B.S. in Biology at USP

B.S. in Biology at USP
Why USP?
Your Life in Biology
Your Future in Biology
Hands-on Learning at USP
Learn from the Best
The USP Biology Curriculum
Professional Connections in Biology
For more information...

Are you fascinated by plants, animals, and microorganisms and how they interact in their environments? Do recent advances in genetics and biotechnology grab your attention? If so, a career in biology may be in your future. USP's biology program offers a challenging and stimulating approach to this ever-changing field of science.

Why USP?

Dedicated faculty, innovative research, and hands-on learning make USP the best choice for the study of biology. Imagine exploring life processes and solving complex biological problems alongside an expert group of biologists in state-of-the-art laboratories. What else does USP offer you in biology?

• A curriculum designed around a model of themes, knowledge, and skills. Themes include the scientific method, unifying theories, fundamental mechanisms, evolution, phylogenetic perspective, and structure and function.
• Experience in biochemical, genetic, cellular, physiological, organismal, and ecological levels of knowledge.
• A wide range of options. You can seek a double degree combining a basic science (biology) with a professional degree (physician assistant, or physical therapy). Or, you can seek teacher certification in biology, chemistry, general science, or environmental education.
• An opportunity to minor in the basic sciences as well as the humanities, social sciences, computer science, or forensic science.
• Study that is not confined to the classroom. Surrounded by a fascinating range of habitats-grasslands, Pine Barrens, and lakes all within a few hours' drive of the USP campus Philadelphia is our laboratory. Faculty frequently schedule field trips and student excursions.
• Participation in faculty-directed research as early as your second year. You'll also be able to conduct your own laboratory or field research under the guidance of a faculty member and may publish or present your research findings.
• Opportunity to complete your Bachelor of Science degree in four years or earn the Master of Science degree in cell biology and biotechnology in five years.
• Excellent preparation for graduate or professional school. USP ranks in the top 11% of 1,150 comparable institutions whose undergraduates have gone on to complete a doctoral degree in the sciences, according to the National Science Foundation. In addition, we rank second in the number of graduates who went on to receive advanced degrees in the medical sciences, according to the NSF.
• A demonstration garden/outdoor classroom in which students can learn about management of a watershed in an urban environment.

Your Life in Biology

As a USP graduate in biology, you'll have job opportunities in an expanding market that includes private industry, education, and government. You might work in:

• Commercial research
• Development laboratories
• Forensics laboratories
• Basic research laboratories in universities and hospitals
• Regulatory government agencies
• Education

In addition, many biology graduates continue their studies in graduate, medical, dental, veterinary, and other professional schools. USP students can pursue our pre-med program, which includes the basic courses required for admission to medical school, normally completed in the first two years of the program.

Your Future in Biology

It's an ideal time to be a biologist. According to CareerJournal.com, the executive career site from The Wall Street Journal, biologist is rated the nation's single best job in terms of low stress, high compensation, autonomy, and tremendous hiring demand. USP students may choose careers within the 25 major fields and 300 specialty areas of biology.

Recent graduates of USP's biology program have been accepted into many well-known medical schools, other professional schools, and graduate programs. Some of these outstanding institutions include:

• George Washington University
• Wake Forest School of Medicine
• University of Pittsburgh Medical School
• Robert Wood Johnson
• SUNY-Stony Brook
• SUNY-Buffalo
• Thomas Jefferson University
• MCP/Hahnemann University
• Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Temple University School of Medicine

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, beginning salary offers in 2000 averaged $29,235 a year for bachelor's degree recipients in biological science, $35,667 for master's degree recipients, and $42,744 for doctoral degree recipients.

Hands-on Learning at USP

Because most of our full-time faculty are actively involved in research, you'll have opportunities to assist them with laboratory operations and experimentation. At USP, every undergraduate student in biology has the opportunity to work in at least one of the department's research laboratories under the direct supervision of a faculty member.

You'll be encouraged to publish or present your research findings. On a competitive basis, summer research grants are available.

Learn from the Best

You'll receive guidance and supervision from faculty members who are devoted to biology and research. By working side-by-side with faculty members in laboratories, you will learn about the basic and complex tools and processes of biology. As you learn, the faculty will provide direction to help you select specific areas of biology that fit your interests and career goals. You'll learn from experts like:

• Suzanne Murphy, Ph.D., who teaches biology elective courses including Anatomy and Physiology I and II. Dr. Murphy is the pre-health professions advisor for USP. She also sponsors students who wish to do undergraduate research. Her research interests include analysis of the expression of the ras oncogene in NIH3T3 fibroblasts.
• James Pierce, Ph.D., who teaches Genetics, which is required for all biology majors. He sponsors students wishing to do undergraduate research. His research interests include the use of molecular biotechnology and bioinformatics in basic and applied research projects.

The USP Biology Curriculum

The biology curriculum is flexible. The courses in your first two years will introduce you to basic biological concepts, and provide you with a foundation in the natural and physical sciences, humanities, and social sciences. During the third and fourth years, you may take an interdisciplinary approach or choose to concentrate in areas such as:

• Cell biology/microbiology
• Animal biology
• Clinical biology
• Plant biology
• Ecology/evolutionary biology

You will also be able to receive academic credit for independent study or directed research.

You can pursue a program leading to a B.S. in biology with certification to teach in up to four areas and complete this program within your four years at USP.

You may also elect to enroll in the M.S. degree program in cell biology and biotechnology. If you qualify to be accepted into the M.S. program, you can pursue a master's degree in as little as one additional year of full-time study.

The biology major is also excellent preparation for our pre-med program, which includes the basic courses required for admission to medical school, normally completed in the first two years of the program. Most pre-med students major in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, microbiology, or pharmacology and toxicology.

First Year

• Biological Sciences Orientation
• Introductory Biology I and II
• General Chemistry I and II
• Mathematical Analysis I and II
• College Composition
• Introduction to Literature
• Physical Education I and II

Second Year

• Biological Sciences Colloquium
• Organic Chemistry I and II
• Introductory Physics I and II
• Basics of Microbiology
• Intellectual Heritage I and II
• Social Science Requirements and
  Biology Electives

Third Year

• Genetics
• Quantitative Science Requirement
• Molecular Structure in Biochemistry
• Nucleic Acid or Intermediary Metabolic Biochemistry
• Introduction to Communication
• Biology Electives
• Core Distribution Requirements

Fourth Year

• Biology Seminar
• Biology Electives
• Core Elective

Professional Connections in Biology

You'll make connections and expand your knowledge with memberships in the Beta Sigma student chapter of the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS). AIBS is a national, nonprofit, scientific organization open for membership to individuals interested in the life sciences. Activities have included seminars by visiting scientists; trips to museums including the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., the Museum of Natural History in New York, and The Baltimore Aquarium; and weekend natural history outings to the Brandywine area, Hawk Mountain, and the New Jersey Pinelands.

In addition, students considering a medical career can join the Pre-Medical Society of USP, a group which helps smooth the way to professional school. The Pre-Medical Society organizes such activities as guest speakers and tours of area medical schools.

For more information…

To learn more about the Biology program, contact the Admission Office at 1-888-996-USIP (8747), e-mail admit@usip.edu, or fill out our online information request form.

Misher College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Biological Sciences
Admission