Biological Sciences

Associate Professor of Botany Page Owen assists Patricia Zerra '03 with the transmission electron microscope in New London Hall.

The departments of botany and biology coordinate their efforts in order to provide a strong, well-balanced biology program. Programs in the biological sciences are available in six areas:

The botany major requires a core of courses that provides a strong foundation in biology. Beyond this core, electives allow students to focus their major on basic aspects of field or laboratory botany, or on the use of plants in landscape design.

While the college recently revised its curriculum and no longer offers a zoology major, the new biology major, which requires a core of courses covering the organismal, cell/molecular, genetic and ecological levels, is designed to give students flexibility in developing their major to meet their interests. Students may choose an emphasis in cell/molecular, ecology/organismal, or general biology.

Connecticut College students use a cork dust gauge to measure the height of the last tide.

The neuroscience/psychobiology major is an interdisciplinary major that fills the needs of students interested in the biological basis of behavior. It guides students toward the investigation of the physiological, genetic, structural, developmental and evolutionary foundations of human and non-human animal behavior using the techniques of several sub-disciplines of psychology and biology.

Students interested in marine biology may design a program within one of the life sciences majors that utilizes the expertise of faculty with research interests in marine systems and marine biology. Courses in organic and analytical chemistry, physics and calculus round out the marine biology program. Students often pursue a semester off campus in a marine program or field station.