Biology

Career potential

Biology is the study of all living things and their environments. With a bachelor's degree in biology, you may be qualified for a career in industry (instrumentation or pharmaceutical sales, or laboratory technician), secondary school education or government.

A major in biology also can prepare you to enter dental, medical or veterinary school or a training program to become a chiropractor, an optometrist, a pharmacist, a physical therapist, a podiatrist or other health care professional. UNT has a full-time preprofessional advisor for students planning a career in health care.

To be a professional researcher in biology and/or to teach at a university, you will need to earn a master's and possibly a doctoral degree. Your bachelor's degree is the first step in this pathway. Researchers in biology work for various government agencies, clinics and hospitals; and national, nonprofit and private laboratories. UNT's biology alumni include many distinguished researchers and university professors.

UNT's Career Center can help you prepare to pursue your career. The center has information about jobs and employers, and the staff can help you with resume and letter writing, job search strategies, and interview preparation.

Majoring in Biology

As a biology major, you may study the structure and function of cells, organ systems and tissues in animals and humans; the structure and function of plants; aquatic toxicology; ecology; evolution; forensic biology; genetics and heredity; microscopic organisms such as bacteria; and parasites. You also may learn laboratory techniques that biologists use in their research.

You may want to concentrate on a certain area of biology through your electives. For example, if you plan to become a veterinarian, you will want to take animal physiology courses. Or you may choose courses in botany, ecology, genetics or microbiology to become prepared for graduate study in those areas.

As a biology major, you may combine college and medical school in a program offered by UNT and the UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth. You will spend three years at UNT completing the core curriculum requirements for biology majors, then transfer to the health science center for four years of medical training. The basic science courses at the health science center complete requirements for UNT's bachelor of arts degree with a major in biology. After seven years (instead of the usual eight years needed to complete a bachelor's degree and medical school), you will be ready to serve in residency at a hospital or clinic. If you are considering this option, you should work with the biology and preprofessional advisors upon entering the university to prepare a rigorous course work plan.

If you are interested in teaching biology at the secondary school level, UNT's Science Teaching Program offers several preparation tracks that include certification to teach life science in Texas schools. This includes a certification track that combines your undergraduate degree with education and biology graduate course work leading to a master's degree.

Faculty members in UNT's biological sciences department are dedicated to high-quality teaching. One biological sciences faculty member was the only faculty member from a Texas college or university selected to participate in a program sponsored by American Society for Microbiology. Another faculty member has been named a Regents Professor for outstanding teaching and research. Regents Professors devote at least half of their teaching load to introductory-level courses. Other professors have received the UNT President's Council Teaching and the Shelton Excellence in Teaching awards. Biological sciences faculty also regularly receive "Top Prof" awards from Mortar Board, a senior honor society.

Biology majors can become members of Beta Beta Beta, an honor society for biology students. Premed and other preprofessional students can join Alpha Epsilon Delta, a preprofessional honor society.

Getting hands-on experience

As a biology major, you may receive course credit for working on a project in one of UNT's research centers or laboratories. You may become involved in research on remote sensing or water resources through the Institute of Applied Sciences. Or you may research brain cells and the nervous system through the Center for Network Neuroscience.

Upon completion of 12 semester hours at UNT with at least a 2.5 GPA, you may work in a job related to your major through UNT's Cooperative Education and Internships office. This allows you to earn academic credit and money and gain valuable work experience.

Co-op employers pay extremely well, and the jobs usually last several semesters, often until graduation. More than 1,800 employers work with the office to provide excellent learning opportunities, many of which become permanent full-time positions upon graduation. The office staff also assists with placing students in internships, which last for one full semester or summer.

Preparing for UNT

If you are a high school student, we suggest you prepare for college by becoming computer proficient and taking:

• English … 4 years
• Math … 4 years
• Social science — economics, geography, government, history … 4 years
• Science … 3 years
• Foreign language … 3 years
• Fine arts … 1 year

You will need to take courses in most of these subjects under the university core curriculum required of all undergraduates, in addition to your major courses. Talk with your high school counselor about preparing for college, including the entrance exams (SAT Reasoning Test or ACT) that you should take during your junior year.

As a benefit for transfer students, UNT participates in the Texas Common Course Numbering System. This system makes it easier to transfer credits for general academic courses from one Texas institution to another.

If you're attending a Texas community college, you should consult the UNT Transfer Guide, the UNT Undergraduate Catalog and an academic counselor/advisor to discuss your degree plan. Proper planning will help you receive the maximum amount of transfer credits. Transfer students should contact UNT advisors as early as possible for assistance in course selection toward major requirements in science and mathematics.

You may declare an intent to major in biology upon enrolling at UNT, but you must complete specific pre-major course work in biology, chemistry and mathematics in order to be eligible for upper-level course work in the major. Consult the UNT Undergraduate Catalog for specific requirements in the biology pre-major, including minimum acceptable grades and grade point averages.

Charting your path with academic advising

Faculty members in the biological sciences department will help you plan your class schedule each semester and help you select courses necessary to earn your degree. They also will give you career advice. The department office is in the Biology Building, Room 210 and the undergraduate advising office is in Room 127 of the same building.

Curious about courses and other features of this major?
See the current catalog.