A Career in Biology
Given the vast diversity of life on earth, it comes as no surprise that the study of biology has opportunities for every inquiring mind. At the University of Utah, an education in biology exposes undergraduate students to everything from the miniature molecular motors that power bacteria to whale conservation and the biology of global change.
Biology professors and instructors are recognized for their excellence in teaching. Several have won distinguished teaching awards and they bring energy, enthusiasm and creativity to the classroom.
We empower students from all backgrounds to succeed in math and science
- Enhancing the quality and equity of K-12 math and science instruction in Utah
- Promoting the academic success and career readiness of undergraduate students in math and science at the University of Utah
- Increasing access for K-12 students to high-quality math and science experiences at the University of Uta
Learn more about the programs and services of the CMSE for high school students and K-12 teachers here.
Footnotes from a Young Scientist
Our South American correspondent Sonora “Nora” Clayton will be sending us weekly dispatches from the Galapagos Islands between now and the end of March 2022. Nora is a middle school student from Salt Lake City and has been to the Islands twice now with her parents, biology professors at the University of Utah (the first time in-utero with her twin brother).
The Galapagos Islands are off the coast of mainland Ecuador in South America. They are known for their wide variety of plants and creatures made famous in the 19th Century by the father of evolutionary biology, Charles Darwin. Nora's letters will appear in the news feed directly below. Watch for them!
Ask Nora your Questions Read all past letters in the post-loop below or directly through these links:
Read all letters through these links:
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Latest News
Possible Career Paths
Health & Medicine
physician, dentist, optometrist, veterinarian, medical technologist, biomedical & pharmaceutical sales.
Interested in becoming a nurse? Find out how to apply to nursing school here.
Federal & State Agencies
National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Centers for Disease Control, wildlife & natural resource management, recreation, non-profit agencies.
Academia, Research & Legal
Biology graduates also go on to successful careers in academic research, teaching, business, and the legal profession.
Research
Biology faculty at the University of Utah have received numerous prestigious awards for their research. A sampling of these awards includes the 2007 Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology, the Novitzski prize in genetics, and an NIH Director's award. Research activities in the School of Biological Sciences are supported by more than $12 million annually. Many research faculty have funding to support and train undergraduates in their labs. (You can get a sampling of the research being done at SBS as well as information on the Science Research Initiative, for undergrads at the link below.)
To give incoming undergraduate students some exposure to a research environment and prepare them for a science degree the University of Utah has developed a summer research program called SPUR.
Science Day at The U
Each fall the Colleges of Science and College of Mines & Earth Sciences host a day-long event of workshops and provide information to high school students about the various opportunities for incoming undergraduates in science. For more information and to sign up for this free event visit the College of Science .
FAQs
Frequently asked questions about the Biology Program at the University of Utah
The University's School of Biological Sciences offers a single major: Biology. The curriculum, of course, includes rigorous instruction in cell biology, genetics, ecology, evolution, biochemistry and organismal biology.
Our faculty believes that the most appropriate and useful undergraduate education should provide a broad and robust framework in the biological sciences. Students are then encouraged to use biology electives to pursue specific topics more intensively. Most biology students are then well prepared to select specializations for graduate school.
Yes. Of all of the majors offered at the University of Utah the biology curriculum more closely correlates to the course requirements needed for application to most U.S. health profession programs, including medical school, dental school, nursing school, pharmacy school, graduate school for physician's assistant, etc.
All biology students must consult with the School of Biological Sciences' Academic Adviser before registering for classes. This may occur during a freshman orientation session or by phone or office visit scheduled with the adviser.
All freshman are required to attend an orientation session on campus (for Utah residents) and online (for out of state students).
For students entering in the fall semester orientation sessions typically occur in mid July.
At the orientation advising session, the student and the adviser will select a set of courses that is most appropriate for each student's background and academic goals.
Scholarships for biology freshmen include the merit-based "Honors at Entrance Scholarships" and the "Presidential Scholarships". Both of these are merit-based and use a freshman's high school grade point average and ACT (or SAT) scores. Both require Utah residency.
In February of the first year of study, a freshman in biology may apply for the "Biology Continuing Student Scholarship", and the "Biology Student Advisory Committee Book Scholarship". These are merit-based awards that require an application and Utah residency. Both are awarded for use in the sophomore year, and both are renewable upon re-application/re-evaluation.
The University's orientation office invites each admitted student to an orientation session prior to the student's first semester.
In-state students (Utah residents) are "required" to attend an on-campus orientation session. During the visit, students learn about University resources and meet with the Biology Academic Adviser to plan the first semester schedule of classes.
Out of state students (non-residents) may complete orientation online. These students must then contact the Biology Advisor to plan their first semester schedules.
Denise Brenes,
Director Undergraduate Advising
Email: advising@biology.utah.edu
Phone: 801-581-6244
Mailing address:
School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah
257 S. 1400 E. 201B
Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0840
INTERESTED IN STUDYING BIOLOGY?
Apply to a leading research institution, the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Utah.
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