Introduction

The department offers undergraduate programs leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science and a graduate program leading to the degree of Master of Arts in Teaching. The goal of the undergraduate program is to provide students with broad backgrounds, allowing for flexibility in making career choices. Students enrolled in the graduate program have the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge in more specialized areas.

The Department of Biological Sciences is located in the newly expanded and renovated Conant Science Building. The department operates twelve well-equipped teaching laboratories, where students apply the theoretical principles learned in their courses. In addition, the building houses research laboratories dedicated to a variety of biological disciplines, including cell and molecular biology, microbiology, ecology, chronobiology, and toxicology, as well as an image analysis lab and extensive collections of biological specimens. Located on the three acres next to the building are the Biology Garden and a modern, research-grade greenhouse. The greenhouse and gardens support both laboratory and field research and are planted with specimens of horticultural interest.

The location of the campus is a major advantage for conducting field work and ecological studies. Within an hour's drive of the campus are diverse habitats such as bays, salt marshes, sandy beaches, rocky shores, estuaries, bogs, freshwater ponds, streams and rivers (clean and polluted), white cedar swamps, marshes, pine groves and hemlock groves.

The department maintains close ties with the Watershed Access Laboratory, an outreach center dedicated to professional development of teachers in environmental education and for interdisciplinary watershed studies. Also, many Biological Sciences faculty are active in outreach activities through the BSU Citylab, a program of the Center for the Advancement of Scientific Exploration.

Last Modified: August 13, 2012