Why Study Biological Science?

This is an exciting time to study biology! As the study of all life on earth, biology leads to an understanding of life processes. This can help us understand our place in the natural world and our impact on the planet. This is particularly important as we face many important questions that affect the future of humanity and the future of life on this planet.

For the first time in history, there is now a species, humans, that can significantly impact the evolution of life. This is a result of our understanding of genetics and our ability to modify the genetic makeup of organisms in ways that are new to nature.

Biologists try to answer questions about the world, including:

• What is life? When does life begin or end?
• How can human life be improved (by curing diseases like cancer)?
• How does the brain work and what is the mind?
• How will human life change with the increased integration of artificial intelligence?
• How can genetic modification of organisms (including humans) be used and what are the implications?
• How can a better understanding of biological processes be used to benefit humanity (clean, renewable energy sources)?
• How do human activities (climate change, pollution) impact life on this planet?

Biology is an interdisciplinary field – it uses key concepts from chemistry and physics to understand the biological processes, it uses the tools provided by math, statistics and computer science to analyze data from observations and experiments. This helps biologists better understand the world around us.

The study of biology gives students a wide range of skills to prepare for almost any career. Students with biology degrees end up in different fields like:

• agriculture and horticulture
• computing
• consulting
• conservation
• engineering
• finance
• green businesses
• law
• landscape architecture
• teaching
• tourism
• urban planning

• Interdisciplinarity: students can take a broad range of introductory courses in chemistry, physics, mathematics, computer science as well as biology. We believe that the interdisciplinarity approach will provide all our students with a well-rounded education and critical skills for the workplace: reasoning, problem solving and communication.
• Cutting-edge programs: students can complete their degree through our general biological science program or they can choose a specialization in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Environmental Biology, Environmental Toxicology, or Life Sciences.
• Small class sizes: students will have the opportunity to work closely with highly qualified professors and graduate students to gain hands-on experience by working in our teaching labs.
• Research opportunities: students get hands-on research training from our experienced and highly qualified faculty and the opportunity to do a directed research project.
• Open and engaging faculty: whether in the classroom, lab or outside, our biological science faculty members are approachable and dedicated to student learning and academic success.
• Technology-focused: our biological science courses and labs give students many opportunities to gain hands-on experience using new computer technologies and virtual laboratory activities. Students also have access to new lab equipment like:
  • gel imager
  • PCR machines
  • real-time PCR machines
  • DNA sequencer
  • compound light microscopes
  • fluorescence microscopes
  • nanodrop UV spectrophotometer
• Academic support: There are many opportunities for students to get help with their studies or to help other students through peer-tutoring, biology drop-in sessions and through fun learning experiences. These activities help students academically and provide opportunities for students to network with other students in biological science.