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Biology Lab Course Information

Fall Session: 8/24/2026-12/18/2026 

General comments about biology classes with labs:

  • A 3-credit biology class, regardless of whether it is delivered on campus, hybrid, or online, has the equivalent of 2 hours of lecture (3 credits) and 3 hours of lab (1 credit) per week. 
  • A 4-credit biology class, regardless of whether it is delivered on campus, hybrid, or online, has the equivalent of 3 hours of lecture (3 credits) and 3 hours of lab (1 credit) per week. 
  • A 5-credit biology class, regardless of whether it is delivered on campus, hybrid, or online, has the equivalent of 4 hours of lecture (3 credits) and 3 hours of lab (1 credit) per week. 
  • For on-campus courses all lectures and labs will meet on campus. 
  • For completely online asynchronous courses the lectures and labs are completely online and you may need to pick up a lab kit (BIOL 1100, 1101 and 2041 courses) at the Biology Lab Front Desk (S 1360). See below for more instructions. 
  • Students taking online biology courses are not allowed to perform their labs on campus. Please make plans accordingly to finish labs at home or a friend’s house. 

Fall On-Campus/Hybrid Courses 

  • 1100 – Survey of Biology 
  • 1102 – Human Biology 
  • 1104 – Minnesota Natural History and Field Biology 
  • 1110 – Environmental Biology 
  • 1120 – Introduction to Evolutionary Biology 
  • 1501 – Principles of Biology 1 
  • 1502 – Principles of Biology 2 
  • 2041 – Human Anatomy 
  • 2042 – Human Physiology 
  • 2043 – Microbiology 
  • 2044 – Introductory Microbiology 
  • 2206 – Ecology  

 

Fall Online/Mostly Online Courses 

  • 1100 – Survey of Biology 
  • 1101 – Introduction to Human Genetics 
  • 1110 – Environmental Biology 
  • 1125 – Sex and Human Diversity  
  • 1501 – Principles of Biology 1 
  • 1502 – Principles of Biology 2 
  • 2041 – Human Anatomy 
  • 2044 – Introductory Microbiology 

Please refer to the course outlines on E-services for specific course details.   

Information on lab kits for Completely Online Asynchronous Courses

Students enrolled in a completely online asynchronous BIOL 1100 lab course should come to the Biology Lab Front Desk (S 1360) to pick up an online lab kit and/or to replace missing/broken/emptied lab kit components.  
 
Lab Kit pick-ups are available on weekdays from August 17 to September 11 and are available during the following times: 

  • Mondays – 8:00 am – 5:00 pm 
  • Tuesdays – 8:00 am – 8:00 pm 
  • Wednesdays – 8:00 am – 7:30 pm 
  • Thursdays – 8:00 am – 8:00 pm 
  • Fridays – 8:00 am – 4:00 pm 

Lab kits will not be available for pick up on Wednesday, August 19 and Monday, September 7 (Labor Day). 

When you come to pick up your lab kit, please bring the following:  

  • Your Normandale student ID card 
  • Your course name, number, and professor's information 
  • Broken/list of missing items 
  • If you need to replace any missing, broken, or used components, bring your Normandale student ID, course name, number, and professor's information 

Online labs are NOT allowed to be performed on campus and must be performed at home. 

Students will be responsible for checking the lab kit contents against an inventory sheet and return the signed sheet before leaving the pick-up area to ensure all components are received. This will take about 5-10 minutes. Students are responsible for alerting staff of any missing components as soon as possible. 

If a student is unable to come to campus, they can have a family member/friend pick up their kit on the student’s behalf or the lab kit can be mailed to a street address in the United States. Lab kits cannot be mailed to post office boxes, to Alaska or Hawaii, or to locations outside the United States. Make sure that whoever picks up the lab kit has the instructor’s permission and brings the student’s tech ID information. Students should contact their instructor no later than the first day of class to request a mailed lab kit. 

After the Course has ended, please return the following lab kit components to the BLC main desk or designated area outside of the lab: 

  • Carson microscope 
  • Amscope slides 
  • Plastic beakers 
  • Graduated cylinders 
  • Any materials you do not wish to dispose of at home 
  • The methylene blue must be disposed of in a Household Hazardous Waste Facility or through Normandale. Please plan accordingly.  

If the main doors are closed and the BLC is still in operating hours, press the doorbell until you hear it or until a CLA comes to the door.

Picture of the doorbell located to the left of the BLC main doors at about halfway up the door's height. If the main doors are closed and the BLC is still in operating hours, press the doorbell until you hear it or until a CLA comes to the door.

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