Regulations for earning credits in Biology Honors and Independent Studies

Students who qualify may earn Honors and/or elective credits in Biology.

HONORS IN BIOLOGY. STUDENTS DESIRING TO COMPLETE HONORS IN BIOLOGY MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS:

1. Before applying for Honors, students must have completed 14 credits in the Biology core courses; these include Biology 101, 102, 206, 207, 228 (formerly 208) and 229 (formerly 209).

2. Students who apply for Honors In Biology must have a B+ average (GPA=3.5) in the Biology core courses, and must have an overall GPA of 3.0 or better. Students should apply to the departmental Committee on Honors and Independent Studies by December 10th for the spring term, and by May 1 for the summer or fall term.

3. Applications may be obtained from the Biology Office, online at www.sci.ccny.cuny.edu/Biology/chis.html, or from the Chairs of the Committee on Honors and Independent Studies. The application must be completed and signed by the faculty mentor. After this the application is submitted to the Committee for evaluation. Upon acceptance the original application is given to the department Committee, and one copy must be submitted to Robin Villa in the College Honors Office which is located in NAC 6/293. A third copy is the student’s evidence of acceptance, and may be useful in future registrations. NOTE: Students who register for Honors and who do not follow the proper procedure will not receive Honors and will be deregistered.

4. To earn College Honors, students must enroll in and complete Biology 301, 302 and 303. Students will receive 9 credits for these courses, but only 6 credits may be applied toward the Biology major elective credits requirement.

5. Each term, students must submit a progress report to their mentors and to the Committee on Honors and Independent Studies, who will evaluate it and submit a grade. Progress reports are due on the last day of classes each term. If there is any difficulty, grades can be submitted by the mentor to the Chairs of the Committee on Honors and Independent Studies. It is strongly suggested that each progress report be written with the intent to use it to write the final research paper. It is also strongly suggested that students make every effort to collect all data in the first and second terms (Bio. 301 and 302). The third term should be used for writing the final research paper. Students are responsible for submitting their papers to their mentors for evaluation, correction and final acceptance. Students and mentors are responsible for proper submission and presentation of research. The paper must have a top sheet with the title, student name, and date. The name of the mentor should be in the lower right corner of the top sheet. Be sure to include a line beneath the mentor title and name for his/her signature of approval. Remember that the presentation of honors research is usually held in early or mid April of the Spring term.

6. Each term students are responsible for checking with the Chair of the committee on Honors and Independent Studies about their grade. Note that mentors are responsible for submitting a grade to the Committee. If no grade is submitted a student may receive an INC grade, which will convert to FIN. This is extremely detrimental to a student applying to medical school or to any professional school. If the mentor believes the student has not completed a sufficient amount of work, s/he can submit a grade of Y. Y is a pending grade. If a mentor believes the student has not met the proper standard, he or she can submit a grade of B. A grade of B insures that you cannot receive Honors in Biology.

7. Students who successfully complete their research must submit a written scientific research paper to the committee on Honors for evaluation. This paper must be submitted during the semester they take Bio 303. The specific due date will be announced by the Committee each semester. The original and five copies of the paper along with five copies of the abstract are required. Students will present their research at an Honors Presentation held in the Spring. Each student will have ten minutes to present his or her information and five minutes to answer questions. Students must present their research paper in order to receive College Honors.

8. Students who successfully meet all the requirements for Honors are eligible for the following awards: 1. The Paul Krupa Research Award: This departmental award is given to the student who has produced the best research. 2. The Phi Beta Kappa Award: This college-wide award is given to the student who has written the best research paper in the Science Division.

INDEPENDENT STUDIES IN BIOLOGY

1. Students wishing to do Independent Studies must complete 14 credits in the Biology Core (these course include Biology 101, 102, 206, 207, 228 (formerly 228), and 229 (formerly 209), with a GPA of 3.0 in these courses. The overall GPA must be 2.8 or greater. Students may earn 1-3 credits per term but the maximum total number of credits that can be earned is nine. Up to 6 credits may be applied toward the Biology major elective credits requirement. Students may do 1 semester (3 cr.) of non-laboratory Independent Study; students intending to earn 6 or 9 credits must do laboratory research.

2. To enroll in the program, students should apply to the Committee by December 10th for the Spring term and by May 1 for the summer and fall terms. Applications may be obtained from the Biology Office, online (www.sci.ccny.cuny.edu/biology/chis.html), or from the Chairs of the Committee. The application must be completed, signed by the student’s mentor, and evaluated by the Committee. Upon acceptance, the student will be provided with a copy of the approved application (the student maintains that copy for subsequent registration). The original will be kept on file with the Committee.

3. Students must submit a progress report each term to their mentor and to the Committee. These reports will be evaluated by the mentor, who will submit a grade to the Committee. Students are responsible for checking about their grades each term; they may seek assistance from the Chair of the Committee. Note that if no grade is submitted the student may receive an INC, which will convert to a FIN. This grade is detrimental to the student’s GPA and applications to professional schools.

4. Students who successfully complete a research project and 6 or more credits may submit a written scientific research paper to the Committee for evaluation. An original and five copies are needed for review. Students may present their research papers at the Honors presentation held in the Spring term. Each student has ten minutes to present and five minutes for questions. Please read the Honors regulations for more complete details and suggestions.

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comments - revised 09/18/01