Biology Department
The SNU Biology Department has built an excellent reputation mentoring students and preparing them for science graduate programs. We offer a wide variety of courses in biology, and the molecular level. This curriculum provides a broad based science background for you to head to graduate school or professional schools or for employment in the biological sciences.
Majors can participate in many hands-on research opportunities. On campus, students study the development of zebra fish. The Biology Department also has a field station in Costa Rica, the Quetzal Education Research Center (QERC). Students can live at QERC, a modern research facility, and do in-depth field studies on an intact cloud forest, a cloud forest recovery area, and sustainable agriculture projects. Students interested in anatomy can select two levels of cadaver dissection to become some of the best prepared anatomists in the nation.
Degrees Offered
Three majors lead to Bachelor of Science degrees within the Biology Department: Biology, Environmental Studies, and Biology-Chemistry.
These majors prepare you for several pre-professional programs including:
- Medicine
- Dentistry
- Physician Associate
- Pharmacy
- Medical-Technology
- Physical Therapy
- Veterinary Medicine
Environmental Studies majors can pursue careers in:
- Ecology
- Environmental Testing
- Forestry
- Agriculture
- Wildlife Management
Persons majoring in these biology areas also find career opportunities working or doing research for such organizations as pharmaceutical companies; hospitals and other health organizations; fisheries and wildlife preserves; industries concerned with pollution; firms doing ocean exploration: food industry; producers of agricultural supplies; schools and government agencies; and teaching.
Facilities & Equipment
- Student research lab
- Microscope lab equipped with digital imaging
- QERC--San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica
- Cadaver lab
There are also many opportunities outside the classroom. These include the student-led national premed honor society (AED), volunteering at clinics and hospitals, the Ecology Club, AuSable Institute of Environmental Studies, medical mission opportunities, internship employment at hospitals and research organizations, and part-time employment as a biology lab assistant.
Scholarships & Assistance
- Biology Science Heritage Scholarships
- Oakes MCAT Prep Scholarship
- Williams Halliday Scholarship
- Dombeck Biology Scholarship
- Harwell Biology Scholarship
- Lawrence Biology Scholarship
- Shook Biology Scholarship
- Wood Biology Scholarship
- Lab Assistant opportunities
Faculty
Dr. Nancy Halliday
Molecular Biology and Anatomy
Dr. Wes Hanson
Physiology and Molecular Biology
Dr. Sharon Young, Emeritus Professor
Zoology and Genetics
Professor Dennis Siegfried
Ornithology, Ecology, and Biogeography