Biology provides students a background that can be used for a variety of careers. Students majoring in Biology can go on to study in such health-related fields as Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and Public Health. Other students choose to pursue a career in Environmental Law or Science. The Department of Biology provides students a solid base from which to explore these different career paths.
Faculty members in the department work to provide Biology students with opportunities to conduct research. Students can participate in ongoing faculty research in areas such as evolution, animal behavior, cell biology, development and neuroscience. Students are also encouraged to pursue their own research interests, and faculty members work with students to design and carry out experiments. Some students publish their work or present at national or international conferences.
A Biology student graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Students can then choose to further their education and pursue a Master of Science, a Master of Natural Science or a Doctor of Philosophy degree.
Many Biology students continue their education by pursuing graduate-level studies. Students often pursue a wide a variety of advanced degrees including Dental, Medicine, Environmental Sciences and Veterinary Sciences.
Universities, Hospitals, Private practice, Federal and State Government, Veterinary clinics, Biology teacher, Laboratory technician, Family physician
Dentist, Biotechnologist
The graduate program in the Department of Biology began soon after the University of Oklahoma was founded, and the first Ph.D. degree awarded by OU was in Biology. The graduate program now has internationally-recognized strengths in ecology/systematics, animal behavior, neurosciences, physiology, and genetics/cell biology. The Department maintains an enrollment of about 50 graduate students.
The goal of our PhD program is to prepare students for successful careers in academic, biomedical, environmental, or government institutions. We take special pride in the quality of our graduate teaching and our record of training successful scientists. Our open and collaborative atmosphere encourages creative and interdisciplinary research. Our research and training facilities for field studies, molecular biology, microscopy, bioinformatics, quantitative biology, and physiology are excellent, and they are further enhanced through integration of the department with the OU Biological Station, the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, and the Oklahoma Biological Survey.
