Boise State University Biology Department

The bachelor’s degree in biology provides students with the intellectual and technical skills to succeed in a career in a multitude of careers (e.g. medicine, forensics, wildlife, etc.). Students gain an understanding of living organisms, of how organisms interact with their environment, and of the process of biological investigation. The curriculum provides students with a knowledge base in molecular, cellular, organismal, ecological, and evolutionary biology, as well as allowing emphasis in an area of interest. Acquisition of experience outside the classroom is often important in the pursuit of biological careers. To gain such experience, students may participate in research projects, either assisting faculty or developing student-initiated projects. Undergraduate research can be an exciting intellectual journey. Students may also pursue internships with government agencies, businesses, hospitals, and other professionals in the area.

There are seven emphases available in the B.S. in Biology degree, or a student may choose to graduate without an emphasis. Click on each emphasis for the curriculum required to complete that emphasis:

The Department of Biological Sciences also offers a B.S. in Biology, Secondary Education for students who are interested in obtaining a teaching certification which will enable them to pursue the noble career of teaching at the secondary school level. A non-degree curriculum in Pre-Forestry and Pre-Wildlife Management allows students to complete course work at Boise State University before transferring to a program at other institutions. Alternatively, a number of our students have secured wildlife and fisheries positions with a Biology degree from Boise State University. Our Pre-Medical, Pre-Dental, Pre-Veterinary, Pre-Chiropractic, and Pre-Physician Assistant students who graduate with a degree in biology are highly successful at gaining admission to excellent professional schools, and typically find themselves better prepared than their cohorts from other institutions. Biology graduates have also been quite successful at gaining admission to M.S. and Ph.D. programs. Other students have begun working in their field immediately after completing their B.S. degree.

Finally, graduates find that the skills developed and knowledge acquired as biology students benefit them in non-biological fields. Boise State University has a long tradition of teaching excellence, and nowhere is that excellence better exemplified than in the Department of Bioligical Sciences. One faculty member was named by the Carnegie Foundation as the Idaho Professor of the Year. Two faculty members have been named by the Idaho Academy of Sciences as annual recipients of the Outstanding Science Communicator Award. One faculty member has the honor of being chosen as a Foundation Scholar while five other faculty members have been designated by Top-Ten Scholars (graduating seniors who are recognized for their academic achievement) as their most inspirational teachers, two have won student government teaching awards and two have been designated as the Outstanding Teacher in the College of Arts and Sciences.

In the Department of Biological Sciences, students are assured of excellent instruction in their courses. The Department is equipped to provide excellent training in several diverse areas. We have an insect collection of 20,000 specimens, an herbarium for the study of plant systematics, a radioimmunoassay laboratory for the measurement of steroid hormones, molecular biology laboratories involved in genetic and developmental studies, and museums with collections of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.