Investigate the Life Sciences
Grow as a scientist in one of the best public biology programs in the state.
The Biology program at Worcester State will provide you with broad knowledge in the biological sciences through a core curriculum and upper-level courses in specialized areas of study. A hands-on approach for teaching laboratory techniques and fieldwork is emphasized. Throughout the program, you will be encouraged to develop effective communication skills and an awareness of the societal and global implications of biology.
Students may pursue a major in Biology, minors in Ecology or Psychobiology, or a concentration in Bioinformatics. The prerequisites necessary to meet the requirements of medical, dental, veterinary, optometry, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, physical therapy, and pharmacy programs may be satisfied through a biology major with a minor in Pre-Medicine. The Accelerated Pharmacy Program with MCPHS also can be completed through the Biology major.
Concentrations in Biology
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The Pharmacy & Health Science concentration affords students the skills to be world-class pharmacy professionals in a wide variety of rewarding careers. Worcester State partners with MCPHS’s Worcester or Manchester (NH) campus for this program to provide students with the most cutting-edge pharmacology education possible.
Students are required to meet with their department advisor to review their upcoming semester academic choices. A minimum of 120 credits is required for graduation.
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The purpose of this interdisciplinary concentration is to prepare students to enter the computer-intensive fields of bioinformatics, computational biology, computational chemistry, and molecular modeling including genomics and proteomics. With the ever-increasing number of fully sequenced genomes, including the human genome, databases such as GenBank and EMBL have grown at such a rate that storing, organizing, indexing, and ultimately mining the data have become key to answering biological questions.
Questions of gene expression have led to computational biology, the process of analyzing genomic sequences, and to the field of proteomics, the understanding of protein structure and function. The information obtained by computational biology and computational chemistry is used in the design of new drugs to treat a variety of diseases. Major drug and biotechnology companies are seeking people trained in bioinformatics.
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This concentration is intended for Biology majors who aspire to attend medical school, dental school, or veterinary school after completing their undergraduate degree. The concentration is a means to ensure that students have the best possible academic preparation and advising as they prepare for these post-graduate programs. The Pre-Medical Concentration requirements include courses that are not part of the Biology major but are designated as core prerequisites for these professional schools as well as some additional courses that are not part of the core prerequisites but are strongly recommended.
The concentration curriculum also includes a one-credit seminar taken during the sophomore or junior year that is designed to familiarize students with the requirements for admission to medical, dental, and veterinary schools. The seminar helps students develop personal plans for fulfilling these requirements so that they have the best possible chance of admission to post-graduate study. A first-year seminar targeted at pre-medical students is offered, but not required, for completion of the concentration
A grade point average of 2.0 must be maintained in biology courses and in the ancillary science and mathematics courses. Students considering graduate and professional work should take, as a recommended minimum, calculus and introduction to computer science.
*Only Biology majors will be eligible for this concentration. The 13 credits specified for the concentration include the courses required for the concentration that are not required for the Biology major. Students will still have to complete all of the credits required for the major as well.
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The Honors Program in Biology is designated as a distinction bestowed on those outstanding undergraduate Biology majors who have demonstrated distinct competence in overall biology course work and who have completed an independent research project of substantial merit. This program offers motivated students the opportunity to develop research and communication skills in preparation for graduate school or a professional career.
For more information and specific program requirements, contact Dr. Randall Tracy in the Department of Biology.
Why Earn Your Bachelor’s Degree in Biology at Worcester State?
See the diverse career paths a degree in Biology can prepare you for
While many students select a pre-health route, there are countless career paths for biology students in a variety of fields.
