"Because of Castleton, I will have a leg up on both experience and mastering scientific techniques for when I graduate.”
The Biology program fosters rigorous learning in the science of life, from molecular biology to ecology, and helps prepare you for a diverse variety of careers.
It will prepare you for admission into graduate and professional schools, careers in biology, or secondary education. The program includes extensive hands-on laboratory, field, and research experiences for the development of technical, quantitative, intellectual, and communication skills.
Specialized courses in designated concentrations provide extra experience to develop skills that will prepare you for future study and careers in science.
You can elect to pursue:
The nature of the Biology major allows our faculty to take advantage of the outside, natural laboratory as much as possible in both their lab and travel courses. Labs may bring students to the array of natural ecosystems across Vermont, while our numerous travel courses bring students to places like the Mojave Desert, Belize, Iceland, St. John, and other locations.
Many Biology majors elect to participate in either internships or independent research in their field of study during their time at Castleton.
Our faculty have diverse research interests. Some of this research is funded externally through grants awarded to our faculty where students have the opportunity to work intensively with faculty over the summer months and get paid a stipend.
Students wishing to pursue graduate school are strongly encouraged to work with faculty on independent projects. Some of the recent student research related to Biology include:
With a B.S. in Biology, you will have the opportunity to pursue both laboratory and field careers in government, industry, and the nonprofit sector.
This program also prepares you for careers and professional or graduate degree programs in medicine, ecology, agriculture, biomedical research, conservation, and numerous other options.
Recently, our students have moved on to attend graduate school for master’s and Doctoral degrees, have entered medical school, or have obtained jobs with various state park agencies.
All graduates in Biology that earn a GPA of 2.75 or higher (and meet all minimum requirements of the agreement) are guaranteed admission and discounted tuition to the Norwich University Master of Civil Engineering program (including Environmental/Water Resources Engineering).