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Why Major in Biology at Allegheny College

Study the astonishing variety, and complexity, of living things on Earth. As an Allegheny biology student, you’ll prepare for your future by applying scientific methods learned in the classroom to research in the lab and the field.

Unusual Combinations
Students often combine Biology with:

See how our Biology faculty mentor and empower students to become leaders in the health professions, research, education, sustainability, and other fields.

Division

  • Mathematics and Natural Sciences

Program Type

  • Major
  • Minor

Number of Credits

58 for major28 for minor

Where Biology Alumni Work Today

Aquatic Biologist and Principal

Bear Creek Environmental

Mary K. Nealson ’84

Senior Clinical Affairs Specialist

SPR Therapeutics, LLC
Tina Patitucci Lechman ’92

Research Associate

Ohio State Agricultural Research and Development Center
Laura Gutierrez Chapin ’02

Plastic Surgeon and Assistant Professor

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas
Alexander F. Mericli, M.D. ’05

Physical Therapist

Encompass Health
Sarah Kuhn ’06

Physician Assistant

ERMI
Jessica Lepore ’09

Senior Health Policy Advisor

U.S. Senate
Garrett Devenney ’16

Physician Assistant & Public Health Graduate Student

Arcadia University
Brittany Imel ’19

Ph.D. Student

Virginia Tech
Grace O’Malley ’18

Your Four-Year Journey

Biology Overview

Year 1: Understanding

Your first year may include foundational coursework in biology, chemistry, or math. Introductory biology courses explore organismal physiology, ecology, genetics, and molecular biology, and emphasize the ability to interpret experiments and data that have led biologists to greater understanding of the diversity and complexity of living organisms.

Year 2: New Approaches

In your second year, you will complete any remaining foundational coursework in biology, chemistry, or math and may begin more advanced biology coursework. You’ll also take Investigative Approaches in Biology, a course with an emphasis on independent and cooperative laboratory or field work and on writing and speaking for a biologically-focused audience.

Year 3: Delving Deeper

Your third year is when you will take your Junior Seminar, which explores in-depth a specialized topic in biology, as well as experimental design and engaging with the scientific literature. You will take advanced courses that can include cell and molecular biology, genetics, organismal physiology, microbiology, anatomy, ecology, and evolution. You also may take courses in related sciences, such as chemistry, physics, or computer science, that complement your biology training and enhance your ability to apply multiple perspectives.

Year 4: The Comp

It’s your final year – time to prepare and defend a research proposal on a topic interesting to you. With your advisor’s guidance, you’ll then work through the year to complete and present that research. You’ll also finish your advanced biology and related science courses before you graduate.

Research and Internships

Allegheny Biology Students Learn by Doing

We’ll set the stage for your success through hands-on opportunities. You’ll put the knowledge you gain into practice — and learn to communicate in compelling ways.

Our biology students expand their skills through internships, research with faculty, community engagement, study away, and more.

Studying in the Field and Lab

Allegheny’s Bousson Environmental Research Reserve spans 283 acres of woodlands, ponds, streams, wetlands, and native wildlife — presenting rich opportunities for student-faculty research.

Our students also study in the field at many other spots near campus, including:

  • Allegheny National Forest
  • Erie National Wildlife Refuge
  • Presque Isle and Pymatuning State Parks
  • Tamarack Lake
  • Woodcock Creek Lake

Allegheny students also have a rich array of opportunities for laboratory-based research in molecular biology, microbiology, plant biology, and neurobiology. Allegheny students are very competitive for placement at highly selective NSF-sponsored summer research programs at research institutions like University of Pittsburgh, University of Wisconsin, University of Nebraska, and Stanford University.

Recent Internships

  • Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium- Conservation education
  • Erie National Wildlife Refuge- Conservation biology
  • NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates- Multiple fields
  • Meadville Medical Center- Health Coaching
  • James J. Howard Marine Science Laboratory- Aquatic research

Clinical Research Internship at the Meadville Medical Center

Meadville Medical Center (MMC) is one of 12 hospitals across the country, and the only community hospital to do so, participating in this clinical trial aimed at the prevention of surgical site infections. Student research assistants are responsible for collecting data from patients and their environments from the time they enter the hospital from pre-operative exams, while they are in the operating room, and as they recover post-operatively.

Study Away Opportunities

Students interested in studying away from campus during their junior year can choose from several semester-long programs, including at Duke Marine Laboratory in North Carolina, James Cook University in Australia, Lancaster University in the United Kingdom, or CIEE-Tropical Ecology in Costa Rica.

Recent Senior Comps

The Senior Comp is the culmination of four years of experience, imagination, and study. It is the moment when you demonstrate what you’ve learned by teaching us something new.

  • The Effects of Glucocorticoids on Migration and Tight Junction Proteins in Human Retinal
  • Pigmented Epithelial Cells
  • Therapeutic Methods to Reduce Nerve Pain: A Model of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
  • Contributions of Temperate Freshwater Fishes to Nutrient Cycling in Northwestern Pennsylvania
  • Going VIRALL: A Tool for Advancing Student Implementation of Computational SIR and SEIR Disease Transmission Models in Biology Education
  • Developing a Reliable Method of DNA Extraction for Ixodes scapularis and Assessing Lyme
  • Disease Prevalence Across Life Stages
    Genes Implicated in Macular Degeneration and Their Regulation Through Dexamethasone Utilizing Human Retinal Cell Line

Faculty and Staff

Catharina Coenen

Professor

Ph.D., Oregon State University; Undergraduate work, Universität Bremen

Lauren French

Associate Professor

Ph.D., Cornell University; B.A., Oberlin College

Frequently Asked Questions About the Biology Program

What type of degree is an Biology major?

Students who major in Biology at Allegheny College will earn a Bachelor of Science degree.

Are there any clubs and activities available for Biology students?

Biochemistry Club- ACBC aims to develop a more welcoming community for Biochemistry majors who feel stuck in-between both of the Chemistry and Biology majors. ACBC is organized by a team of Biochemistry faculty and chosen students to help bring informational and fun events about current topics in Biochemistry and different career paths in the field.

Program Contact

Bradley Hersh

Associate Professor and Chair

Email 814-332-6206