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  • Degrees Available:
    • B.S.
  • Major: Yes
  • Minor: Yes
  • Graduate Degree: Yes
  • Campus: Macomb
  • Study Opportunities:
    • GradTrac
    • Honors
    • Teacher Certification

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Undergraduate Majors, Minors & Programs of Study

Program: Biology

Program Overview

Biology is a basic field of science with direct application to humans - it is a broadly based discipline and WIU's biology program is designed to provide students with an extensive exposure to various areas of biology ranging from medicine to pond water. Options of study in the Biology major include Botany, Microbiology, and Zoology or Teacher Certification in Science/Biology. A majority of courses in the department have a laboratory component in addition to classroom lecture. Class sizes are small; usually held to 14 students, allowing each student to view material presented, ask questions, and handle the study organisms directly.

The study of Biology prepares students for a broad spectrum of job opportunities, including teaching, governmental or industrial laboratories, conservation agencies, business, or graduate study in biological sciences or health professions. Many students majoring in Biology pursue graduate degrees through the Master of Science in Biology available at WIU, or at medical or professional schools.

Students planning to major in Biology should complete three years of mathematics and one year each of biology, physics, and chemistry in high school.

Why Biology at WIU?

At WIU, four options are available in Biology. Students may receive their B.S. in Biology with an option in Botany (Plant Science), Microbiology, Zoology, or in Biology with Teacher Certification for high school teaching. Biology at WIU is designed to give students in-depth coverage of one of these options while exposing them to all of the aspects of the life sciences from the molecular to the community level. As a result of their exposure to the diversity of biology and to the other sciences, social sciences and humanities, biologists are among the most adaptable of graduates.
Many students majoring in biology pursue advanced degrees at medical or other professional schools while others continue their studies at the graduate level. A masters (M.S.) in biology is available at WIU and a number of undergraduates continue their education here. Others enroll at one of the major institutions of graduate study in the country.
At WIU, a majority of the courses from the first year to the graduate level have a laboratory component. Except for some introductory laboratories, all courses are taught by a faculty member with a Ph.D. Emphasis in each course is on learning by doing and consequently class sizes in laboratories are kept small. In courses with a field component, class size is held to 14 students. This low number allows each student to view the material presented by the faculty member in the field, ask questions, and actually handle and study organisms directly.