Beloit's biology students enjoy the advantages of a distinctive curriculum with innovative instruction in small classes; a dedicated faculty; generous laboratory space; and state-of-the-art equipment. Biology students interact extensively with their professors and one another in an atmosphere of cooperative and collaborative learning. Many biology majors have office space in the department, giving them access to faculty and facilities.

THE BIOLOGY CURRICULUM

Students interested in biology choose one of six departmental majors: (1) biology (with education certification); (2) cellular and molecular biology; (3) ecology, evolution, and behavioral biology; (4) environmental biology; (5) integrative and medical biology; or (6) mathematical biology. Each option emphasizes a particular area of biology by asking the student to choose from a coherent set of courses in biology, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, physics, geology, social sciences, arts, and humanities. The Department of Biology offers two disciplinary minors: biology and society, and integrative biology.

Most biology majors conduct independent research, complete professional internships, or serve as teaching assistants in biology courses. Many study abroad or off campus for a semester. Beloit’s biology program offers a unique senior capstone experience. In the senior seminar, each biology major presents a seminar and writes either a critical review of published research or a report of original research for publication in The Beloit Biologist.

CAREERS IN BIOLOGY

RESEARCH & PROFESSIONAL EXPLORATION

About 65% of biology majors continue their study of biology in graduate or professional school. Beloit students pursue graduate study in a variety of fields, from molecular virology and biophysics, to ecology and evolution to marine affairs, and the history and philosophy of science. They complete graduate work at Harvard University, Yale University, MIT, and many other top-flight universities. Others go on to medical school, dental school, veterinary school, nursing school, or other programs in health care.

Those who do not immediately go on to graduate or professional school enter careers related to their interests in biology. About 95% of Beloit’s biology majors ultimately work in areas related to their degrees. Some become high school biology teachers, emergency medical technicians, and health data specialists. Others work in research laboratories at leading universities or at major chemical or pharmaceutical suppliers such as Sigma, Abbott Laboratories, Bristol Myers, Pierce Chemical, and Monsanto.

Internships and field experiences are important components of the biology program at Beloit. Each year internships at research facilities such as Argonne Laboratories, Oak Ridge National Laboratories, Roswell Park Biomedical Research Institute, and the University of Chicago, as well as others in the Beloit area, are available to biology majors. Opportunities are also available through Beloit's program in Ecuador and the Associated Colleges of the Midwest.

Biology majors are encouraged to conduct independent research. Recent topics of student research projects have included mannan-binding lectin in cell recognition, neurogenesis in fetal mouse brains, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis of tomato phypogeny, aggrecan mutation in nanomelic chicks, diaminofluorescense and nitric oxide concentration, protein interactions in Escherichia coli, phylogeographic analyses of evolution, graph-theoretical analyses of food webs, parallel evolution in stickleback fish, filamentous growth factors in yeast, fruit production in milkweed, begging behavior in red-winged blackbirds, parasites in grey wolves, microbial nodules in Turtle Creek,, cacao pod loss in a Costa Rican plantation, and asthma surveillance in children.