Biology

In a world with increasingly complex medical and ecological challenges, our students become well-rounded, compassionate, global citizens who use the power of science to effect positive change.

The Biology department offers:

Field research for Introduction to Ecology and Evolution course
Field research for “Introduction to Ecology and Evolution” course. Photo by Prof. Ryan Kerney.

The Biology Department offers broad training within the life sciences, including hands-on research opportunities, such as the Cross-Disciplinary Science Institute. Through studying organisms, populations, and molecular and cellular biology in our core course sequence, students are exposed to a range of research techniques and disciplines. They can then select upper-level electives that allow them to individualize their biology education to their specific interests and career goals.

One example of how our courses span the breadth of biology can be found in “Introduction to Ecology and Evolution,” which is taken by all students interested in biology in their first semester. This course’s labs merge community ecology with citizen science, organism identification, and DNA barcoding. Students learn how to measure and analyze biodiversity, using modern molecular biology techniques, while also understanding how to study ecology in real-world conditions, seeking answers to important questions about biodiversity.

Featured course

Jump to level: All Biology courses

by level: 100200300400

Our faculty’s publications


* Asterisks indicate Gettysburg College Biology students.