Online Medical Biology I

Medical Biology

This online course is a four semester hour course delivered at a distance and includes a virtual laboratory component.  It is designed for individuals with a baccalaureate degree who need a semester of biology as a prerequisite to apply for admission to health professions' programs. These may include, but are not limited to, graduate programs in dietetics, nursing, physical therapy, physician assistant, nurse anesthesia, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, dental medicine and medicine.

The overall goal of this online course is to provide the student interested in the health professions with an introduction to biology that emphasizes the concepts that will be important for, and provide the basis for, the topics - considered in biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, pharmacology, and physiology - which the student will encounter in his professional studies. 

To achieve this goal, the course emphasizes a conceptual approach to the principles of biology.  The student is encouraged to learn factual material within a conceptual framework in order to achieve an understanding of basic biological theory.  By doing so, he will be able to apply this material to his further studies.  Numerous examples, largely relating to human biology and especially to human health and disease, are provided to encourage this process.

The Online Medical Biology I course content considers cell structure and function, metabolism, mitosis and meiosis, inheritance patterns and molecular biology.

Working at the pace typical for a four semester hour course, the average student will complete the online course in approximately 16 weeks. Students may enroll at any time.  Many students are nontraditional students who have elected an on-line course for it's flexibility.  Therefore, students may complete the course in less than 16 weeks.  Extensions beyond 16 weeks (not to exceed 35 weeks) may be granted by the course instructor.  There are no prerequisites for this distance course.