DEPARTMENT of BIOLOGY

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Mission Statement

The Biology Department's mission is to offer a challenging curriculum that affords all students the opportunity to learn both the content of the discipline and the processes of scientific inquiry.  For biology majors, the department offers preparation for careers in scientific and related fields as well as for admission to professional and graduate schools. 

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To accomplish these goals the department works to ensure students in the biology program:

1. demonstrate factual and conceptual understanding of the basic principles of biology and detailed knowledge of the content of the discipline;
2. recognize and discuss the interconnected nature of the world and its relationship to current topics in biology and to society; 
3. demonstrate an understanding of the ethical practices in the field of biology; 
4. complete an independent research project that requires critical thinking and problem solving through its design, implementation, and analysis;
5. effectively communicate scientific findings.

Emphasizing a student's capacity to understand and conduct research, the biology major allows individuals to tailor the academic program to their interests, whether they encompass botany, zoology, molecular biology, environmental and conservation biology, teacher certification, or other areas.

Our mission is to offer a biology curriculum that affords students the opportunity to learn the content of the discipline and to be trained in the scientific method.