Student Resources

The Program
Physical Setting
Facilities and Instrumentation

The Program

If you plan to major or minor in biology, you will take Biology 121 , 221 and 222.  This three course sequence surveys the entire range of biology from cellular/molecular aspects through organismal biology, ecology, evolution and the diversity of life.  Note that Biology 121 and 221 are prerequisites for every other upper division Biology course and would generally be taken in the first year.  Entering students may be eligible for credit on the basis of the Advanced Placement test in biology, the International Baccalaureate or the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).

In addition to the three survey courses you will complete five upper-division (300-level) courses. In these courses, you will explore a number of specialties and refine your particular interests. You will be encouraged to use modern equipment, both for class work and the individual pursuit of research. Your courses in other natural sciences, as well as in the social sciences and humanities, will complement your biology coursework and provide you with a balanced education in the liberal arts.

Those planning to teach natural sciences in the secondary schools take a number of courses in biology and other natural sciences, as well as designated courses in education. These students generally complete a natural science major, rather than a biology major.

Physical Setting

Students and faculty involved in field biology have a superb natural environment surrounding the two campuses. CSB and SJU are situated on 3,200 acres of land which includes numerous species and varied habitats, including several ponds and lakes (eutrophic to oligotrophic), prairie, oak savanna, wetlands, a deciduous forest, a conifer plantation, an arboretum, a maple sugar “bush” and an apiary. The two institutions have used this unique setting to establish an ecology research site, a fine museum collection of vertebrate and invertebrate species, an extensive herbarium collection of plants, a modern greenhouse and facilities for aquatic research.  More information . . . 

Facilities and Instrumentation

The science building includes state-of-the art laboratories especially designed for the study of cell biology, developmental biology, microbiology, virology, biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology, histology and introductory biology as well as collaborative research spaces where student and faculty members work side-by-side. The newly renovated Peter Engel Science Center includes classrooms for genetics, anatomy and physiology, ecology and plant biology; collections of both invertebrates and vertebrates; a modern greenhouse; facilities for aquatic research; and the largest herbarium of any Minnesota private college.  More information . . .