Michigan State University expects that graduate zoology students demonstrate that they have studied mathematics, including a first semester calculus class and a statistics course, or a second calculus class. Students must also successfully complete a first semester organic chemistry class and a subsequent biochemistry course, or a second-semester organic chemistry class. The zoology department at Michigan State also requires students take two semesters of physics before applying to do graduate work in the zoology department.
The University of Oklahoma has a zoology program for graduate and undergraduate students. Undergraduates may take an introductory zoology and an introductory biology course, but students take the Age of Dinosaurs and Invertebrate Zoology courses only after completing the introductory zoology course. The undergraduate evolution and veterinary entomology courses require eight previous credits in biological sciences. The University's graduate zoology course offers mammalology and ornithology to students who have completed eight hours of zoology courses; their forensic entomology course is open to students with eight hours of biological sciences credits.
At Texas Tech, the zoology department allows students to study zoology courses according to the student's year. Sophomores may take human anatomy, and physiology and human anatomy, if they have finished eight hours of chemistry credits. Juniors may study parasitology after an introductory zoology course while seniors must study biology before entering the university's animal behavior or insect diversity classes. For graduate studies, students must acquire the consent of the instructor to study advanced invertebrate zoology, advanced ornithology or ecological entomology.
At Oregon State University, zoology students must take a common core of courses. The zoology core consists of non-biological science, biochemistry, chemistry, organic chemistry, calculus, physics and statistics. The biological science core includes biology principles, genetics, cell and molecular biology, evolution, ecology, invertebrate biology (including a lab), vertebrate biology (including a lab) and physiology (including vertebrate physiology and a lab). Students must demonstrate credits in a writing course which they can select from several options including ecological methods, history of the life sciences and history of medicine. Students then go on to select zoology and biology electives to complete their credits and earn a zoology degree.