Biology
ObjectivesThe objective of the Biology Department is to prepare students for scientific careers that require a strong knowledge of basic life processes. Our majors graduate with a broad taxonomic familiarity with living organisms and the skills needed to study them from the molecular to the community levels.
The Biology Department's emphasis on investigative, data-intensive labs and thesis research ensures that our students develop a strong sense of science as a process and as a way of looking at the world. Their broad training enables them to be competitive in a rapidly changing scientific community. Our program offers numerous laboratory experiences, plus a strong foundation in chemistry and physics, thus giving our graduates an additional advantage when they compete for technical jobs or post-graduate studies.
Required Courses
Department of Biological Sciences
Special Opportunities
Off-Campus Experiences
A wide range of possibilities exist for biology majors to earn credit by participating in internships off campus. Recent activities include:
- Behavioral studies of monkeys at a primate center in New York
- Working with dolphins at a marine sciences facility in Florida
- Molecular biology research at the University of Hawaii
- Conducting cancer research at Penn State-Hershey Medical Center
- Toxicological analysis at an environmental laboratory in Maryland
- Working as a naturalist at a local park developing a field manual
- A one-semester experience doing field research and ecological studies in Kenya, Africa
- A summer project working with the Department of Environmental Protection studying the blackfly suppression program in Northern Pennsylvania
- Working in a forensics lab in Hagerstown, MD
- Assisting at a rehabilitation center for marine turtles in North Carolina
- Working with marine animals at the National Aquarium in Baltimore
- Working with the animals at Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnett Park in Syracuse, NY
- Working at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, MD
- Premedical research opportunities at York Hospital (see Premedical Studies brochure)
- Completing an NSF-funded summer internship at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography
Independent Study Opportunities
Pre-professional Experiences
Qualified students interested in the health fields, such as medicine, have opportunities to participate in clinical or medical experiences at York Hospital, which is located close to the College. Working at the hospital, students may elect to take various Premedical Studies courses, including Advanced Human Anatomy, Clinical Shadowing Rotations, or Emergency Department Research. A separate brochure describing the pre-medical studies at York College of Pennsylvania is available.
Laboratory Assistants
Biology majors have the opportunity to work as paid lab assistants in the College labs. The students work closely with a faculty member and gain valuable hands-on experience learning a variety of biological procedures. Past students consider this a very worthwhile experience.