Biology

Cure cancer? Develop state-of-the-art organ transplant procedures? Invent biomaterials that help burn victims regrow their skin? Whatever lofty goal you’ve set for yourself, and however you’ve decided to put your bio-inclined brain to work, the McDaniel Biology major is your home base. Your launch pad to a future of rewarding scholarly and career opportunities.

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Degree Types

Major , Minor

Institution

Complementary Programs

Biochemistry

Heart

Distinctive Requirements

5 Lab Courses

Document

Academic Spaces

6 Research Labs

Why McDaniel for your Biology Degree?

Thanks to our carefully structured courses and gifted professors who gladly dive into research projects with their students, our graduates find great, meaningful jobs in many venues and industries. They enter a variety of fields such as genetics, marine science, cancer research, environmental analysis, or work as laboratory research associates.

On campus, Biology majors will study in Eaton Hall, which houses state-of-the-art biology and chemistry laboratories, faculty offices, and research labs dedicated for student use to take their knowledge to a new level.

Pathways to Success: Near-Limitless Career and Graduate School Opportunities

A biology degree is a ticket to near-limitless career and graduate school opportunities. Our graduates have found success in places like:

Medical school
Veterinary school
Research labs
The pharmaceutical industry
Biotechnology companies
The federal government

Preparation for Graduate School

Many McDaniel Biology grads also decide to pursue careers in such health science fields as medicine, dentistry, optometry, physical therapy, pharmacy, or veterinary medicine.

Learn more about our pre-med & pre-health advising and preparation.

Distinctive Courses in Biology

The second half of the two-semester, general chemistry sequence is designed primarily for those students who are interested in majoring in the sciences and have sufficiently solid backgrounds in science and mathematics to allow for a more in-depth investigation of the field. The course starts with an overview of the physical properties of solids, liquids and gases and how they can be interpreted using kinetic molecular theory. Major topics also include an introduction to chemical kinetics, the principles of chemical equilibrium, and chemical thermodynamics. Finally, a detailed study of two important classes of reactions, acid-base and reduction-oxidation, will be covered. In the laboratory, students explore gases, solutions, kinetics, and equilibrium, using conventional and instrumental techniques, applying their skills in a problem-solving environment.

A study of organisms inhabiting marine and estuarine environments including structural and functional adaptations to these ecological regions. Emphasis will be placed on ecological principles involving marine organisms.

A study and analysis of functional processes in animals and the involvement of these processes in homeostatic regulation. Topics include osmotic and ionic regulation, excretion, respiration, circulation, muscles, nervous communication, and hormones.

A study of genes and their functions on a global scale, through analysis of the entire genetic blueprint of an organism. Areas of emphasis include: comparative genomics, evolution of genomes, bioinformatics, and proteomics.

Biology Program Requirements

Biology Major Biology Minor Biology Major with Education Minor Biology Major - Ecology & Evolution Specialization Biology Major - Molecular Biology Specialization

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See Yourself Here

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Department Faculty

Learn more about the faculty and staff behind this program.

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Special Opportunities for Biology students

There are several major, minor, and specialization tracks for you to pursue in McDaniel’s biology department.

Biology Major with Education Minor

Students interested in teaching Biology at the secondary level (grades 7-12) in Maryland public schools major in Biology and complete a core set of secondary education requirements.

Student-faculty researchers senior Phuc Truong, senior Jake Holechek, Chemistry professor Dana Ferraris and senior Bobby Lease.

Biology – Molecular Biology Specialization

Are you someone who loves diving into the smallest details? Are you fascinated by the intricate structures that make up all living things? If so, a Molecular Biology degree from McDaniel College might be perfect for you. In our Molecular Biology program, you'll study the fundamental building blocks of life. Get ready to delve into the fascinating world of molecules!

Biology Major - Ecology & Evolution Specialization

In the Ecology & Evolution program at McDaniel College, you'll get hands-on with Biology research in and out of the classroom. Eels, geckos, zebrafish embryos, wildflowers, and native bees are just a few of the natural subjects that McDaniel student researchers study.

McDaniel Commitment in Action

The McDaniel Commitment—a series of opportunities guaranteed to all students—provides enhanced mentoring and coaching, and ensures every undergraduate student completes at least two meaningful experiential learning opportunities.

Jackie Fahrenholz in Indonesia for student research.

Study Abroad

Allison Parker gathering real-world experiences and exploring careers at the famed National Aquarium.

Internships

Garrett Gregoire standing in front of presentation.

Research

Experiential Learning Senior Capstone Hands-on Research

Nicolette Olson, a Biology major from Woodbine, Md., spent six weeks in Madagascar researching color variability in the leaf-tailed gecko, Uroplatus ebenaui.

"I actually got the chance to go to Madagascar with Dr. Morrison and Operation Wallacea and it was amazing. I got to go out with other dissertation students; there were fourteen of us and we were all doing a bunch of different projects."

Research & Internships

Jade Enright, Molecular Biology major at McDaniel College, conducted research at Yale.

Molecular Biology major conducts summer research at Yale Amgen Scholars Program

Jade Enright, a senior Molecular Biology major with a strong Chemistry minor, conducted research at Yale University after being named an Amgen Scholar. Enright worked in a graduate molecular biology lab overseen by a Yale professor and staffed with four post-doctoral fellows, four Ph.D. students and a lab manager.

Molecular Biology major Cooper Hostetler

Biology major’s passion for plants feeds his research to improve soybeans National Science Foundation Internship

Like many science majors, Cooper Hostetler wants to make the world a better place through technology. But the McDaniel senior Molecular Biology major’s focus isn’t medicine or engineering or even video game design. Instead he imagines fields of green — literally —  producing super food for animals and people.

McDaniel Biology professors and students at the SICB conference in New Orleans

Four Biology seniors present research at annual biology conference Annual Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Conference

Four seniors at McDaniel College presented student-faculty research findings with Biology professor Katie Staab at the annual Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology conference.

McDaniel College alumna Ashley Brown '06 DDS

Impressive Outcomes Dr. Ashley Brown ’06

Brown shadowed her family dentist during the summers and became intrigued by dentistry’s unique blend of art, science and engineering. As high school came to a close, she earned an academic scholarship to McDaniel and left her home in Prince George’s County, Maryland, in the fall of 2002 to become a member of the first entering class of what was now McDaniel College. “McDaniel taught me to think critically, and this helped me tremendously at Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry,” says Brown, whose love of science was fostered by now retired Biology professors Bill Long and Esther Iglich. “This critical thinking helped me to excel, graduating in the top 5 percent of my class.

Read "Dr. Ashley Brown ’06"

Meet A Biology Major Class of 2023: Sarah Aleman

Molecular Biology major Sarah Aleman’s first research experience was with Professor Susan Parrish, and it sparked her love for scientific exploration. After embracing her inner “biology nerd,” Sarah participated in the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergraduates program, which resulted in her capstone on genetics. After Commencement, she’ll be in a post-baccalaureate position at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Read "Class of 2023: Sarah Aleman"

News for Biology

McDaniel research: Invasive spotted lanternflies may be on these trees in your backyard

In a 2023 study published in Florida Entomologist, McDaniel College researchers identify three new tree species not previously recorded as hosts for invasive spotted lanternfly nymphs. Back in 2019, two students and Associate Professor Holly Martinson surveyed the insect's nymphs and egg masses in Pennsylvania, as well as plants at the McDaniel campus and McDaniel Environmental Center, with support from the Student-Faculty Collaborative Summer Research Program.
Preparations begin for new Jam Garden at McDaniel Environmental Center

Three student researchers are making their mark at McDaniel with the Jam Garden, a new edible plant garden and outdoor learning space proposed by Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Elly Engle and funded by the 2023 Ira G. Zepp Teaching Enhancement Grant.
In the lab: students illuminate sunscreen performance

We wear sunscreen to prevent burns, but have you ever wondered if your go-to formula is really blocking the sun? To find out, student researchers are testing the light-blocking abilities and chemical compositions of popular sunscreens as part of the Student-Faculty Collaborative Summer Research Program.

Chemistry Biochemistry Environmental Studies Kinesiology Data Analytics, M.S. (100% Online or Hybrid Low Residency)