Welcome from the Chair

Dr. Daniel Carson

Dr. Carson

Welcome to the web site of the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Delaware. Here you will find information about the faculty and the undergraduate and graduate programs within the Department, as well as links to a wide variety of biological information and organizations.

The Department of Biological Sciences is composed of 38 faculty engaged in teaching and research activities. The Department is home to many vibrant research programs and our faculty are located in state-of-the-art laboratories in Wolf and McKinly Halls as well as the Delaware Biotechnology Institute, a joint effort between the University of Delaware and area biotechnology industries. We continuously review and update our undergraduate and graduate programs to ensure that our curriculum meets the fast-pace of modern biology. The interests of the faculty cover a wide range of areas allowing considerable diversity in course offerings as well as areas of research. Under the People section you may read the current research and teaching interests of the faculty and obtain references to recent publications.

Graduate students may pursue a master of science or doctorate in Biological Sciences. An accelerated B.S./M.S. degree in Biotechnology also is available. Outstanding opportunities for graduate training are available in the many well-funded research programs of our faculty using cutting edge approaches of cell and molecular biology, molecular genetics, microbiology, and ecology to study fundamental biological processes. The Graduate Programs section contains information on the specifics of graduate study.

In 2004, the department awarded 180 bachelor degrees and currently has approximately 950 declared undergraduate majors. Undergraduates may pursue degrees in one of the three programs described in the Undergraduate Programs section. This section also describes Minors in or for Biology and other opportunities such as degree programs with other units. In the Undergraduate Research Opportunities section undergraduates can learn about research opportunities with biology faculty. The university chapter (Alpha Psi) of the national biology honor society Beta Beta Beta is also described.

Students with a pre-professional (premedical, pre-dental, etc.) interest have made Biological Sciences the most popular major in preparation for a wide variety of medical careers. Information for students with such interests is presented in Preprofessional Programs.

I hope this information is helpful to you and we welcome your suggestions for future improvements in our web pages.

Lastly, if you would like to talk to someone about the programs offered by the Department of Biological Sciences you may do so by calling (302) 831-6977. You may also come to the department office in 118 Wolf Hall on the main campus of the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware.