Prospective Students - About the Undergraduate Biology Program
Go here for information about the Biology Major and why you should consider the Penn State Biology Department.
- What is the Biology Major?
- Why Biology at Penn State?
- What are the advantages of the Biology Curriculum?
- What are the requirements for admission into the Eberly College of Science?
- What about advising?
- What career opportunities are available to me?
- Can I count on Financial Aid?
- Student Comments
- Alternative Media
- Other Resources
Top
What is the Biology Major?
Biology focuses on living organisms - what they are, where they live, how they evolve, and how they reproduce, grow and develop. Although you have taken biology in high school, a university can offer you a much more thorough study of modern biology.
With an enrollment of over 1,000 students, the Biology major is the largest and most popular in Penn State's Eberly College of Science. As a biology student at Penn State, you can select one of six options: General Biology, Ecology, Genetics & Developmental Biology, Neurobiology, Plant Biology, and Vertebrate Physiology. As a freshman and sophomore - no matter what your option - you complete the same rigorous curriculum as other biology students, including two semesters of calculus, two semesters of both inorganic and organic chemistry, and a four-semester sequence of four introductory courses (with laboratory) in basic biology. By the end of your sophomore year, you will have completed a minimum of seven laboratory courses, encompassing a wide range of basic skills. In your junior and senior years, you will focus on an area of biology in line with your specific interests and career goals.
For more information view the Biology Handbook.
TopWhy Biology at Penn State?
The Biology department is committed to encouraging undergraduate research, with more than 100 undergraduates participating in various aspects of faculty research. Numerous scientific papers are published by our faculty with undergraduate co-authors each year (see our list of Scientific Journals). Research among the biology faculty ranges from investigations using molecular analyses of bacterial, plant, and animal evolution; theoretical and experimental population genetics; plant growth and development; signal transduction by hormones; marine biology; neuroplasticity/synaptogenesis; plant biotechnology; gene expression and regulation; and much more. All this research enables our diverse faculty to offer up-to-date courses in various aspects of modern biology.
TopWhat are the advantages of the Biology Curriculum?
Although an interest in living organisms is necessary for success in collegiate biology, you must have more than a simple interest if you are to appreciate, understand, and make a contribution to our knowledge of modern biology - you must have a basic level of mastery in biochemistry, chemistry, mathematics, and physics. These adjunct courses in science help to provide you with a vital foundation for understanding complex biological interactions, whether at the molecular, organismic, or population level. Our curriculum is designed to help give you both the breadth and depth you'll need to understand modern biology at all levels of integration.
TopWhat are the requirements for admission into the Eberly College of Science?
You must be a graduate of an accredited high school and have completed the required units of preparatory work, including four units of English, one and one-half units of algebra, one unit of plane geometry, one-half unit of trigonometry (a reorganized modern sequence in high school mathematics will be accepted in place of the traditional courses), three units of science, at least five units of arts, humanities, and social studies, and two units of the same foreign language. Some preparation in chemistry and physics is also advised for admission to the Eberly College of Science.
Once requirements are met for the Eberly College of Science, you are eligible for all majors in the college.
TopWhat about advising?
When you enter the Biology major as a freshman, you will be assigned an academic adviser in the Biology Undergraduate Advising Office in 329 Whitmore Lab. The adviser can help you with many problems associated with proper course planning, regulations concerning the Biology major, and much more. You will also be assigned a faculty career/research adviser who will help you with career questions.
TopWhat career opportunities are available to me?
You can generally find career opportunities in four main areas. Below is a list of these areas with the percentage of Penn State biology graduates who pursue them:
- 25% attend professional schools, i.e., medical, dental, veterinary, optometry, chiropractic, physician assistant, physical and occupational therapy
- 25% enter a graduate program
-
25% accept jobs related to biology as research technicians, or in the case of industry: production, management, or sales
- industry (food, drug, chemical)
- government (agriculture, parks, recreation, environment, regulations)
- universities
- 25% accept jobs unrelated directly to biology in a wide variety of governmental or industrial occupations.
As an aid to helping you with your career goals, the Eberly College of Science has established a Co-operative Education Program, which provides you (typically at the sophomore or junior level) with opportunities to work in an industrial laboratory or other biological settings. In addition to earning credit towards degree requirements, all students who participate in the Co-op programs earn a professional-level income.
TopCan I count on Financial Aid?
Undergraduate scholarships and various awards are available through the University, the Eberly College of Science, and each department within the college. Information on the undergraduate scholarships and awards available through their website
For more information concerning scholarships with the Department of Biology, go to The Biology Undergraduate Advising Office website.
A number of grants, loans, work-study programs, and scholarships are available through Penn State. To learn more about what is available and how to apply go to the Office of Student Aid website.
Once you have enrolled at Penn State, you will also have access to information from the Undergraduate Fellowship Office
TopStudent Comments
"The breadth and depth of my Penn State education has prepared me well for a career in medicine or research. The integration of Honors work into the biology curriculum has further enriched my experience through close interaction with faculty and the opportunity to investigate areas of personal interest."
Susannah Walpole
Senior, Biology major and University Scholar
"The biology department has provided me with an excellent education, but more importantly, it has provided me with an opportunity to apply that knowledge through research and teaching opportunities. The Vertebrate Physiology option has allowed me to complete my medical school requirements while taking more intense biology classes that will better prepare me for medical school."
Karen Wasilewski
Senior, Biology major and University Scholar
Alternative Media
This publication is available in alternative media upon request.
The Pennsylvania State University is committed to the policy that al persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, admission, and employment without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state or federal authorities. The Pennsylvania State University does not discriminate against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Direct all inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policy to Affirmative Action Director, The Pennsylvania State University, 201 Willard Building, University Park, PA 16802-2801; tel. (814) 863-0471; TDD (814) 865-3175.
TopOther Resources
