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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.

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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:
#1    #2    #3    #4  #5 #6   #7  #8   #9  #10

Possible Career Paths


1

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.

2

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.

3

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.)

RESEARCH

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.

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 .

More Information

FAQs


 

Frequently asked questions about the Biology Program at the University of Utah