Biology Department

Department Faculty

Timothy Morris
Richard Nelson

Department Goals

All truly Christian education must have as its ultimate purpose the enhancement and further unfolding of each student’s ability to accomplish his or her “chief end” of “glorifying God and enjoying Him forever.” The Covenant College purpose statement describes this as striving “to discern and unfold the implications of His preeminence in all things.” Thus, the Biology Department seeks to discern and unfold the implications of Christ’s preeminence in biology through our work with our students. To accomplish this we endeavor to:

Expand our student’s knowledge and appreciation of the unifying themes, the amazing diversity and the marvelous complexity of the biological aspects of creation.
Help our students establish a solid foundation for faithful stewardship of their gifts in scientific endeavors. We do this by ensuring that our students are firmly grounded in the following areas:
1. A biblical theology of scientific endeavor.
2. Ethics related to scientific investigation and technological applications.
3. Accessing and evaluating the primary research literature.
4. Experimental design.
5. The communication conventions of the discipline.
Encourage our students in their callings to become motivated servants who are committed to putting skills and knowledge to work in redemptive activity.

Teacher Certification

Biology Pre-MAT

Students interested in teaching biology for grades 6-12 should complete a BA degree with a major in biology (follow the General Biology concentration) and then enroll in the one-year Master of Arts in Teaching at Covenant College. It is recommended that the Education Minor be completed. Three of the courses in the minor, EDU 121 Introduction to Teaching , EDU 222 Educational Psychology and EDU 361 Education of Exceptional Children , are required for admission to the MAT. For information about certification, see Teacher Certification under the Education section of the catalog.

Additionally, pre-MAT biology majors must take the following specific courses as part of their biology major:

For more information see Dr. Sarah Donaldson in Brock Hall 316 (sarah.donaldson@covenant.edu).

Acceptance into the Biology Major

Because of the rigorous nature of the major, a minimum combined SAT score of 1100 (sum of the critical reading and math section scores), or composite ACT score of 24 is normally required for those declaring a biology major. Students with lower test scores should consult the Biology Department chair before registering for biology courses required in the major. The biology major calls for early counseling of students in order that they may be properly informed concerning requirements and necessary course sequences.

Biology Major Options

The department offers four different concentrations for completing a major in biology:

a general option that includes a wide range of courses across the biological disciplines;
a biomedical concentration which emphasizes cellular and molecular biology and is the recommended biology major concentration for pre-medical students and students interested in biomedical research;
an environmental biology concentration; and
a health professions concentration recommended for those students considering graduate/professional training in nursing, physicians assistant, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and a variety other health related fields.

Students with questions concerning the best option for their future plans should consult the department chair.

Programs

Major

Minor and Concentrations

Biology Minor

Pre-Professional

Courses

Biology Courses