Biological Sciences:

        Faculty and Courses

The Faculty

First-rate teaching is the primary responsibility of our faculty.  Five of our department’s professors have been recognized for the caliber of their instruction with SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching.  In addition to high-quality instruction, a fundamental advantage of our program is that small class size is typical for the majority of Biology courses we offer.  Small class size permits lively discussion in class and close interaction between faculty and students.

 Laboratory exercises, throughout the Biology curriculum, illustrate important concepts and let you experience biology as an experimental science.  The laboratory sessions (also typically taught by your lecture professor) introduce you to a diversity of techniques and will help you develop excellent technical skills.

 Scholarly research is a second responsibility undertaken by our faculty.  Our 13 full-time faculty have scholarly interests in diverse areas of field and laboratory research and are very successful in funding this research from agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the US Environmental Protection Agency.  This scholarly activity allows faculty to keep classroom and laboratory topics current and gives you the opportunity to become involved in one or more research projects.

The Courses

    Students who major in Biology have many choices available to them.  Most students select the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree while others with a greater interest in foreign language will select the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree.  Many our Biology majors are interested in a teaching career in secondary schools in which case they will pursue a B.S. degree in Adolescence Education: Biology. If you are interested in the course requirements for any of these, please follow the links below:

Course Requirements for the B.S. Degree in Biology
Course Requirements for the B.A. Degree in Biology
Course Requirements for the B.S. Degree in Adolescence Education: Biology.

     In addition to these degree programs the Biology Department also offers some specialized programs or concentrations.  A short description of each is below and you may follow links to learn more about each.

Environmental Science.  You will take courses from all four science departments as the faculty participate as an interdisciplinary team.  Your field experiences will be extensive as Cortland has superb field stations and an internship will allow you to work with environmental professionals.

Health-Care Professional Preparation.  We offer elective courses that will provide you with the necessary background to enter careers in medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, physical therapy, and physician assistant.  In addition, we have special faculty advisors who assist you in meeting the admission requirements of the professional schools.

Chiropractic Program – This is a 3+1 program with New York Chiropractic College.

Forestry or Environmental Management – This is a 3+2 program with Duke University.

Environmental Science & Forestry – This is a 2+2 program with SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Medical Technology Program – This is a 2+2 program with the SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse.

Cytotechnology – This is a  2+2 program with the SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse.