For More Information

Andrew Napper, Ph.D., Chairperson
Sharon Messer, Secretary

Department of Natural Sciences
Shawnee State University
940 Second Street
Portsmouth, Ohio 45662-4344

Phone: 740.351.3456
Fax: 740.351.3815
E-mail: smesser@shawnee.edu

The Department of Natural Sciences prepares students for the challenges of the 21st century. This mission is accomplished:

• For science majors, through degree programs that provide depth and breadth in scientific learning, experience with modern technologies, and opportunities in undergraduate research and field studies.
• For students majoring in science-related disciplines, through service courses that provide science content and develop technical competence.
• For science majors and general education students, through courses that promote an understanding of scientific reasoning and methodology.

The Department of Natural Sciences offers modern instrumentation, including GC-MS, HPLC, AA, UV-Vis, FTIR, compound and dissecting microscopes for the life sciences, and polarizing microscopes for geological studies.

For the premedical studies student, the Department offers several advanced human anatomy electives rarely available at the undergraduate level. Instructional physics labs are equipped with Macintosh computers for collecting and processing data. The Department maintains, for the use of all natural sciences students, a lab containing ten computers and a laser printer.

In 1998, Shawnee State University was selected as a seismic station for the Division of Geological Survey of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The seismic station is housed in the Department of Natural Sciences. In addition, the Clark Planetarium is maintained by a department faculty member.   
      

Waller Conservatory

The Waller Conservatory is a 1500 square foot, solarium-type greenhouse that is attached to the southeast corner of Massie Hall. It is part of the overall plant biology complex that also includes a support room for the Conservatory, large classroom/laboratory, conference room, and faculty office. The Conservatory was built almost entirely with donated funds; two large donations, one from the Kettering Foundation and the other from the local Waller family, were instrumental in making the facility possible.

Bachelor of Science in Biology

The bachelor of science in biology curriculum ensures a solid foundation in the fundamentals of life science while allowing students to pursue specific areas of interest through three tracks. BS biology recipients are prepared for careers in business, industry, and government or for advanced degree programs in biological or biomedical fields.

• Special Note: A grade of “C-” or better is required in all courses in the biology curriculum in all tracks.

Bachelor of Science in Natural Science

The bachelor of science in natural science is offered with or without education licensure.

Pre-medical Studies

Admission requirements for every accredited medical school in the United States can be found in Medical School Admission Requirements, published by the Association of American Medical Colleges and available in the Shawnee State library. While there is general commonality in minimum requirements, the premedical studies student should consult the professional school of interest for exact admission requirements.

The following are the minimal requirements recommended by graduate programs in clinical medical science (including optometry, dentistry, veterinary medicine, MD and DO programs) in the state of Ohio:

• 1 year general biology
• 1 year anatomy and physiology
• 1 year general chemistry
• 1 year organic chemistry
• 1 year physics
• Proficiency at MATH 1300 level (some schools require Calculus 1)

Students interested in pursuing professional degrees in medicine, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, optometry, or other medically related areas are strongly encouraged to follow the bachelor of science in biology, biomedical sciences track. This track is designed to meet the minimum requirements for admission to medically oriented professional schools and to provide additional courses that will help students succeed after acceptance to a professional school.

Grade point average, performance on the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), an interview, and undergraduate academic recommendations are some of the more important factors considered by medical school admissions committees.

Pre-pharmacy Studies

Pre-pharmacy is not a major. Students who plan to apply for admission to pharmacy schools may major in any area. According to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, chemistry is the most common major for pre-pharmacy students, but pharmacy students come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Students interested in pharmacy are strongly encouraged to major in chemistry. Whatever the major, applicants for pharmacy school should include the courses listed below in their college careers.

Students who plan to apply for pharmaceutical doctorate programs are advised to check the requirements of the pharmacy schools they want to apply to early in their college careers, since the requirements vary substantially from school to school. Some doctorate programs accept students with two years of pre-pharmacy studies, while others require a minimum of three years. At some schools, a bachelor’s degree is required for admission.

The minimum recommended courses for prepharmacy students are:

• BIOL 1151, 1152, 3560, 3561, 3750
• CHEM 1141, 1142, 3305, 3306, 4411
• ENGL 1101 or 1102, and 1105
• MATH 2110, 2120
• PHYS 2201, 2202, or 2211, 2212