BIOL 485 is an independent research course supervised
by various faculty members in the Biology Department,
or another department of your choice.
It is usually worth between 1-4 credit hours. Most advisors require 4
hours though, which amounts to 12 hours per week in the lab. 485 is a great way
to deceide for yourself if you want to go to graduate school, because this is
how graduate school in biology will look like.
Biology Department has posted a list
of advisors interested in 485 students, but you should also look around
on your own, to be sure to find a lab which research area matches yours.
It is essential to contact the primary investigators before you make a final decision,
talk to them about possible choices, what their expectations are and
what possible project you would be working on. Ask them for papers
which will help yu to understand the project. Make sure you have at least
SOME understanding of your task before you come into the lab.
Look around in the lab, talk to technicians, graduate students
and post docs, see if you can go along well.
Most of them are very nice people though. Remember that picking a lab
that you would be working for is a very important decision.
After you have selected the lab you want to work for and talked to the primary
investigator if he/she has space for you, you will need to pick up a 485 form
from the Undergraduate Advising Office (107 Butler) or
download it
from the Biology Department homepage. The same usually works
for advisors from different departments.
I was working for a professor from Biochemistry and
the only thing I had to turn in was my
Biology Department 485 form.
Your advisor will need to complete the 485 form and then you
return the form to an undergraduate advisor in 107 Butler.
The advisor will deceide whether or notthe course is acceptable
and exactly how it will be used in the degreeplan.
Up to 8
credit hours may be used as a directed elective (BIOL, BOTN, MICR, ZOOL).
This amounts to about 1-1.5 years of research.
Graduate schools, however look for students with more
that 1 year research experience.
Additional credit hours may be used as general electives.
BIOL 491 courses are a new addition. While the title of 485's is "Directed Studies",
the title of a 491 is "Research". This is highly recommended for anyone with
485 experience.
