A Foundational Science: Biology in the broadest sense is the study of life. It is a diverse subject and understanding it requires a background in all the sciences. The biologist must understand the basics of geology, physics, chemistry, math, and the social sciences as they relate to living systems. He/she must also be able to synthesize that knowledge in order to understand the living world, a world that is both remarkably unified and wonderfully diverse.

Career Opportunities:

The study of biology offers a wide variety of career opportunities ranging from agribusiness to zoology. With a four year biology degree you may be qualified to teach in secondary schools, or you may develop laboratory skills allowing you to be a lab technician. Some careers will require that you have extra training of the type received in graduate school. A biology degree provides the pre-professional preparation necessary for physicians, dentists, veterinarians, cytotechnologists, industrial hygienists, and wildlife managers.

Professional biologists can find careers in industry, government organizations, medical and environmental research, and education. Besides the traditional areas of medicine, teaching, and research, new areas requiring a broad background are opening such as land-use planning, systems modeling, resource development and conservation.

By adding a second field of study to biology, many more career areas can become available to you. Management, English, chemistry, library science and computer science are excellent companion fields for biology. A combination of biology and management offers employment opportunities in pharmaceutical and biological equipment manufacturing firms. A biologist with writing skills can write about biology for general and technical publications. A biology and chemistry degree can lead to careers in research. Computer science, math, and statistical training enables the biologist to do research analysis and consulting.

Biology at St. Scholastica:

The St. Scholastica Biology Department is very strong in human biology. Our department will provide you with a view of the human from the anatomical to the molecular. In addition to our focus on the biology of the human, we also provide you with many other courses and opportunities in biology.

St. Scholastica's Biology Department is smaller than science departments in large university settings. We consider this a strength as it will allow you to have extensive interaction with the biology department’s faculty. We go to great lengths to provide help and encouragement outside of class. This is the rule rather than the exception.

The flexibility of St. Scholastica's Biology program provides you ample opportunity for personal investigation while providing a solid grounding in the science of biology. While in our department, you will have the maximum opportunity for individual growth. Lab work and close interaction with instructors make a very personal study experience readily available to you.

We are proud that our St. Scholastica graduates go on to professional schools prepared with broad-based laboratory skills, sound research experience, good study habits, and confidence in their ability to succeed. And succeed they do. Recent graduates are engaged in research at Potlatch and the University of Wisconsin-Madison : US Forest Products Lab, and attending physician programs at UMD Medical School, UM Medical School, the Graduate Genetic Counseling Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Graduate Biochemistry Program at Iowa State University.

Internships:

Many of St. Scholastica’s students complete an internship or clinical experience prior to graduation. An internship provides you the opportunity to test your knowledge and skills learned in the academic environment and to acquire new knowledge and skills from a career environment.

Curriculum:

A course of study for the major in biology is outlined with the help of an advisor according to your career goals. Your career choice will guide you through many of the required courses, but it is with the personalized help of your advisor that your education can be tailored to meet your needs. In addition to the many courses in the Biology Department, there are courses in related science fields.

Pre-Professional Programs:

If you wish to a pursue career as a doctor, a veterinarian, a dentist, or a pharmacist, you will need a strong background in the basic sciences, not only to score well on the Medical College Aptitude Tests, but to be well prepared academically for the high level of competition you will face in your chosen professional field.

The pre-professional tracks for dentistry, medicine, veterinary medicine and pharmacy are focused on a strong science background. Because of this science emphasis, these pre-professional students often choose biology or chemistry as their undergraduate major. However, these students may choose any undergraduate major, provided the core of pre-professional courses is completed prior to the student's entrance into their chosen professional program.

After the first two years, pre-med and pre-veterinary students often go on to complete degree requirements for a major in either biology or chemistry. Pre-pharmacy students usually transfer after the sophomore or junior year to a school of pharmacy. Pre-dentistry students usually follow the biology track. In addition to the sciences, most medical and veterinary schools have general education requirements and recommended electives such as English, speech, psychology, computer programming, and nutrition. Students are urged to consult catalogs of desired professional schools for specific requirements.

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