Goals

• to support the select mission of UWRF to provide quality undergraduate programs in natural science to meet regional needs.
  
  This includes providing students with a working knowledge of scientific methods, hypothesis formulation and experimental analysis as well as an understanding of current theories and concepts in biological science.
  
  Students will have hands-on experience with laboratory techniques and field research. They will have the ability to communicate scientific ideas in verbal and written forms and to employ electronic technology used in disseminating scientific information.
  
  Students will have gained an appreciation for the ethical and social implications of advances in science and technology and the critical thinking skills necessary to evaluate these issues.
  
  
• to prepare its graduates to make significant contributions as scientists and citizens.

Curriculum

The biology department offers a 34-credit major and a 22-credit minor. Students completing a biology major can obtain a bachelor of science or bachelor of arts degree. The general biology option is appropriate for students who want to be broadly educated in biology or who plan to teach biology. The biomedical sciences option is intended for students going on to professional schools or into biomedical laboratory jobs. The field biology option will be useful for students interested in ecological research or jobs with agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A degree with a biology major also requires completion of a minor and additional supporting courses in chemistry, physics and math. The two most common biology degree programs are the bachelor of science with a minor in chemistry, which is usually chosen by students interested in laboratory biology or medical careers; and the bachelor of science with a minor in conservation, which is often selected by those interested in field biology areas.

Faculty

The biology department currently has ten full-time faculty, all of whom hold a doctoral degree. Their diverse educational and research backgrounds provide a broad spectrum of expertise in various biological disciplines. They are committed to actively engaging students in
the learning process in the classroom, in the laboratory, and in the field. In addition to formal coursework, many students have the opportunity to work with biology faculty in exciting and important research projects.

Career Opportunities

Biology majors are prepared to enter a wide variety of career paths. The 2002-03 Occupational Outlook Handbook from the Department of Labor Statistics projects that jobs for biological scientists will grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2010. Biology majors work as laboratory scientists in industry, agriculture, medicine and academia. They work as naturalists and as field and laboratory researchers for state and federal agencies such as the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Some find employment in sales and service jobs or in management and administration for pharmaceutical or other companies using chemical and biological techniques. Biology is often the major of choice for students planning to progress to professional schools in human or veterinary medicine.