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Biology

  • Bachelor of Arts
  • Bachelor of Science
  • Minor

Liberal Arts Breathes Life Into the Sciences at Saint Vincent College.

As our largest single major program, biology majors at Saint Vincent College benefit from exceptional faculty, resources and an expansive alumni network. Hands-on learning and research opportunities allow our students to apply biological concepts in three concentrations: cellular and molecular biology, organismal biology and population biology. In addition to mastering biology lab skills and field techniques, our biology majors are uniquely prepared to succeed in healthcare, in environmental sciences, as educators, as researchers, and more as expert communicators who think critically to see the why’s and the how’s behind the data.

Undergraduate Programs

BA or BS?

At Saint Vincent College, biology program offerings include a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science or a Minor in Biology.

BA

A Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology gives students more flexibility to take additional courses in other areas, due to fewer – though still immersive – biology major requirements. Our Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology students still concentrate in cellular and molecular biology, organismal biology and population biology. However, BA in Biology students may find it easier to double major or minor in programs that are in entirely different fields like the humanities, foreign language, education, social sciences or the arts.

BS

Students who are pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biology take more courses in their biology curriculum. More biology major requirements make them less likely – though still able – to take additional courses in other fields that go beyond Saint Vincent College general education requirements. Our Bachelor of Science in Biology students are often certain in their commitment to pursuing careers or higher education in the natural sciences.

Minor Available

Students with any major have the option to pursue a Minor in Biology – adding courses in the sciences to their curriculum in any field.

Curriculum Requirements

  • Requirements for a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology

    Major Requirements (61 credits)

    • BL 150 General Biology I - 3 credits
    • BL 152 General Biology II - 3 credits
    • BL 151 General Biology Laboratory I - 1 credit
    • BL 153 General Biology Laboratory II - 1 credit
    • BL 208 Cell Biology - 3 credits
    • BL 209 Cell Biology Laboratory - 1 credit
    • BL 301 Junior Research Seminar - 2 credits
    • BL 302 Research Project - 2 credits
    • BL 303 Research Thesis - 1 credit
    • CH 101 General Chemistry I - 3 credits
    • CH 102 General Chemistry II - 3 credits
    • CH 103 General Chemistry Laboratory I - 1 credit
    • CH 104 General Chemistry Laboratory II - 1 credit
    • CH 221 Organic Chemistry I - 3 credits
    • CH 222 Organic Chemistry II - 3 credits
    • CH 223 Organic Chemistry I Laboratory - 1 credit
    • CH 224 Organic Chemistry II Laboratory - 1 credit
    • PH 109 College Physics I - 3 credits
    • PH 110 College Physics II - 3 credits
    • PH 113 College Physics I Laboratory - 1 credit
    • PH 114 College Physics II Laboratory - 1 credit
    • MA 109 Calculus I - 4 credits

    Fulfill the requirements for one area of concentration

    Cell and Molecular Biology Concentration

    • BL 214 Molecular Genetics - 3 credits
    • BL 215 Molecular Genetics Laboratory - 1 credit
      and
      BL 212 Microbiology - 3 credits
    • BL 213 Microbiology Laboratory - 1 credit
      or
      BL 216 Biotechnology - 3 credits
    • BL 217 Biotechnology Laboratory - 1 credit

    One course with laboratory from each of the organismal and population biology concentrations

    Organismal Biology Concentration 

    • BL 224 Physiology - 3 credits
    • BL 225 Physiology Laboratory - 1 credit and BL 220 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy - 3 credits
    • BL 221 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy Laboratory - 1 credit or BL 226 Neuroscience - 3 credits
    • BL 227 Neuroscience Laboratory - 1 credit or BL 228 Wildlife Biology - 3 credits
    • BL 229 Wildlife Biology Laboratory - 1 credit

    One course with laboratory from each the cell and molecular and population biology concentrations

    Population Biology Concentration

    • BL 234 Evolution and Systematics - 3 credits
    • BL 235 Evolution and Systematics Laboratory - 1 credit and BL 232 Ecology - 3 credits
    • BL 233 Ecology Laboratory - 1 credit or BL 238 Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology - 3 credits
    • BL 239 Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology Laboratory - 1 credit or BL 240 Conservation Biology - 3 credits
    • BL 241 Conservation Biology Laboratory - 1 credit

    One course with laboratory from each the cellular and organismal concentrations

    Strongly Recommended:

    • BL 260 Biostatistics - 3 credits or PY 203 Statistics I - 3 credits and TH 280 Catholic Bioethics - 3 credits or PL 218 Bioethics - 3 credits

  • Requirements for a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology

    Major Requirements (68 credits)

    • BL 150 General Biology I - 3 credits
    • BL 152 General Biology II - 3 credits
    • BL 151 General Biology Laboratory I - 1 credit
    • BL 153 General Biology Laboratory II - 1 credit
    • BL 208 Cell Biology - 3 credits
    • BL 209 Cell Biology Laboratory - 1 credit
    • BL 301 Junior Research Seminar - 2 credits
    • BL 302 Research Project - credits
    • BL 303 Research Thesis - 1 credit
    • CH 101 General Chemistry I - 3 credits
    • CH 102 General Chemistry II - 3 credits
    • CH 103 General Chemistry Laboratory I - 1 credit
    • CH 104 General Chemistry Laboratory II - 1 credit
    • CH 221 Organic Chemistry I - 3 credits
    • CH 222 Organic Chemistry II - 3 credits
    • CH 223 Organic Chemistry I Laboratory - 1 credit
    • CH 224 Organic Chemistry II Laboratory - 1 credit
    • PH 109 College Physics I - 3 credits
    • PH 110 College Physics II - 3 credits
    • PH 113 College Physics I Laboratory - 1 credit
    • PH 114 College Physics II Laboratory - 1 credit
    • MA 109 Calculus with Applications I - 4 credits
    • MA 110 Calculus with Applications II - 4 credits
    • BL Elective Course in Biology*

    *Any three credit, 200 level biology course, CH251, CH252, BIN218 or BIN219 qualifies as an elective course in biology

    Fulfill the requirements for one area of concentration

    Cell and Molecular Biology Concentration

    • BL 214 Molecular Genetics - 3 credits
    • BL 215 Molecular Genetics Laboratory - 1 credit and BL 212 Microbiology - 3 credits
    • BL 213 Microbiology Laboratory - 1 credit or BL 216 Biotechnology - 3 credits
    • BL 217 Biotechnology Laboratory - 1 credit or BL 222 Developmental Biology - 3 credits
    • BL 223 Developmental Biology Laboratory - 1 credit

    One course with laboratory from each of the organismal and population biology concentrations

    Organismal Biology Concentration

    • BL 224 Physiology - 3 credits
    • BL 225 Physiology Laboratory - 1 credit and BL 220 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy - 3 credits
    • BL 221 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy Laboratory - 1 credit or BL 226 Neuroscience - 3 credits
    • BL 227 Neuroscience Laboratory - 1 credit or BL 228 Wildlife Biology - 3 credits
    • BL 229 Wildlife Biology Laboratory - 1 credit

    One course with laboratory from each the cell and molecular and population biology concentrations

    Population Biology Concentration

    • BL 234 Evolution and Systematics - 3 credits
    • BL 235 Evolution and Systematics Laboratory - 1 credit and BL 232 Ecology - 3 credits
    • BL 233 Ecology Laboratory - 1 credit or BL 238 Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology - 3 credits
    • BL 239 Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology Laboratory - 1 credit or BL 240 Conservation Biology - 3 credits
    • BL 241 Conservation Biology Laboratory - 1 credit

    One course with laboratory from each the cellular and organismal concentrations

    Strongly Recommended

    • BL 260 Biostatistics - 3 credits or PY 203 Statistics I - 3 credits and TH 280 Catholic Bioethics - 3 credits or PL 218 Bioethics - 3 credits
    • All students take a four (4) credit course designated as a First-Year Seminar to satisfy a core curriculum requirement.

  • Requirements for a Minor in Biology

    Minor Requirements (26 credits):

    All students must complete the following courses:

    • BL 150, 152 General Biology I and II - 6 credits
    • BL 151, 153 General Biology Laboratory I and II - 2 credits
    • CH 101, 102 General Chemistry I and II - 6 credits
    • CH 103, 104 General Chemistry Laboratory I and II - 2 credits

    Additionally, students must complete 10 credits from the courses listed below. Two lecture-laboratory course combinations, each combination from a different area of concentration, must be included. Students may complete the remaining credits in any concentration. BL 260 Biostatistics may also be used to satisfy the remaining credits.

    Cell and Molecular Biology Concentration:

    • BL 208 Cell Biology - 3 credits
    • BL 209 Cell Laboratory - 1 credit
    • BL 212 Microbiology - 3 credits
    • BL 213 Microbiology Laboratory - 1 credit
    • BL 214 Molecular Genetics - 3 credits
    • BL 215 Molecular Genetics Laboratory - 1 credit
    • BL 216 Biotechnology - 3 credits
    • BL 217 Biotechnology Laboratory - 1 credit
    • BL 222 Developmental Biology - 3 credits
    • BL 223 Developmental Biology Laboratory - 1 credit
    • BL 242 Histology - 2 credits
    • BL 243 Histology Laboratory - 1 credit
    • BL 250 Medical Microbiology - 3 credits
    • CH 251 Proteins and Metabolism - 3 credits
    • CH 253 Proteins and Metabolism Laboratory - 1 credit
    • CH 252 Nucleic Acids and Membranes - 3 credits
    • CH 254 Nucleic Acids and Membranes Laboratory - 1 credit
    • BIN 218 Bioinformatics, Genomics and Proteomics - 3 credits
    • BIN 219 Biomedical Informatics - 3 credits

    Organismal Biology Concentration:

    • BL 220 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy - 3 credits
    • BL 221 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy Laboratory - 1 credit
    • BL 224 Physiology - 3 credits
    • BL 225 Physiology Laboratory - 1 credit
    • BL 228 Wildlife Biology - 3 credits
    • BL 229 Wildlife Biology Laboratory - 1 credit
    • BL 230 Ornithology - 3 credits
    • BL 226 Neuroscience - 3 credits
    • BL 227 Neuroscience Laboratory - 1 credit

    Population Biology Concentration:

    • BL 232 Ecology - 1 credit
    • BL 233 Ecology Laboratory - 1 credit
    • BL 234 Evolution and Systematics - 3 credits
    • BL 235 Evolution and Systematics Laboratory - 1 credit
    • BL 238 Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology - 3 credits
    • BL 239 Aquatic Ecology and Toxicology Laboratory - 1 credit
    • BL 240 Conservation Biology - 3 credits
    • BL 241 Conservation Biology Laboratory - 1 credit

82%

of graduates (2016 2020) accepted to allopathic and osteopathic medicine programs. This includes students from all majors, mostly Biology and Biochemistry.

83%

of graduates (2016-2020) were accepted to dental programs, topping the national average of 54.5% accepts. This includes students from all majors, mostly Biology and Biochemistry.

100%

of graduates (2016-2020) were accepted to optometry programs, topping the national average of 74.8% accepts. This includes students from all majors, mostly Biology and Biochemistry.

100%

of graduates (2016-2020) were accepted to veterinary medicine programs, topping the national average of 48.2%.This includes students from all majors, mostly Biology and Biochemistry.

90%

of graduates (2016-2020) were accepted to professional health programs including physical therapy, physician assistant, chiropractic and podiatric. This includes students from all majors.

Your Degree at Work

Whether you plan to go straight into the workforce or enroll in a graduate program in the healthcare, allied health or science professions, a bachelor’s degree in biology opens the doors to a world of careers in the sciences.

Career Options:

  • Biotechnologist
  • Medical Physician
  • Pharmacist
  • Physical Therapist
  • Optometrist
  • Veterinarian
  • Physician Assistant
  • Nurse
  • Genetic Counselor
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Molecular Biologist
  • Writer or Editor for a Science Publication
  • Environmental Policy Analyst
  • Ecologist
  • Dentist
  • Chiropractor
  • Podiatrist
  • Conservation Biologist
  • Pharmaceutical Research & Design
  • Science Researcher
  • Teacher
  • Biological, Environmental & Ecological

Spotlight

From genetics to ecology, and everywhere in between, Saint Vincent College faculty use their diverse backgrounds in biological science to help students and alumni succeed whether they go into industry careers, the medical field or research-intensive positions.

Kyanna Williams

Kyanna Williams-Pate ‘17

Project Coordinator @ Gateway Medical Society
Hometown:

"I feel really prepared to go into any field of biology with the experience I gained at Saint Vincent College. I’m especially proud of my senior research project, where I was able to find an anemia model in zebrafish which can help women who are medically predisposed to sickle cell anemia and thinking about having a child. I found that if you alter different nutritional factors that you can prevent sickling in that child.”

Amanda Jaber in the lab

Amanda Jaber ‘11

Clinical Pharmacist @ Falk Pharmacy, UPMC
Hometown:

“The high level of instruction that I received during my time at Saint Vincent College not only taught me how to think critically and problem solve, but also prepared me for the next step more than I could have ever imagined.”

Real-World Experience

Students working in the lab

Research

Our biology majors graduate with start-to-finish research experience under their belt. Each student works with a faculty mentor to choose a topic to examine through a three-semester independent research project – from exploring sickle cell anemia prevention in pregnancy to studying the effectiveness of goats in controlling the growth of noxious weeds. Our students design and define their work and present their findings at local, regional, national and international meetings including the Saint Vincent College Annual Undergraduate Symposium, Western Pennsylvania Undergraduate Biology Symposium, Allegheny Branch Meeting of the American Society of Microbiology, Pennsylvania Academy of Science Annual Meeting, National Conference for Undergraduate Research and the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting.

Biology lab

Internships

More than 70% of our biology majors take advantage of internship and shadowing opportunities before graduation. Students have interned at top-tier research institutions and cutting-edge industries including Johns Hopkins University, Cornell University, the Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative, Allegheny General Hospital and the Immune Tolerance Network. Our students have also interned in medical and animal hospitals, Supercomputing Centers, the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium and pharmaceutical companies.

Students serving

Service

Saint Vincent students take pride in the opportunities to give back and be a part of a caring community. World Series of Birding students raise several hundred dollars for local conservation organizations each year, and several classes participate in citizen-science projects or service projects. Our biology students also work with the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve on biology, biochemistry and environmental science-related projects and go on international service trips, including a spring break service trip to Haiti.

Facilities

Sis and Herman Dupré Science Pavilion

The Sis and Herman Dupré Science Pavilion

Engage within the sciences and the Benedictine tradition in our 113,260 square foot LEED-certified Gold Sis and Herman Dupré Science Pavilion, home to The Herbert W. Boyer School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Computing. The James F. Will Engineering and Biomedical Sciences Hall was added to in 2017, creating an environment for study characterized by mutual respect, personal attention and open dialogue.

Liberatore Human Anatomy Lab

The Liberatore Human Anatomy Lab

The Ralph and Donna Liberatore Human Anatomy Lab, is an expansive, state-of-the-art laboratory space equipped with six surgical stations for anatomical research for medical training sessions with physicians and surgeons. Our undergraduate biology students study human anatomy and physiology through cadaveric dissection demonstrated by practicing medical physicians.

Digital Imaging Lab

Digital Imaging Lab

The Digital Imaging Lab is utilized by faculty and students throughout the natural science curriculum for inquiry-based classroom, laboratory-based activities and for faculty and student research projects. The lab includes a nine-station advanced microscopy suite containing fluorescent compound microscopes, research-grade dissection microscopes, a fluorescent inverted microscope for mammalian cell culture, a polarizing microscope and more to facilitate complex student research projects.

Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve

Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve

The Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve is a 50-acre reserve at Saint Vincent College. It is a beautiful recreational area filled with more than two miles of trails, native plantings, an Environmental Learning Barn, the Historic Lochry Blockhouse and much more designed to foster environmental stewardship through education, recreation and conservation.

Monastery Run Improvement Project

The Monastery Run Improvement Project

The effort to remediate abandoned mine drainage discharges and restore water quality in the Loyalhanna watershed consists of the three passive treatment wetland systems on 20 acres of land owned by Saint Vincent Archabbey. The wetlands have become a uniquely accessible field demonstration site and experiential classroom for environmental science and outdoor education that attracts environmental agencies, community members and government officials alike.

Experiential Learning Prepares Students For Success

Gregory Bisignani, M.D., and Carl Hasselman, M.D., clinical professors at Saint Vincent College, describe their teaching laboratory periods in the Liberatore Human Anatomy Laboratory, a gift of Ralph and Donna Liberatore. The laboratory is used by undergraduate students for the study of human anatomy and physiology, facilitated by cadaveric dissection. The lab is also used by external clients for surgical training and demonstrations. Students observe and assist with demonstration surgeries, an opportunity Hasselman has described as a “huge step forward in preparing undergraduates for medical school.”

Undergraduate Programs
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