Biology

The study of biology reveals the universal principles governing the phenomenon of life. Our program enables students to know what a modern biologist is, to understand how biologists think, to see how discoveries are made, and to apply the scientific process to everyday experience.

To meet these objectives the Biology Department provides a broad base of knowledge of the principles of molecular, cellular, genetic, physiological, morphological, and ecological studies; an environment that provides independent development and habits of life-long scholarship; and a program that enables the individual student to carry out independent biological research.

At Muskingum College the study of biology prepares students for graduate work in biology at a university or medical school, to teach biology, and to fulfill requirements for entrance into schools of medicine, dentistry, nursing, medical technology, and physical therapy.

The Biology Department occupies 12,500 square feet in the Boyd Science Center. The space includes five teaching labs, a greenhouse, five controlled environment rooms, twelve double occupancy student research laboratories, a photographic darkroom, animal rooms for cold-blooded and warm-blooded animals, a seminar room, and a classroom.

In addition, the Biology Department operates the McAllister Biological Station, a fifty-seven acre field station that provides a diversified outdoor laboratory for both short term and long term ecological, floristic and systematic studies.

The Biology Department contributes to four interdisciplinary majors: Environmental Science, Conservation Science, Neuroscience & Molecular Biology.

Mission

The Biology Department Faculty exists in a liberal arts college environment with the overriding purpose to develop students intellectually, spiritually, socially, and physically.

The Biology Department Faculty Encourages the Following:

• Students destined for professional or graduate schools requiring a Biology Major. These include pre-graduate, pre-medical, pre-dental, pre-veterinarian, and pre-physical therapy students and future Biology teachers.
• Liberal arts students who are majoring in other disciplines and yet have an interest in Biology.
• Participation in interdisciplinary studies in Neuroscience, Environmental Science, Conservation Biology and Molecular Biology, each of which has a significant Biological component.
• Faculty advising with nurturing and caring for individual students.
• Involvement in summer internship opportunities and/or research with faculty members in our department.
• Faculty development, renewal, and research. Life-long Faculty scholarship is important as it is a model for the student's future life-long learning.

 Program Learning Goals

• Students will understand the universal principles governing the phenomenon of life.
• Students will know what a modern biologist is, understand how biologists think, see how discoveries are made, and apply the scientific process to their everyday lives.
• Students will engage in a broad based knowledge of the principles of cellular, molecular, genetic, physiological, morphological, and ecological studies.
• Students will develop a sensitivity to the role of critical and creative thinking as it operates in the scientific process.
• To integrate a sense of ethical thinking and behavior in the student's professional and personal life.
• To engage the liberal arts students in their development of scientific literacy and to develop an understanding of the scientific process as a way of thinking that can be applied not only to science but to their everyday life.