Biology
Our story is your story
From molecular biology to ecology, genetics to paleontology, the Biology Department at Augustana has something for everyone. Whether you are interested in the health professions, animals, research or teaching, a biology major at Augustana can help you get to the career you want.
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| Dr. Jason Koontz teaches a General Botany lab outdoors. |
More importantly, the faculty in the department are dedicated to getting you there. Ask any member of the Biology Department faculty, "Why are you here?" and the answer will be the same. We all love to teach, and more than that, have a genuine passion for helping students learn.
About the program
- One of Augustana's largest departments, biology offers a biology major and minor, a biology teaching major and a major in pre-medicine, as well as coordinated degree programs and affiliation agreements with graduate programs in the professional health sciences.
- Biology majors often pursue careers in ecological or environmental organizations, genetics, public health and health care fields, immunology, industry, research or teaching.
Dr. Darrin Good teaches students in the cadaver lab.
- Biology is the primary major for Augustana students in the pre-professional health fields: medicine, veterinary medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy, optometry and dentistry. Students can begin the general biology major and choose a specific pre-health program later in their college career.
- The 13 department faculty all hold a Ph.D. and specialize in different areas of biology. All faculty teach both the lecture and lab portions of their classes, ensuring continuity and connection between theory and practice. Working closely with faculty mentors, students focus on practical applications of biology within the broader context of study in the liberal arts.
- Augustana's international study terms often include biology coursework. Recent examples are a course on ethnozoology in Latin America and another on conservation and behavior in Ghana.
- Augustana ranks among the top 60 U.S. small liberal arts colleges in the sciences, based on the number of graduates earning Ph.D.s.
