Biology

Biology is the study of life, from the smallest of single cell organisms to the rich complexity of the human being. How does life begin and evolve? How do organisms adapt to the environment and interact with one another? These are the questions biologists explore in classrooms, research laboratories and in the natural world.

About the Biology Major

In Carroll University’s biology program, you’ll explore and come to understand the most basic, pressing issues of life, using the tools of the scientist. Through research and hands-on work which begin in your first year, you’ll study the living world—from small, single-celled organisms, to humans, to elephants (you may end up conducting your own research study at the Milwaukee County Zoo).

You’ll gain the knowledge you’ll need to work in a research lab or for graduate school, which will allow you to pursue a career in health sciences. And you’ll have the opportunity to conduct real science. Using the scientific method, you’ll plan and conduct experiments and learn to interpret the results. You’ll gain problem solving, time management and critical thinking skills and be prepared for a wide range of career and post-graduate educational options. We also provide strong support for students focused on a particular career, helping you shape your own education. And the major pairs easily with numerous other disciplines at Carroll, meaning you can obtain a double major and still graduate in four years.

Our program has had excellent success obtaining grant funding for student research, and many students go on to present their research at regional or national meetings of professional organizations. You’ll have opportunities to work with state-of-the art research and analytical equipment at our campus facilities. And you may even get your feet wet in the marsh and springs of the off-campus Prairie Springs Environmental Education Center. You’ll benefit from and work alongside professional faculty who routinely engage in their own research projects.

Become a Science Teacher

Majoring in biology and secondary education readies you for a career teaching biology at the middle and high school level. Pairing this major with a secondary education major will expand your teaching horizons as you complete the requirements for a science license.

You’ll study microbiology, learning about the structure and function of living things at the molecular level, as well as genetics and cellular biology. Next, you'll move on to study comparative vertebrate zoology, where you’ll explore the evolution and diversity of structure and function in vertebrate systems.

Finally, your coursework will examine organismal physiology and the biological adaptations plants and animals undergo to cope with their environments. You can also select from additional courses such as human physiology, cell biology, aquatic biology or conversation biology.

While not required, biology majors may choose to specialize their study through one of the following emphases. In addition to the major, Carroll offers a minor in biology that complements many areas of study.

• Carroll University Catalog | Biology Minor
• Pre-podiatry Emphasis

• Carroll University Catalog | Biology Major
• Become a Teacher
• Academic Support Services
• Pioneer Core | General Education Requirements
• Beta Beta Beta | Student Biology Club
• Celebrate Carroll
• Greene Field Station
• Pioneers Scholars Program
• Prairie Springs Environmental Education Center