Northern Arizona University

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Welcome to the NAU
Department of Biological Sciences!

Our mission is to build scientific literacy for all citizens, advance and apply biological knowledge, and educate our students for professions in the life sciences.

Message from Maribeth Watwood, Department Chair -

There has never been a better time to pursue a career in the Biological Sciences!  New industries are emerging in the areas of biotechnology and medical research, while growth continues in fields such as health care and environmental biology.  This translates into many interesting and expanding opportunities for our students!

The Department of Biological Sciences offers five different Bachelor of Science degrees: Biology, Microbiology, Exercise Science, Biomedical Science, and Secondary Education.  We offer the MS and PhD degrees in Biological Sciences.

Our programs feature an ideal balance between strong academic rigor and flexibility so that students to tailor a degree to meet their specific personal and career goals.

Our faculty are a diverse group of scholars and teachers who excel at classroom instruction and conduct a wide range of cutting edge research programs. Areas of expertise include stream ecology, bioinformatics, animal behavior, infectious disease, genes-to-ecosystem studies, anatomy and physiology, botany, exercise science, evolutionary biology, biology education, cancer biology, clinical and environmental microbiology, climate change ecology, cell and molecular biology, and human genetics and genomics. Current directions in several of these fields have been shaped heavily by research findings in our faculty laboratories.

We encourage all of our undergraduates, including freshmen, to conduct research before graduation; these activities often result in scientific presentations and publications. 

With over 1,350 majors, over 130 MS and PhD students, roughly 50 faculty, and a vigorous team of staff, we are one of the largest academic units on campus. Yet students still receive personal attention throughout their degree programs and are valued members of our community of scholars.

We are committed to working with students of all levels to insure they receive the skills they will need when entering the workforce or entering further educational programs. 

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