Jane, I believe there are some institutions where one can earn an undergraduate degree in biology with only college algebra, and some of those even still offer and require trigonometry, both of which have been subsumed at most post secondary institutions that offer them into a "precalculus" course. I just looked up one such institution where I once taught, and that is the case there. Even there, there is the caveat listed in the catalog that students wishing to pursue graduate studies should take two calculus courses.
David McNeely ---- Jane Shevtsov <jane....@gmail.com> wrote: > It's interesting that Kim is from Canada and Robert is from the UK, while > David is from the US. I'm also from the US and I've never heard of a > biology program that didn't require at least one term of calculus, although > I've heard of such things having existed in the past. (BTW, I think linear > algebra is also a very good option.) > > I don't know about Canadian universities, but in the UK, students start to > specialize as early as 16, while in the US, specialization is at least > nominally discouraged until the last 2-3 years of college. American science > students usually take calculus in college; as far as I know, students in > the UK tend to do so before college -- and may not do so at all if they > study biology. For Oxford's biology program, math is not an entry > requirement (http://www.biology.ox.ac.uk/admissions.html); students do take > "Quantitative Methods", but this is apparently statistics. I would be very > surprised if any reputable US university allowed this, although the > usefulness of the typical freshman calculus course is debatable. Could the > difference in math requirements be a consequence of early vs. late > specialization? > > Jane Shevtsov > > > On Thu, Apr 11, 2013 at 8:26 AM, Kim Cuddington <kcudd...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Extremely limited or even no math requirements may be a more common > > feature of biology programs > > than you realize. For example, up until recently, my program required only > > a stats course. It is my > > understanding that this is an increasingly common approach for biology > > programs. > > > > Partially as a result of my efforts, all our biology students now require > > a math course, but it is not > > necessarily a calculus course (linear algebra is an option, and > > non-calculus physics for some reason). > > Don't get me wrong, I think linear algebra is equally necessary, but many > > of our ecology students opt > > for the easier algebra course. Students from another environmental campus > > program on campus > > require no math course at all. Therefore, when I explain concepts as basic > > as exponential growth in a > > 4th year ecology course, I also have to explain the meaning of a > > derivative. > > > > Needless to say, I find the situation ludicrous. Educated students in ANY > > science need to know what a > > derivative is, and educated citizens, regardless of what their university > > major, REALLY need to > > understand exponential population growth. Math is not an optional part of > > any education, let alone a > > science education, but I've seen it being treated that way at at several > > institutions. > > > > Kim Cuddington > > University of Waterloo > > (BTW this is a notoriously "mathy" school) > > > > > > -- > ------------- > Jane Shevtsov, Ph.D. > Mathematical Biology Curriculum Writer, UCLA > co-founder, www.worldbeyondborders.org > > “Those who say it cannot be done should not interfere with those who are > doing it.” --attributed to Robert Heinlein, George Bernard Shaw and others -- David McNeely
