More information  • Biology Undergrad Home  • Degree Requirements  • Current Course Listing  • Senior Research Program  • Combined B.S./M.S. Program  • Research Opportunities  • Undergrad Research Funding  • Undergrad Publications  • Contact Information

The undergraduate program in biology, leading either to the B.A. or to the B.S. degree, is designed to give students an understanding of fundamental and current biological knowledge in a variety of fields. The program offers a wide array of courses to undergraduates, ranging from introductory courses to advanced, specialized, graduate-level courses in many of these areas. The biology department has 25 full-time faculty members with teaching and research interests in the fields of genetics, molecular biology, development, immunology, neurobiology, motility, cell biology, and structural biology.

Since the interests and needs of our students vary, the concentration is designed to provide flexibility once the core courses have been completed. Students may elect undergraduate level courses in a variety of areas of biology and biochemistry, or may choose to obtain more advanced, in-depth training in one particular area. Students are also encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to become integral members of research laboratories in the department and to attend departmental colloquia.

A concentration in biology provides excellent preparation for students intent on careers in biological research who want to go to graduate school, for those seeking careers in medicine, veterinary medicine, and dentistry, and for those interested in the allied health professions such as public health, genetic counseling, physical therapy, or physician assistant. For those seeking courses concerned with ecology or environmental science, the biology department offers study in those areas and participates in a program for a residential semester in Environmental Science at the Woods Hole Biological Laboratory.

The Brandeis University Bulletin will provide you with more information regarding how to become an undergraduate concentrator, the requirements for the undergraduate concentration and the courses of instruction in biology.

Undergraduate Research Options

Undergraduates in Biology can earn credit and gain valuable laboratory experience through two mechanisms: 1) the BIOL 93: Independent Research in Biology -- this is a one-semester supervised biological research experience in a Brandeis laboratory and 2) the BIOL 99: Senior Research & Senior Honors in Biology -- this is a two-semester independent research project taken during the senior year. To begin this process, please download the Research Information Booklet for information about each program. It also necessary to download either the BIOL 93 Independent Research Form in Biology Petition form or the BIOL 99 Senior Research & Senior Honors in Biology Petition form.

Students interested in participating in either research option can use this website to obtain information pertaining to the Biology Department faculty's research interests and publications. Also, the main library has a collection of Senior Honors theses from previous years, which students can read. Another way to become informed about faculty research is to attend the oral presentations of Senior Honors research by the candidates for Senior Honors. These presentations are open to the public and occur in May. Schedules will be posted outside the Biology office (Bassine 119) and the Neuroscience office (Volen 206) in mid-April.

Combined B.S./M.S. Program

The Biology undergraduate program does offer a B.S./M.S. option. More information about this program is available.

Graduate Programs in the Biological Sciences

For M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in the biological sciences, see the separate listings for Molecular and Cell Biology, Biophysics and Structural Biology, Neuroscience, and Genetic Counseling programs.