BIOLOGY

The Biology Major will prepare cadets to become Air Force officers skilled at critical thinking, grounded in the natural world, open to alternative perspectives, and capable of identifying solutions in complex environments.

The goal of the Biology major is to produce leaders who:

• are biologically literate
• use scientific thinking as a component of their decision-making process
• effectively communicate information to a wide variety of target audiences
• cultivate attitudes and values consistent with biological literacy

The Biology major offers an effective balance between required foundational courses and cadet-selected flexibility. In addition to the USAFA Core curriculum, the Biology major comprises 9 core courses (including organic chemistry), as well as Biology (3), Basic Sciences (1), and Academy (1) electives. The required courses represent and explore the spectrum of biological levels, from the molecules within cells to the organisms within ecosystems; the elective courses allow emphasis in environmental and organismal biology, cellular and molecular biology, and human biology. The strong biological foundation provided by these required courses, together with the flexibility and specialization provided by the electives, will allow cadets to tailor an academic program to meet their own interests, to pursue specialized areas of interest, or to prepare for advanced degrees/careers in the Air Force Medical Service (medicine, dentistry, nursing, physician assistant, aerospace physiology, bioenvironmental engineering, and physical therapy). Upon graduation, cadets can enter a wide variety of career fields in the U.S. Air Force.

The most effective approach to the Biology major involves some early intentional scheduling of USAFA Core courses. Cadets should enroll in Chem 100 and Chem 200 in their four-degree (freshman) year. Biology 215 is a prerequisite for the Biology majors’ courses, and should be taken by the Fall semester of your three-degree (sophomore) year. However, if transferring from another major, cadets can still complete a Biology major in two years.

The Biology major is designed such that, by completion of our multi-disciplinary curriculum, our graduates shall demonstrate that they have attained the following Student Learning Outcomes:

• an ability to apply a strong conceptual foundation of biological knowledge
• an ability to apply scientific and quantitative reasoning
• an ability to apply modeling and simulation
• an ability to operate within the multidisciplinary nature of Science
• an ability to effectively interpret and communicate scientific information, including ethical and social controversies, to a targeted audience
• an ability to independently investigate and seek answers about the natural world (matter, energy, time, and their relationships)
• development of a thoughtful perspective on the inherent value of the natural world and humanity’s relationship to it