Mission Statement

Biology has had decades of extraordinary leadership which has served it well and has resulted in the design of holistic programs to prepare students for post baccalaureate studies, health professions, science education, and other science-related careers. The mission of the Biology Department is in consonance with the mission and goals of the University, especially as it relates to the development of tomorrow's leaders in professions utilizing biological knowledge. The major provides instruction in fundamental biological concepts, immersion in hands-on, minds-on field and laboratory exercises, and opportunities for greater specialization in emerging fields like biophysics, computational biology and genomics. Critical reasoning, intellectual inquiry, and mastery of the scientific jargon are aggressively fostered in the biology program. From the very beginning, students are involved in the practice of scientific inquiry and, in advanced courses, motivated to formulate testable hypotheses, design experiments and analyze data. These competencies are then demonstrated in the BIOL capstone course, BIOL401 Senior Seminar, in which students deliver a high quality scientific presentation and field questions which may be posed by any member of the BIOL faculty. The program promotes leadership and collaborative skills through group projects including recitations/precepts, discussions, lab experiments and reports. Advanced undergraduate students may serve as teaching and laboratory assistants. The department supports a chapter of Beta Kappa Chi, The Biology Club, and Pre-Professional Health Careers Advisory Program. These student-centered organizations offer leadership and service opportunities.
Vision Statement

The biology major is designed to: give students a broad understanding of the processes, concepts, and structures that characterize life at three basic levels: molecular/cellular, system/organism, and community/ecosystem; encourage scientific investigation and experimentation through laboratory and field experiences and independent, authentic research; and finally, prepare students for the further pursuit of graduate or professional school, or for careers in health care, public and private research, teaching, and related fields.



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DEGREE PROGRAMS

B.S. in Biology

The biology core curriculum requires the completion of two mandatory introductory courses (cr. hr = 8) within the first year, after which students may select 5 to 7 advanced biological courses (cr. hr = 19 - 28) based on interests and career goals with the restriction that at least one course is taken in each of three major categories of biology (i.e., organismal/physiology, cellular and molecular, and environmental/ecology /evolution).

听听听听1. A required "core" of nine biology courses with labs representing three levels of life processes:

• • three introductory courses with labs (BIOL120/121, BIOL230/231)
  • molecular & cell biology (BIOL250/251)
  • five biology electives with advanced content in each of the three levels

听听听听2. Senior seminar
听听听听3. Four required courses in chemistry
听听听听4. Two required courses in math
听听听听5. Two required courses in physics
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Graduate Study in Biology

The graduate study program in biology leads to the Master of Science degree. The offering of a graduate degree in biology has several purposes. One of these is to offer students who have attained the baccalaureate degree in biology or other natural sciences the opportunity to broaden and increase their knowledge in the biological sciences.听 Another is the opportunity for students to enter into or expand their experience in the area of experimental research in biology. These objectives may be achieved through selection of elective courses offered in this department and allied areas (chemistry, agriculture, veterinary medicine, etc.), and by the selection of a research area of concentration. The latter is with the assistance of a major advisor in the department who will usually act as the student's major professor. All graduate students are required to teach for one (1) year in the Freshman Biology Program.

M.S. in Biology

The biology graduate program is designed to prepare students for further graduate work leading to a Ph.D.; to provide professional biologists with advanced research and educational opportunities; and to provide students with a broad-based graduate program allowing for specialization in the diverse fields of inquiry represented by the faculty of the department. The procedure is simple!

Ph.D. in Integrative Biosciences

Advances in the life sciences that address local and global challenges require new approaches to graduate education and research. The 精东AV (IBS) Ph.D. program is designed to develop professionals who have not only technical proficiency but who also possess the flexibility and adaptability to address the complexities of current challenges. Read about our mission, vision and collaborators of this program.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Learning Resource Center

The Learning Resource Center (LRC), located in room 207 Armstrong Hall, contains a library of information about medical schools and their curricula, admissions requirements, and financial planning that can be accessed for reference by any student (Biology or non-Biology major).听 Similar information is available about other programs such as Dentistry, Optometry, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Physician's Assistant, and Public Health. The Center also contains printed and computerized information about MCAT and other standardized examinations as well as information on summer enrichment/research programs and post baccalaureate programs.听 Applications for these examinations and programs are available in the Center.

Pre-Professional Health Careers Advisory Program

The听Pre-Professional Health Careers Advisory Program (PHCAP) program was established to assist student in the applications process for health careers.听 There are a series of workshops, meetings and private sessions that will ensure that each student has a well-rounded application.

Office of Undergraduate Research

The听 (OUR) is focused on exposing student to research-based careers and internships.听 Several seminars are hosted to allow for student to have one-on-on contact with working professional and laboratory techniques that will make them successful in the future.

Special Programs

Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) Program is coordinated by . The purpose of the MARC Program is to assist faculty engaged in biomedical research at 精东AV with the development of competitive research programs, as well as increase the number of underrepresented minorities at 精东AV conducting biomedical research. Funding is provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to faculty to establish research laboratories, attend national scientific meetings, establish biomedical seminars for faculty and students, and promote student research through mentoring. Students enrolled in undergraduate research can gain experience from faculty members in Biology or from other biomedical departments on campus. Some of the research conducted on campus has emphasis in cancer, toxicology, or reproductive physiology.

The 听 aims to enhance the exposure of undergraduate students to research in and outside of the lecture hall.听听This sponsored 听Undergraduate 听Research 听program 听seeks 听to 听provide 听 more 听opportunities 听for 听students 听to 听perform 听research 听during 听the 听academic 听year.
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Student Services

PreHealth Advising and Test Prep (Garland Wise, Richard Whittington, Nydia Caro)
Career Information Forums
Internship Placement
Research Opportunities On-Campus and Abroad
Resume Review and Revision
Personal Statement Workshops
Mock Interview Sessions
Graduate and Professional School听 Application Assistance