Biology
Two Degree Options to Help You Prepare for the Career Path You Have Planned For, Or Even the One You Haven’t
With two degree options, you’ll receive an unparalleled education in biological concepts and critical thinking. With close-mentoring, a dynamic teaching approach, research, and travel opportunities, you’ll be exposed to the enormous scope of our living, breathing natural world.
Catawba College offers two biology majors to suit the career path that interests you most. The Bachelor of Arts degree provides a foundational biologic skillset that, when combined with a required minor or second major, opens unique and less traditional career opportunities that are grounded in biological science, such as pharmaceutical sales, bioethics, and bioinformatics. For example:
BA in Biology + minor in:
Writing = Science Writer
Business, Accounting, or Marketing = Pharmaceutical Sales
Information Systems = Bioinformatics
Political Science = Science Policy, Law
Studio Art = Science Illustration
Secondary Education = Science Teacher
On the other hand, the Bachelor of Science degree provides a science-intensive education in biology that centers on the most current and important facets of the discipline, exemplifies the practice of science, and provides the coursework needed for admission into graduate school or medical school and for careers in research, medical, or industrial laboratories.
Program Highlights
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Research Experiences
Students majoring in Biology have the opportunity to pursue individualized research projects. With a faculty mentor, students will develop a research question, design a project, gather and analyze data, and present their results. These experiences prepare students for rigorous careers in all areas of biology.
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Job Readiness
Prepare for immediate employment in the biological sciences, Health Professional Programs (Medical, P.A, Pharmacy, Veterinary, and Dental School) and for graduate schools in all areas related to Biology.
Biology at Catawba
Learn about the Biology, Chemistry, and Biochemistry programs at Catawba College.
Program Details
Emily Auwarter '16 Biochemistry GraduateMy integrative education at Catawba through the science department was undeniably the sole reason I am where I am today. The faculty and staff of the science department are excellent mentors both in and out of the classroom.
Pre-Health Club
If a career in Health Services is part of your long-range plan and part of the reason you choose to pursue a Biology degree, join the Catawba Pre-Health Club. It would align you with like-minded students serious about achieving academic success as an undergraduate to prepare for the next steps in their professional futures.
Study Abroad and at Home
Study Abroad and at Home
We offer an international marine science SCUBA certification and travel class to the Caribbean island of Bonaire and multi-night trips to biodiversity hotspots along the North Carolina coast and in the mountains. Catawba College is a member institution of the Highlands Biological Station (HBS)in Highlands, NC. Our students can even take advantage of summer field courses and workshops at HBS with discounts on tuition and housing costs.
Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate Research
Working hand in hand with inspiring Biology faculty who study and publish in diverse fields, all Biology majors have the opportunity to participate in undergraduate research. You can explore drug interactions with malaria parasites, distribution and mating behaviors of rare song birds, climate change and coral decline, environmental toxicology and mercury in aquatic systems, complexity of cytoplasmic streaming, and fire ecology and the discovery of new cryptic plant species using molecular techniques.
Research Results
Each year our Biology students win research funding, win research awards and present at biological conferences such as the Association of Southeastern Biologists Meeting, North Carolina Academy of Sciences Meeting, and the State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Research Symposium. Biology program students and graduates have also recently published peer-reviewed scientific journal articles in the journals “Frontiers in Pharmacology,” “Food and Chemical Toxicology,” and “Southeastern Naturalist.”
Next-Generation Resources
The Graham Genomics Lab allows students to engage in vital research, gaining broad and deep knowledge in a particular field, enabling them to put that knowledge to work for the common good. It features next-generation sequencing platforms from leading technology providers, including Illumina® and Pacific Biosystems. Catawba students acquire hands-on skills as they conduct research projects and work with innovative sequencing equipment, participating in multi-disciplinary, multi-platform research from concept through to data delivery and interpretation.
Net Price Calculator
Net Price Calculator
We know that a college education is one of the most important investments a student will make in their lifetime.
Catawba College's Net Price Calculator is a tool used to provide students with an estimate of the financial aid they might qualify for prior to receiving their official Financial Aid Award.
Outcomes
Outcomes
Careers - Our Biology majors are well-prepared for the competitive marketplace to pursue meaningful vocations such as these:
• Biological Technician
• Emergency Medical Technician
• Physician’s Assistant
• Microbiologist
• Biologist with the Department of Natural Resources
• Physician
• Plasma Scientist
• Medical Scribe
• Veterinarian
Graduate Schools - Catawba Biology graduates are competitive regardless of the institution they choose for their post-baccalaureate work and have successfully completed programs of study at these prestigious institutions:
• Auburn University
• Clemson University
• East Carolina University – Brody School of Medicine
• Marshall University
• N.C. State University College of Veterinary Medicine
• University of Pennsylvania
Catawba College’s Center for the Environment will host a presentation on “The Challenges of 21st Century Lion Conservation: Facing the Future” on Wednesday, November 13th, at 6:30 pm in Room 302. Packer’s presentation is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. To register, go to catawba.edu/craigpacker or call 704.637.4791.
Recently, students in the Vertebrate Ecology class camped for two nights in Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in Virginia to learn about salamander ecology.
Throughout the 2023-2024 academic year, Catawba College students and their faculty mentors in the Natural Sciences had 43 oral and poster presentations by 34 undergraduate researchers, highlighted within five off-campus conferences, mentored by 11 professors within the Natural Sciences.
