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2024-2025 Undergraduate Bulletin
Urban Ecology, Bachelor of Science (BS) and Master of Science (MS), Dual-degree Program
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 Return to: Biology Programs
Qualified undergraduate students may elect to enroll in a dual-degree program, combining their undergraduate bachelor of science degree in urban ecology with a master of science degree in urban ecology. The dual-degree program requires successful completion of a total of 145 s.h., including at least 115 s.h. at the undergraduate level and 30 s.h. at the graduate level. The dual-degree program can be completed in five years, including at least one summer session. Students who are admitted to the MS portion of the dual-degree program may count the graduate courses BIOL 200, 224, and 256 toward both the BS and MS degree requirements. These 9 s.h. will apply to the undergraduate degree in addition to the required 115 s.h. of undergraduate coursework, for a total of 124 s.h. for the BA.
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Direct admission to the dual-degree program (BS and MS)
Incoming first-year students entering Hofstra may apply for direct admission to this dual-degree program. For those who choose to submit a standardized test score, a 1240 or better on the critical reading and mathematics sections of the SAT (or an ACT score of 25) is recommended. Applicants must have an overall high school GPA of 3.5 (or be in the top 15 percent of their high school graduating class) in order to be considered for admission. First-year students admitted directly to the dual-degree program will be admitted automatically to the MS program in urban ecology at the end of their junior year, provided they fulfill the following requirements:
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a GPA of 3.0 in biology courses at the time of application to the MS program or upon completion of 92 s.h. of coursework toward their BS degree in urban ecology.
- Successful completion of BIOL 113 , 112 , 120 , and 142 by the end of the semester in which they apply for admission to the dual-degree program.
Admission to the dual-degree BS in Urban Ecology/MS in Urban Ecology for current Hofstra students
Qualified Hofstra students enrolling in the BS major in urban ecology may apply for admission to the dual-degree program prior to completing 92 s.h. of undergraduate coursework. Students applying to the dual-degree program should note that admission requires they fulfill the following requirements:
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a GPA of 3.0 in biology courses at the time of application to the MS program or upon completion of 92 s.h. of coursework toward their BS degree in urban ecology;
- Successful completion of BIOL 112 , 113 , 120 , and 142 by the semester in which they apply for admission to the dual-degree program.
All students admitted to the dual-degree BS in urban ecology/MS in urban ecology must complete a total of 145 s.h.: 30 s.h. of graduate coursework and 115 s.h. toward their undergraduate degree. Graduate courses BIOL 200, 224, and 256, taken in the senior year, are credited to both the BS and the MS degree requirements. Depending on course offerings, other courses may be substituted with permission of the graduate advisor.
Students accepted into the dual-degree program who have attained senior standing may begin taking graduate courses.
Undergraduate requirements for the BS Major in Urban Ecology
Students should apply to the department as soon as possible after making the decision to major in urban ecology. The department encourages interested students to speak with an urban ecology adviser before declaring a major. Advisers are assigned when the student applies for acceptance as a major. Grades in biology courses lower than a C- do not count toward the total number of semester hours required for the biology major.
- The complete requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree , as specified in this Bulletin;
- The following undergraduate major requirements for the BS in urban ecology.
1. Total Semester Hours: at least 124 (at least 115 at the undergraduate level, plus 9 s.h. at the graduate level)
The successful completion of at least 124 semester hours and a cumulative grade point average of 2.8 in work completed at Hofstra. Military Science 1C, 1E, 2C, 2E and associated leadership laboratories may not be counted toward this total semester-hour requirement. 2. Liberal Arts
At least 59 semester hours must be completed in liberal arts courses outside the Biology Department. 3. Residency Requirement
There are two requirements that must ordinarily be completed in residence at Hofstra: 20 semester hours in the major and the last 30 semester hours. The 20 semester hours need not be included within the last 30 hours. 4. General Requirements
- WSC 001 and WSC 002 or placement examination (see “University Degree Requirements” );
- Distribution Course Requirement (for listing of distribution courses, see Distribution Courses );
- 6 semester hours in humanities: 3 hours from Literature (LT) or Appreciation and Analysis (AA), and 3 hours from Creative Participation (CP);
- 6 semester hours in social science: 3 semester hours in behavioral social sciences and 3 hours in history and philosophy.
- NOTE: Students who matriculate at Hofstra with advanced standing must complete at least 3 semester hours in humanities distribution courses and 3 semester hours in social science distribution courses in residence. In no case may distribution course requirements be taken elsewhere after matriculation at Hofstra.
5. The fulfillment of the following major and additional requirements:
47 s.h. in Biology, distributed as follows: The following are also required:
Graduate requirements for the MS in Urban Ecology: 30 s.h.
All students should meet with the graduate program director at least once each semester. Candidates must complete 30 semester hours of graduate-level coursework, including BIOL 200, 224, and 256, all three courses taken by dual-degree candidates in the final year of undergraduate study. Depending on course offerings, other courses may be substituted with the permission of the graduate advisor. Also required are BIOL 301 and 302. BIOL 238 is recommended. Up to 3 semester hours of graduate courses may be taken in related disciplines outside of Biology with permission of the graduate program director. A graduate course in urban ecology is required if no undergraduate courses in urban ecology were taken prior to the awarding of the BS degree.
Graduate students are expected to receive a grade of B or better in their biology courses.
Footnote*
*Dual-degree students will substitute BIOL 200, 224, and 256, taken in the senior year, for undergraduate courses for GEOG 161, BIOL 124, and 156, respectively.
Depending on course offerings, other courses may be substituted with the permission of the graduate advisor.
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