Biology, Bachelor of Arts
Faculty:
Peter Fauth (Chair); Mary E. Allen; Stephanie Carr; Eric Cooper; Joshua P. Garrett;; Mark L. Kuhlmann; Aryn Rowsam.
Major
Biology
Minor
Biology
About
Biology is the exploration of the extraordinary diversity of life, from chemical reactions in cells to species interactions in ecosystems. Students who major in biology will be prepared for a broad range of careers, from teaching biology at the secondary or college level to applied biomedical research in industry or government. Many biology majors continue their education in graduate school or in professional programs such as medicine, dentistry, veterinary science, and physical therapy.
Hartwick biology majors are immersed in a program that uses hands-on research as the primary method to learn techniques and concepts in biology. The program encourages students to explore the many subdisciplines in biology, including physiology, genetics, molecular biology, microbiology, bioinformatics, ecology, and evolution. For students majoring in other fields of study, biology courses can acquaint them with the language and methods of scientific inquiry in areas such as human health, forensic biology, microbiology of food, and conservation biology. Biology students can also seek a certificate in teaching by completing both the education program and the biology major.
Majors and minors begin exploring biology during three introductory laboratory-based courses: BIOL 191, BIOL 192, and BIOL 293. The first course, BIOL 191, Introduction to Molecular and Cell Biology, is a discovery of the structures and processes within cells. BIOL 191 is typically taken in the fall of the first year. BIOL 192, Introduction to Organismal Biology is an investigation of organ systems and the physiological processes that support living organisms. BIOL 192 is typically taken the semester after BIOL 191. The final course in the introductory sequence is BIOL 293, Introduction to Ecology and Evolution, a sophomore-level, writing-designated course in which students study evolutionary processes and the wealth of biodiversity they have produced.
Upper-level biology courses are organized into three core areas that represent a broad sample of modern biology and build on the information studied in the introductory sequence: Cell and Molecular Biology, Organismal Biology, and Ecology and Evolution. To promote student success in these core areas of the program, biology majors can take 300- and 400-level courses only after completing the introductory sequence with an average GPA of 2.00 or higher in the three courses. Biology majors typically complete six upper-level courses that must include at least 4 credits in one of the core areas and at least 7 credits in the remaining two core areas, and at least one lab course from each core area. Biology majors must complete at least one BIOL 370 seminar course as part of their minimum 21 credits of upper-level coursework. The upper-level courses can be taken in any sequence. Biology majors integrate their coursework during a 4-credit senior project, an in-depth research experience conducted with a faculty mentor. Biology majors also complete courses in general and organic chemistry, physics, and mathematics. They may choose to do internships, independent studies, and research experiences on or off campus in fields related to their special interests and career plans.
Our laboratory facilities are well equipped for student-faculty collaborative research. Students are trained to use a variety of research tools including thermocyclers, spectrophotometers, phase and fluorescence microscopes, electrophoresis and chromatography equipment, computer-interfaced physiographs, computer-assisted photomicrography and image analysis, and field equipment for capturing and handling live organisms. Also available for student-faculty research are a greenhouse, the Hoysradt Herbarium, a tissue-culture laboratory, a histology laboratory, and a microscopy facility with scanning and transmission electron microscopes.
Robert R. Smith Environmental Field Laboratory at Pine Lake
The research facility at the Pine Lake Environmental Campus and adjacent Robert V. Riddell State Park provides an excellent opportunity to study local ecosystems in close proximity to the main campus: more than 2,000 acres of mixed-deciduous forest, a 12-acre lake, a spruce-tamarack bog, swamps, and streams. The state-funded R. R. Smith Field Laboratory provides laboratory space for classes and student-faculty collaborative research projects involving birds, amphibians, fish, arthropods, and plants.