2022 - 2023 Undergraduate Bulletin - NMU Bulletin

Contact Information

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Biology at NMU

The Biology Department offers programs leading to the bachelor of arts, bachelor of science and master of science in biology. The department offers three separate majors: biology, fisheries and wildlife management and secondary education biology. Students with a biology major have the opportunity for further specialization by choosing from one of six concentrations: botany, ecology, general biology, microbiology, physiology and zoology. The department also contributes course work for interdisciplinary programs in biochemistry, environmental science, neuroscience, diagnostic genetics and science technologist. The department offers three minor programs of study: biology, secondary education biology and human biology. The offerings complement programs in nursing, health, liberal arts and sciences, physical education, clinical laboratory sciences, and environmental conservation, among others. The courses emphasize fundamental concepts of biology at the subcellular, organismic and population levels. The laboratory courses provide students with first-hand experience in understanding biological concepts, thus furthering their understanding of life.

Biologists should have a knowledge of organisms at all levels ranging from molecular activities within cells to ecosystem dynamics. For this reason, the biology tracks and the zoology major are built around a common core of courses. The remaining courses for the major are selected to satisfy the student’s interests and career plans. A strong background in the physical sciences is helpful to a biological career.

Student Organizations

• Pre-Dental Club
• Pre-Medical Club
• Pre-Veterinary Club
• Student Michigan Education Association
• Tri Beta Society
• Wildlife Society

Department Facilities

• greenhouse
• herbarium
• Lake Superior research boat
• Longyear Forest
• molecular biology facilities
• small-animal facility
• zoological collections

Department/Program Policies

A 2.00 grade point average is required for all biology courses taken for any non-teaching major in the department. Exceptions must be requested via petition to the department’s academic programs committee. 

Students enrolled in biology laboratory courses must pay replacement costs for damaged supplies (e.g., glassware and microscope slides) or equipment (e.g., microscopes) having value in excess of one dollar. Records of assessments for damage are maintained in the department, and students are notified of any costs due no later than the last laboratory meeting.

Secondary Education Biology
Students with a major or minor in secondary biology education must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or greater overall, in the major, and/or minor(s) with no grade below a "B-" in the professional education sequence and no grade below a "C" in the major and/or minor(s).

Recommendation for Students Bound for Graduate School

Students who plan to apply to a professional school or pursue graduate work in biology are strongly advised to take Organic Chemistry I and II (CH 321, 322) and a year of physics.

Many graduate programs in the biological sciences, including the one at Northern Michigan University, require the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) for admission. Students intending to pursue graduate study in the biological sciences should take this examination early in their senior year.

Interdisciplinary Programs

See Interdisciplinary and Individually Created Programs for more information on the following programs.

Neuroscience Major 
Integrative Science Minor (for Neuroscience Majors only)
Pre-Professional Science Minor (for Neuroscience Majors only)

Programs

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Bulletin Year: 2022 - 2023 Undergraduate Bulletin | View the current NMU Catalog.

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Art and Design at NMU

The School of Art and Design faculty mentor students in the development of unique visual voices within a larger visual culture. Students are engaged in creative problem solving and independent production of art and design toward a path of becoming engaged professionals in their respective fields. The School offers a foundation program that teaches students to communicate effectively by gaining a theoretical understanding of visual culture across diverse communities and developing an awareness of the evolving nature of Art & Design. Students acquire hands-on material techniques and technological skills while exploring diverse modes of thinking during the production of art & design work, fostering a sustainable creative practice. The DeVos Art Museum and Visiting Artist Program support the mission of the school by providing global, national, and regional exhibitions, educational and research opportunities, and providing students with direct interactions with recognized professional artists.

General Education and art/design courses are combined in programs that lead to the bachelor of fine arts, bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, or a two-year associate of applied arts degree. The school also offers the required courses for art teacher certification, a non-teaching art and design minor and an art history minor.

All of the school’s faculty members are regionally and nationally recognized for their work.

In each area of concentration, the Art and Design curriculum provides students with a broad knowledge of concepts, issues, procedures, and tools to prepare them for the design and production of art/design objects at a professional level. Areas of concentration include:

• ceramics
• computer art
• digital cinema
• drawing/painting
• graphic design
• human-centered design
• illustration
• metalsmithing/sculpture
• photography
• woodworking/furniture design

Student Organizations

• American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA)
• Art Students League
• Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA)
• Ceramics Collective (ceramics group)
• Student Photographic Society (SPS)
• Student Michigan Education Association

Department Facilities

The School of Art and Design has professionally equipped, safe, new, state-of-the-art studios to support 10 concentrations. Equipment includes: 

• large induction furnace 
• ceramic kilns 
• casting and blacksmithing facilities 
• computer labs 
• woodworking, digital video facilities
• photography darkrooms (color and black and white)
• professionally equipped lighting studios
• combination machine lathe and mill
• CNC routers, 3D printers, and 3D scanner

The library collection in Art and Design includes:

• over 10,000 volumes
• 50 journals and periodicals 
• large slide collection

The school uses the DeVos Art Museum for its many national, regional, local, faculty and student exhibitions, as well as the Students’ Art Gallery.

Types of Course Offerings

The following courses provide artists with greater depth in the supporting knowledge of the visual arts.

Concentration: Courses comprising one studio area or studio concentration: 100-, 200-, 300-, and 400-level seminar courses.

Foundations: Courses developing core art/design concepts with relevant concepts drawn from history, sociology, psychology, and the physical sciences.

Art History: Courses devoted to the study of Western and non-Western art, design, and architecture within a historical framework. Since the School of Art and Design is primarily a studio school, art history courses take as their central concern (though not exclusive) concepts that are relevant to the studio artist.

Individual Art Review: A series of courses required of art and design majors to develop at each level as professional artists. All work is evaluated by the faculty.

School/Program Policies

Students must purchase supplies individually and/or contribute to a purchasing cooperative for the studio courses in which they are enrolled.

Community college transfers should take general education courses and art/design courses in the areas of design, drawing, and history of western art.

Art and Design Education
Teaching certification for K-12 art is obtained by completing a major/minor in art and design and the professional education sequence.

Students majoring in art and design education must maintain a grade point average 3.0 or greater overall, in their major, and/or minor(s) with no grade below a "B-" in the professional education sequence and no grade below a "C" in the major and/or minor(s).

Prerequisites for Individual Art Review

Students registering for AD 303 Individual Art Review and AD 403 Senior Exhibition must complete the following prerequisites prior to enrollment:

1. Instructor permission.
2. Receive a grade of “S” in AD 303 Individual Art Review for enrollment in AD 499 Senior Capstone Project.
3. Complete or co-enroll in the 2D Studio, 3D Studio, and Digital Studio Foundation courses with a "C-" minimum grade.
4. Complete the selected studio concentration with at least a "B-" (2.70) average.

Criteria for Remaining in the Art and Design Program

1. Students in AD 303 Individual Art Review must receive a passing grade of “S.”
    
2. AD 303 Individual Art Review may be repeated. Although this course may be repeated, students receiving either two "U" grades or who withdraw twice from the course will not be allowed to continue the program. 

Programs

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Bulletin Year: 2022 - 2023 Undergraduate Bulletin | View the current NMU Catalog.