Be experimental

A female student working in the lab
Students examine plant samples
A student sets a net while standing in the lake
Classroom learning
A campus near a lake
Students review a scan with their professor
Kayaking on Lake Champlain
Looking up at the tower of Ira Allen chapel

In 2004, what is now the Biological Science program was introduced in response to a need for a biological science option that could provide a rigorous interdisciplinary major without barriers to switching departments or Colleges because of different degree requirements. The Biological Science program has a two-fold mission: provide the core biology education for all biology-related undergrad majors while offering a major with the maximum degree of flexibility in transferring between colleges when necessary.

The Bachelor of Science in Biological Science is offered under the auspices of both the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). In either college, undergraduates who enter the Biological Science track benefit from the availability of expert researchers, instructors, and the courses they teach. Learn more about the Biological Science (BISC) curriculum on the BISC website.

Learning Goals:

  1. Have a basic (fundamental-conceptual and factual) understanding of genetics, cellular and organismal biology, ecology and evolution.
  2. Evaluate and articulate the contribution of biology to society.
  3. Demonstrate proficiency in the scientific method and critical analysis and be able to apply skills to novel questions and data.
  4. Articulate biological knowledge both verbally and in writing.
  5. Have an in-depth and current knowledge of subject-matter within a scientific discipline.

Major requirements

Careers

  • Product Scientist
  • Project Development Manager
  • Emergency Medicine Physician
  • Data Scientist
  • Research Biologist

Where alumni work

  • Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience
  • United States Army
  • US Centers for Disease Control
  • Cornell University
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Strokes

Graduate Schools

  • Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • UVM Medical School
  • University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine
  • University of Pittsburgh