Undergraduate Program
The department offers students the opportunity to explore the various areas of current biology in an integrated yet diverse program that builds from a solid foundation of the basic elements of molecular and cellular biology, genetics, evolution, organ systems, and population studies. Students are exposed to modern concepts, state-of-the-art approaches, and current methods of experimentation in molecular biology, biochemistry, genomics, and bioinformatics within introductory courses taken at the very outset of their studies. A variety of intermediate courses then provides in-depth exploration of the major areas of biology, including molecular genetics, field biology, and genomics and bioinformatics. Advanced students may register for graduate-level courses, which are most often given in the specialized areas of faculty research.
The department also offers a series of discrete minors in the life sciences, specifically in the areas of:
- Molecular and Cell Biology
- Genetics
- Genomics and Bioinformatics
- Environmental Biology
Each minor is designed to hone skills in a particular contemporary area of biology and requires a laboratory experience. The minors permit students to create a course of study that will meet their unique academic and career goals
This program provides outstanding preparation for careers in research, academia, medicine, dentistry, and related fields. Graduates of the department have a remarkable record of success in acceptance into professional schools and in establishing notable careers in the biomedical sciences.
Other courses offered by the department are designed to acquaint nonscience majors with contemporary issues in biology. Such courses are often topical, addressing problems such as environmental pollution, limits of the earth, and human physiology.
Outstanding and highly motivated students are offered special opportunities for honors work, independent study, summer laboratory research, internships, and other enhancements. Upper-level students may become involved in undergraduate research projects in faculty laboratories through the many formal and informal opportunities afforded by the department. The department has a tradition of important research accomplishment and contains several specialized research and laboratory facilities that are integrated into the educational programs. These include the undergraduate Molecular Biology Laboratory, the Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscope Facility, and the Tissue Culture Facility. Field studies are carried out at many regional sites. Department faculty are also affiliated with the NYU Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, the NYU Courant Institute for Mathematical Sciences, the NYU School of Medicine, the NYU David B. Kriser School of Dentistry, the American Museum of Natural History, the New York Botanical Garden, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories.
Students with questions about majoring in biology or minoring in a specific area of biology should visit the office of the Department of Biology. Those declaring a major in biology are assigned a faculty adviser from the department; students meet with that professor to design a program of study, determine course selections, and discuss career goals. The faculty adviser is also available to provide guidance concerning the many options and opportunities afforded by the department for curricular enhancement, including research experiences.
Questions concerning the Biology Department's undergraduate programs or any of their requirements should be addressed to: biology.dugs@nyu.edu. For announcements of upcoming events and other information of interest to current and prospective Biology majors, see the BioDUGS blog at: blogs.nyu.edu/as/biology/dugs/
