Biology is the study of living systems and how they function. Because the biological sciences have had and continue to have profound impact on questions of concern to human society - longevity, environmental quality, biotechnology - knowledge of the biological sciences is an important aspect of higher education. The mission of the Department of Biology is to advance the life sciences through research and to educate and prepare the next generations of scientists, educators, professionals, and scientifically literate citizens. Students select one of four majors: Aquatic Biology, Biology, Microbiology, or Wildlife Biology.
Biology majors take a minimum of eleven courses that include the core curriculum of functional biology, organismal biology, genetics, a biological diversity course, a physiology course, ecology, and evolution. Additional required courses in chemistry, mathematics, and physics provide the broad scientific background that is foundational to biological sciences. At the sophomore level and above, a variety of courses in cellular, molecular, computational and organismal biology assure a student can attain a broad education in the biological sciences as well as a level of specialization in its subdisciplines. A minor outside the Biology Department is required for all areas of study except for the Wildlife Biology program.
Aquatic Biology focuses on aquatic organisms and their relationships with their environments. Our faculty works in streams, rivers, springs, cave systems, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and wetlands. Their research uses the facilities at the Freeman Aquatic Building, the nearby Federal Fish Hatchery, and natural aquatic ecosystems from the swamps of east Texas to the Rio Grande River and the springs of the Trans Pecos.
