Program Overview

Biological Sciences Program

The Biological Sciences program at Cal Poly is designed to provide students with a broad education in the biological sciences, from molecules to ecosystems. The program includes courses in anatomy, botany, microbiology, marine science, and animal physiology, with an emphasis on hands-on training in the laboratory and the field.

Concentrations

The program offers several concentrations, including:

• Anatomy and Physiology: This concentration offers courses required for those preparing for a career in medicine and health, including physicians, dentists, physician assistants, nurses, dental assistants, and more.
• Ecology, Evolution, Biodiversity, and Conservation: This concentration focuses on the ecology and evolution of the earth's biodiversity and teaches the skills necessary to participate in the conservation of wildlife, plants, and their habitats.
• Molecular and Cellular Biology: This concentration focuses on how genes and their products work to create cellular structures, activities, and interactions in organisms ranging from microbes to plants and animals.

Minors

The program also offers several minors, including:

• Biology Minor: Designed to help non-majors understand fundamental biological concepts and how biological issues impact their lives.
• Biotechnology Minor: Explores how biological processes are applied to technological challenges, an important area of growth that has transformed medicine, chemical manufacturing, and agriculture in recent years.
• Environmental Studies Minor: Teaches students to explain and evaluate important environmental issues from scientific, technical, social, political, economic, and ethical perspectives.
• Microbiology Minor: Explores the world of microorganisms and their impact on the larger world, including microbial diseases of humans, other animals, and plants; microbial roles in ecology; and microbial applications in biotechnology.

Curriculum

The biological sciences curriculum includes courses spanning all levels of biology, with an emphasis on hands-on training in the laboratory and the field. More than three-fourths of the courses include a lab section, such as:

• Animal Anatomy and Physiology
• Cell and Molecular Biology
• Ecology and Evolution
• Environmental Physiology
• Plant Ecology
• Wildlife Ecology

Research Opportunities

Students in the program have opportunities for independent research under faculty guidance, including a requirement for a senior project. The diverse habitat of California's Central Coast offers many opportunities for ecological fieldwork, allowing students to learn to identify and understand organisms in the field and solve environmental problems.

Career Opportunities

Many graduates of the program go on to Ph.D. and M.D. programs at prestigious universities throughout California and across the country. Graduates also pursue careers in teaching, laboratory technology, public health, biotechnology research and manufacturing, wildlife management, consulting, agriculture, park and forest services, and more.