The Department of Biological Sciences is a diverse group of faculty and students focused on the study of living organisms across a wide variety of scales from the cellular and molecular to the landscape scales. In addition, students and faculty regularly collaborate with colleagues in other departments and instititutions to foster truly interdisciplinary approaches both in the classroom and in the research setting. Research strengths of the department include: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ecology and Conservation Biology, and Neuroscience and Behavior.

The mission of the department is three-fold:

1. To provide high-quality instruction in Biology for undergraduate and graduate students;
2. To conduct research of national and international significance in the field of Biology; and
3. To provide professional leadership to the national and international scientific communities.

We offer three undergraduate majors (biology, microbiology and neuroscience), one specialization (Ecology and Conservation Biology) and master's and doctoral degree work in the three areas of focus as well as in related areas.

The department is proud of the education we provide students in our courses at all levels and the research experiences they gain in the laboratory and field. Our students are among the most competitive when they graduate and go on to succeed in their chosen field upon completion of their undergraduate or graduate work at the University.