that students are enrolled using the plan code associated with the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program. Using the plan code associated with the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program will ensure that students may be easily identified as they move through the program. Students will not officially matriculate into the master’s degree program and be labeled as a graduate student by the university, with accompanying changes to tuition and Financial Aid (see below), until the undergraduate degree has been awarded. Once admitted to the graduate program, students must meet the academic standing requirements of their graduate program as they complete the program curriculum.
- 1
Programs that have specialized accreditation will adhere to the admissions criteria provided by, or approved by, their specialized accreditors.
- 2
The program will identify appropriate indicators of student readiness for graduate coursework (e.g., high-level performance in 300 level courses). Recognizing differences between how majors are designed, we do not specify a blanket requirement.
- 3
If students choose not to enroll in the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program, they still must complete all of the standard requirements associated with the undergraduate degree (e.g., a capstone).
Curriculum
Level and progression of courses. The Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s programs are designed to be competitive and attractive to our most capable students. Students admitted to Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s programs should be capable of meeting graduate level learning outcomes. Following guidance from the Higher Learning Commission, only courses taken at the 400 level or higher (including 300/400 level courses taken at the 400 level) will count toward the graduate program.1,2 Up to 50% of the total graduate level credit hours, required in the graduate program, may come from 300/400 level courses where the student is enrolled in the 400 level of the course. Further, at least 50% of the credit hours for the graduate program must come from courses that are designed for and restricted to graduate students who have been admitted to a graduate program at Loyola (e.g., enrolled in plan code that indicates the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program, typically ending with the letter “D”).3
In general, graduate level coursework should not be taken prior to admission into the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program. Exceptions may be granted for professional programs where curriculum for the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program is designed to begin earlier. On the recommendation of the program’s Graduate Director, students may take one of their graduate level courses before they are admitted to the Accelerated Bachelors/Master’s program if they have advanced abilities in their discipline and course offerings warrant such an exception.4 Undergraduate degree requirements outside of the major are in no way impacted by admission to an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program.5
Shared credits. Undergraduate courses (i.e., courses offered at the 300 level or below) cannot be counted as shared credits nor count towards the master’s degree. Up to 50% of the total graduate level credit hours, required in the graduate program, may be counted in meeting both the undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. Of those shared credits, students in an Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program should begin their graduate program with the standard introductory course(s) for the program whenever possible. So that students may progress through the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program in a timely manner, undergraduate programs are encouraged to design their curriculum such that a student can complete some required graduate credit hours while completing the undergraduate degree. For instance, some of the graduate curriculum should also satisfy electives for the undergraduate major.
The program’s Graduate Director will designate credit hours to be shared through the advising form and master’s degree conferral review process. Shared credit hours will not be marked on the undergraduate record as having a special status in the undergraduate program. They will be included in the student’s undergraduate earned hours and GPA. Graduate credit hours taken during the undergraduate program will not be included in the graduate GPA calculation.
- 1
If students wish to transfer credits from another university to Loyola University Chicago, the program’s Graduate director will review the relevant syllabus(es) to determine whether it meets the criteria for a 400 level course or higher.
- 2
Programs with specialized accreditation requirements that allow programs to offer graduate curriculum to undergraduate students will conform to those specialized accreditation requirements.
- 3
In rare cases, the Graduate Director may authorize enrollment in a 400-level course for a highly qualified and highly motivated undergraduate, ensuring that the undergraduate's exceptional participation in the graduate class will not diminish in any way the experience of the graduate students regularly enrolled.
- 4
For example, if a particular course is only offered once every 2-3 years, and a student has demonstrated the necessary ability to be successful, the Graduate Director may allow a student to take a graduate level course to be shared prior to the student being formally admitted to the graduate program. See, also, footnote 4.
- 5
Students should not, for example, attempt to negotiate themselves out of a writing intensive requirement on the basis of admission to a graduate program.
Graduation
Degrees are awarded sequentially. All details of undergraduate commencement are handled in the ordinary way as for all students in the School/College/Institute. Once in the graduate program, students abide by the graduation deadlines set forth by the graduate program. Students in these programs must be continuously enrolled from undergraduate to graduate degree program unless given explicit permission by their program for a gap year or approved leave of absence.