Undergraduate Program
Interested in Biology?
Biology, the study of living systems, opens
the door to many different occupations.
Some of the possible career pathways for
Biology majors include opportunities in
medical professions, biomedical research,
bioengineering, biotechnology, environmental
health science, and field ecology, to
name a few. You may find you’re working in
some exciting and rather unconventional
settings. Imagine managing a high-tech
DNA sequencing laboratory automated by
robotic instrumentation, searching for new
species in a tropical rain forest, treating
patients in a hospital operating room, or
exploring a hydrothermal vent deep in the
ocean. As a biologist, your work may
involve life-or-death issues and impact
some highly charged areas of social policy
— prevention of an influenza pandemic or
development of new therapies based on
stem cells.
Careers in Biology
Career choices are virtually unlimited. An
undergraduate degree can take you directly
into industry or government as a researcher
or lead to work in pharmaceuticals, biotechnological
engineering, technical sales, or
consulting for laboratory equipment
producers. A degree in biology is also
excellent preparation for medical, veterinary
or dental school or for graduate studies in
physical therapy or any of the sciences. Of
course, teaching is always an option. Our
placement rate for biology graduates has
recently stood at 100 percent.
Personal attention in a
research environment
Clarkson combines two distinctive
strengths that benefit students: personalized
teaching and high-powered research.
With a 16:1 faculty-to-student ratio, our professors get to know students as individuals. These faculty members are also inspired explorers on the very frontiers of knowledge. They conduct world-class research in areas of vital importance — and involve undergraduates in the process!
Project-based learning
Clarkson takes a project-based approach
to learning. Because you focus on the
creative application of knowledge and skills
to solve practical, real-world problems,
you gain:
- practical laboratory experience
- teamwork and leadership skills
- practice in creative problem solving
- techniques in research and analysis
- skills in applying what you know
And at all levels, you enjoy the individualized attention that only an undergraduate-centered school can provide.
A rigorous but flexible
curriculum
Our biology curriculum focuses teaching
and research on how biological systems
function and interact. It revolves around
three main areas: health, the environment,
and biotechnology. First- and second-year
courses provide interactive classroom and
laboratory experiences in the fundamentals
of biology, chemistry and physics, as
well as math and liberal arts.
In their junior and senior years, students choose upper-level biology courses that best suit their individual career objectives. Some pursue a special interest in engineering or related sciences. Representative course offerings include: genetics, microbiology, comparative anatomy, neurobiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, ecology, animal behavior and cognition, human physiology, advanced cell biology, and limnology/aquatic ecology.
If you’re interested in the business side of biology or biotechnology, you might also consider our five-year program combining an MBA with a B.S. in biology. Pre-Medicine and Pre-Health Science advising is also available, including preparation for Clarkson’s own Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.
Critical thinking and
problem solving
Many of our laboratories and courses are
inquiry-based. Under close guidance of faculty, you learn how to ask key questions,
interpret data, and find answers on your own.
All Clarkson biology majors have the
opportunity to work closely with faculty on
important, relevant biological research problems. In addition to being dedicated
teachers, all of our faculty members are
engaged in cutting-edge research. In the
research lab, you will learn how to identify
problems, design experiments to address
them, critically analyze data, and communicate
your findings.
Research opportunities
in Biology
Opportunities for faculty-guided projects
include:
- EEG studies of pain in the brain
- mechanisms of ion channels in the nervous system
- estrogen receptor structure and function
- cancer of human epithelia caused by papillomavirus
- bio-engineering of artificial skin
- biotech applications of neurotoxins from scorpions and cone snails
- development of the digestive system in zebrafish
- behavioral ecology and conservation biology
- molecular evolution and phylogenetics
- role of trace metals in growth of Great Lake phytoplankton
- effect of particulate air pollution on human health
Related interdisciplinary
options
One of the exciting new interdisciplinary
programs at Clarkson is Biomolecular
Science which leads to career possibilities in
areas such as genetic engineering, biotechnology,
pharmaceuticals and medicine.
Other options include Environmental Health
Science and Environmental Science and
Policy, ideal programs for students interested
in solving important environmental
problems such as using bacteria to clean up
toxic waste.
Accessible technologies
Our students have access to some of the
newest scientific technologies, many not
generally available to undergraduates —
even at much larger universities! These
include:
- recombinant expression and purification of proteins
- thermal cyclers for polymerase chain reaction
- AFM (atomic force microscopy)
- electrophysiological recording
- bacterial and cell culture facilities
- scintillation counter for work with radioisotopes
- peptide HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography)
- ultracentrifuge for protein isolation and cell fractionation
- electrospray mass spectroscopy
- cryostorage for preservation of cell lines
- zebrafish aquaculture
- silicon graphics workstation for molecular modeling
- fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy
- darkroom and digital gel photography systems
- luminometer for reporter gene assays
- boats and associated equipment for lake research
- radio tracking receivers and digital range finder for conservation research
Hands-on work experience
Clarkson is noted for providing biology
majors with internship opportunities to
broaden their knowledge and build practical
skills. Internship possibilities include:
- Woods Hole Marine Biological Lab
- Brookhaven
- Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
- Mount Desert Island Biological Lab
- Dow Chemical
- Pfizer
- Trudeau Institute
Hiring Clarkson Biology
graduates
Revolutionary advances in the medical and
environmental fields make the demand for
trained biologists greater than ever. Clarkson
graduates are highly sought after by employers,
graduate and medical schools.
Graduate School Admissions
Among the schools in which our graduates
have enrolled in recent years: Albany
Medical College Department of Pharmacology,
Albert Einstein Medical School,
Boston University Medical College,
Brandeis, Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, Mayo
Clinic Graduate School, McGill University,
University of Chicago, University of
Rochester, University of Virginia, and
Wisconsin at Madison.
