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Biology Department Advising

The Biology Department at Valdosta State University offers only one degree program, specifically in "biology." This means that whatever your career interests, your major at VSU is 'Biology' and the department's first priority is to recommend courses that fulfill your Biology Major curriculum including all Department, College (Arts and Sciences), and state (Board of Regents) requirements. We recognize that many students will have interests in continuing their careers in many different fields and our faculty advisers will offer advice on specific elective courses that you should take to fill not only your Biology Major requirements but prerequisite courses for admission to postgraduate or transfer programs. Specifically, faculty specialties for career and department advising is as follows:

Professional Programs	Faculty Advisors	Helpful Links
Agricultural Sciences	Dr. Cantonwine
Anesthesiologist Assistant	Dr. Loughry	Anesthesiologist Assistant Flyer
Animal Behavioral	Drs. Loughry, McDonough, and Bechler
Aquatic Biology	Drs. Nienow, Bechler, and Waters
Biology Teacher	Dr. Jones
Biomedical/Pharmaceutical Science	Dr. Gannon
Ecology	Drs. Bergstrom and Cantonwine
Ecology of Infectious Diseases	Drs. Turco, Lockhart, and Blackmore
General Biology	All faculty members
Genetics Biotechnology	Drs. Elder and Ring
Marine Biology	Drs. Grove and Bielmyer
Microbiology	Drs. Turco and Bhasin
Occupational Therapy	Drs. Fort and Grove	Occupational Therapy Flyer
Physical Therapy	Drs. Fort and Grove	Physical Therapy Flyer
Physician Assistant	Dr. Goddard	General Info. on P.A.'s and Physician Assistant Flyer
Plant Sciences	Dr. Cantonwine and Carter
Pre-Dentistry	Dr. Nienow and Bush	Pre-Dentistry Flyer and Dental Hygiene Flyer
Pre-Medicine	Drs. Blackmore, Elder, Lockhart, Ring, Kang and Fort	Pre-Medical Program at VSU Flyer and Pre-Medical Flyer Medical Technology Flyer and Letter of Evaluation Form
Pre-Optometry	Dr. Goddard and Carter	General Optometry Info and Pre-Optometry flyer
Pre-Veterinary	Dr. Doscher and Waters	Veterinary Flyer
Respiratory Therapy	Drs. Fort and Grove	Respiratory Therapy Flyer

For specific advising questions please refer to the above listed advisers. For general biology advising questions please see Miss Callie Garrett.

Students can find a wealth of advice and information from many networked sources. One of the best I've seen for advice about health professions is by Dan Knauft, an active member of the National Academic Advising Association, and former senior health professions counselor at the University of Texas at Austin. There are over 800 useful links to be found on this site covering aspects of choosing careers, pre-medical and other allied health field advising, interviewing, testing, and applying to various programs. (RHG)

Requirements for a second bachelor’s degree

Complete all science and math courses required for the biology degree. As for the core, a new student to VSU from another state only has to meet the legislative requirements (US/GA History and US/GA Constitution) and complete Area F for their major. They do not have to do anything else within the core. Most students do the exemption exams in the testing office to satisfy the legislative requirements.