Tamatha Barbeau, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biology
Coordinator: Veterinary Studies Program
Coordinator: Program for Undergraduate Research (PURE)
Welcome to Senior Seminar
Francis Marion University

COURSE SYLLABUS
  SCORES UPDATES
Schedule: Fridays 12:30 - 1:20 pm, LSF 207
Instructor: Dr. Tamatha Barbeau; LSF 204J
Ph: 661-4651
E-mail
Web: people.fmarion.edu/tbarbeau (follow link to Senior Seminar)
Office Hours: by appointment
Additional info for seniors:
The FMU Registrar's office is no longer sending students the 90 hr evaluation. It is now YOUR responsibility to make an appointment with the Registrar's office once you have reached 87 credit hours and qualify as a senior. This information is stated on your Portal page just before the "courses required for the Biology major" is located. You must have a coursework review completed by the registrar's office to confirm that you are, in fact, taking the required courses and required number of credit hours in order to graduate on time.

When you hit a critical number of hours (87), your Patriot Portal page will post the invitation to make an appointment with the Registrar's office appears AND you will also receive an email from the Registrar with the same request.

Course Description: In order to take this class you must be a senior (at least 90 hours earned credit hours) and have taken 24 hours of Biology courses. You must fulfill course requirements to pass, and passing translates to a C or higher. You should treat this course as preparation for the real world that awaits you once you leave the university. Thus, I will expect professional conduct in yourself and your work in this class, just as a prospective employer or graduate program would expect of you. Be to class on-time, participate, complete your assignments, and you will succeed.
Course requirements:

1. Attendance and participation - you cannot miss more than two classes (with verified excuse)! Attendance is recorded. If you know ahead of time that you need to miss a class please contact me. If you miss a class unexpectedly on the day an assignment was due you must provide me with the excuse and you must get that assignment in to me no later than 1 week from the date of your absence or else you will receive a zero. For all writing assignments, spelling and grammar DO COUNT! (C'mon, you're seniors now!)

2. Write and submit a copy of your resumé to me.

3. Complete a coverletter (the type that accompanies an application to a professional program or job).

4. Complete the Biology Exit Exam. (Required for seniors planning to graduate this spring. Seniors graduating in fall must contact Dr. Ann Stoeckmann (astoechmann@fmarion.edu) to schedule when you need to take this exam.

*NOTE* Failure to complete and turn in all of the above assignments can result in failure of the course.

 

Assignments Points
Submit resumé 50
Coverletter 50
Complete Biology Exit Exam 50
Total 150

Grading Scale 90 - 100% A 75 - 79.4% C+ 60 - 64.4% D
85 - 89.4% B+ 70 - 74.4% C < 60% F
80 - 84.4% B 65 - 69.4% D+

Tentative Schedule:
Date & Topic Resources / Links:
Aug 27
Introduction to Senior Seminar: What Do I Do Now?

[Complete Senior Surveys]

Jobs with a Biology Degree.
The hyperlinks in this PDF file WILL be active (you can click and go to them). Happy searching!

FMU's Career Development Office
"Handshake"

If you haven't already, "like" FMU's
Career Development page on Facebook.

or the Dept of Biology's Facebook page (where job opportunities are frequently posted). Or Dept of Biology's Instragram page fmu_biology

 ****The US Dept. of Labor: Occupational Outlook Handbook is a GREAT place to start looking for a large listing of biology and healthcare related jobs, and the site tells you average expected pay, educational requirement, and the expected job growth for a large listing of career choices!

For Healthcare jobs: US Dept. of Labor: Occupational Outlook Handbook for Healthcare jobs, 2020

South Carolina State Government e-recruit system (http://jobs.sc.gov)
See for state and/or government jobs in South Carolina

USDA - ARS website, and Careers at the USDA - ARS

Careers in the Biological Sciences (American Institute of Biological Sciences) - www.aibs.org/careers/

For Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Jobs: US Dept. of Labor: Occupational Outlook Handbook for Farming, Fishing, Forestry for 2015.

For information on "Green Jobs"

For additional job searches and career information:
>NIU Career Services is another good web resource with links to possible jobs with a BSc degree and links to biology-related job sites.

>Jobs with the US Department of Health and Human Services

>Jobs with the US Geological Survey (USGS)

>Jobs with the US Fish and Wildlife Service

>Jobs with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

>Jobs with the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

>Jobs in Biomedical Sciences

Sep 3
Entrance Exams: What are they, when do I take them, and how do I prepare?

FMU Office of Career Development

https://www.accreditedschoolsonline.org/resources/gre-study-guide/

Practice Entrance Exams (Coastal Carolina University)
> KAPLAN Testing - free online resources at KapTest.com
> MCAT - Medical School

The MCAT test has CHANGED! (since April 2015)
Click HERE for more info. about this change, and click HERE for examples of what new scoring will look like.

Also, if you need financial assistance with the MCAT you can learn more from the American Association of Medical Colleges Fee Assistance Program.

> GRE - Graduate School or Vet School
> DAT - Dental School
> PCAT - Pharmacy School

> General Information on the GRE
> AAMC's Preparing for the MCAT
> Additional MCAT prep sources
> AACP's Preparing for the PCAT
> American Dental Student Association's Preparing for the DAT

For additional help with entrance exams, access to practice exams, and information on entrance exam workshops offered at FMU see:
FMU Counseling and Testing office, 121 S. Evander Drive. We are located in the Francis Marion University Education Foundation Building directly on Hwy 76 next to the FMU campus, 661- 1840.
Sep 10 : Guest Speaker

This will be a VERY HELPFUL lecture. Mr. William Carswell from the FMU Office of Career Development will be here to talk about the resources they have for you, such as help with entrance exams, writing a resume, and even how to do an interview.
Sep 17
Writing a cover letter for applications.

Cover letter assigned

FMU Office of Career Development

Sample Cover Letters

Good web resource on writing personal statements for medical school (with some example letters)

Good web resource for writing cover letter for graduate school. Click HERE for an example grad school cover letter.

Example Cover Letter (T.R. Barbeau) For professor position at a university
Sep 24
Writing / revising a professional resumé.

Resumé assigned

FMU Office of Career Development

For help with writing a resumé see:

>FMU Writing Center

>Resume writing tips (from Indeed)

> Resume writing tips for medical school applicants (from AMSA)

>Resume examples for a wide variety of programs

>Graduate School resume examples
Oct 1
How to Handle an Interview.

>General Interview Questions
>Med School Interview Questions
>Grad School Interview Questions
> FMU Office of Career Development

>View some interviewing video demonstrations

Oct 8
Mock Interviews (Dress appropriately)

Cover letter DUE at start of class!

During this class I will break you up into small groups of 4-5 people. One person in group will be interviewd by the rest for 10 min. Interviewers will fill out a evaluation sheet on how the candidate performed. After another in the group will be interviewed for 10 min, and evaluated. This repeats until each person in the group was interviewed.

Please treat this mock interview as the real thing! It's your chance to find out your strengths, and maybe weaknesses, before you go on a interview. I expect you to act professionally.

Oct 15

State and Government Jobs.

Lecture cancelled due to unexpected emergency. Please look over lecture PDF, and email me with any questions. Cover letters will be handed back next Friday.

Oct 22
Thinking about graduate school?

Resume due at start of class.
Oct 29

So you want to be a professor?



Nov 5

Guest Speaker from FMU Alumni Affairs

Nov 12

Biology Exit Exam.

ATTENDANCE MANDATORY for those that are graduating this FALL (Dec)!
If you will be graduating in the spring (or summer), you must contact Dr. Ann Stoeckmann about taking the exit exam in the spring.
Nov 19
State and Government Jobs. 		 
Nov 26 - Thanksgiving Break  
Dec 3 - Last Class!
ATTENDANCE MANDATORY! YOU WILL LOSE POINTS FOR NOT ATTENDING.


Written by Tamatha Barbeau, 2020. This web site is for educational purposes; if you own an image on this site and would like it removed or used with permission, or if you have comments, corrections, or suggestions, please contact me.

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