Biology

Address: 312 Eberhart Building
Phone: 336.334.5391
Web site: www.uncg.edu/bio

Majors & Concentrations

• Biology (BA) U117
• Biology (BA) (Lic) U119
• Biology (BS) U116
• Biology (BS) (Lic) U218
• Biology 2Plus (BS) U114
• Biology 2Plus (BA) U220
• Biotechnology (BS) U214
• Biotechnology 2Plus (BS) U703
• Environmental Biology (BS) U118
• Human Biology (BS) U863

About the Major

• The Bachelor of Arts in Biology offers the opportunity for further study at the graduate level, medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, medical technology, biotechnology, and environmental biology. Students completing the B.A. degree often enter the biology workforce after college.
• The Bachelor of Science in Biology is offered for those students aspiring to a professional career in biology, and for those students with particularly strong interests in the discipline.  A student pursuing this degree is expected to develop a stronger background in mathematics and related sciences and to attain a greater understanding of biology than a student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree.  These students will also be strongly encouraged to undertake an individual research project with a faculty member during their junior and/or senior year.
• The B.S. in Biology with Concentration in Environmental Biology provides students with a breadth and depth of environmental sciences, rigorously prepares them for advanced studies in the field, and trains them for environmentally oriented professions.
• The B.S. in Biology with Concentration in Biotechnology is designed for students with strong interests in molecular biology and genetics.  Courses will prepare students in conceptual aspects of molecular biology and their practical application in biotechnology and genetic engineering.
• The B.S. in Biology with Concentration in Human Biology is designed for biology majors who want to develop the ability to integrate biological knowledge as it relates to humans.  It requires a strong knowledge of basic life science, full appreciation of our complex brains, our communication and conception abilities, and our social structures.  It requires an understanding drawn not only from biology, but also from basic courses in anthropology, psychology, and similar academic disciplines.

What's unique about Biology at UNCG?

• Opportunities to perform research under the direct guidance of faculty mentors
• State-of-the-art facilities that include: confocal, fluorescence, and electron microscopes, environmental sampling and analytical equipment, nucleic acid sequencers, advanced documentation systems for biotechnology, growth chambers, greenhouses, and animal-care facilities
• A wide selection of upper-level courses to interest all students, including courses in virology, neurobiology, evolution, the environment, microbiology, and cancer
• Ties with other departments, such as Nutrition, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Math, and Geography, which expand educational opportunities that cross disciplines.
• Accelerated Master's Program for biology majors is available. 

Academic Clubs and Organizations

• Beta Beta Beta is the biological national honor society.  Members of the UNCG chapter organize social and philanthropic activities and help coordinate the spring departmental graduation ceremony.
• Biology Club (Beta Iota Omicron) is a community service-oriented club for students interested in biology or any science.

Student Opportunities

• Opportunities for research experience with internationally-renowned faculty (students often present their work at national meetings and publish scientific papers in journals)
• Internships at companies and organizations in the NC Piedmont
• Work possibilities, such as undergraduate lab assistant and lab technician positions
• Honors program in biology
• Studies abroad (for example, sea turtle conservation on location in Costa Rica)
• Weekly departmental seminars involving leading biologists
• Math-Bio Undergraduate Research mentoring program

Graduates/Careers

• Career options include a wide spectrum of jobs such as: Research Technologist, Medical Lab Technologist, Physician, Pharmacist, and Plant Conservation Biologist.
• Graduates of the program have pursued careers with Guilford Day School, Lakeview Regional Medical Center, Fuji Corporation, Pfizer, South West Cancer Center, and Western Rockingham Family Medical Center.
• Many graduates extend their degrees through graduate and health profession schools in order to pursue further training and professional degrees.  Graduate schools attended by recent graduates include: Wake Forest University, University of Virginia, UNC-Chapel Hill, Cornell University, and Johns Hopkins University.

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