Biology at Houghton
Biology is one of the largest academic departments at Houghton,
with more than 100 students pursuing either a
bachelor of arts (B.A.) or a
bachelor of science (B.S.) with a biology major. They will
seek careers in a variety of fields—medicine and the
health-related professions, basic research in biology,
veterinary science, teaching at the secondary or college level,
research and analysis of the environment and more.
The B.A. in biology is designed specifically for students intending to teach science at the high school level. It consists of 41-42 credit hours of coursework: eight hours of General Biology, 26 hours of major-level biology courses, and eight hours of chemistry. The B.S. in biology is designed for students aiming at graduate or professional schools (including medical school). It consists of 62 hours of coursework, including eight hours of General Biology, 26 hours of major-level biology courses, and 28 hours of chemistry, physics, and math.
The biology faculty includes five faculty members with doctorates in their fields. Their areas of specialization include molecular biology, cell biology, ecology, botany, behavioral ecology, immunology, microbiology, and biological oceanography.
Facilities include four large laboratories equipped with Internet access; two faculty/student collaborative research labs; an animal room, 1000-square-foot greenhouse; a student office for students pursuing collaborative research; and a departmental library/study room.
Students have the opportunity to pursue research projects such as independent studies or honors work using equipment ranging from growth chambers for plants and amphibians, an Olympus CKX41 inverted microscope, a fluorescence microscope, a real-time thermal cycler for quantifying gene expression, a gel documentation system for immunoblotting and agarose gel electrophoresis, a Seal AQ2 multichannel water chemistry analyzer, animal telemetry equipment for collaring and tracking of small mammals, small mammal live traps, two GPS units for field tracking and analysis, limnology equipment for aquatic biology.
Students intending to major in biology begin their first year with a two-semester sequence of General Biology, which includes a broad survey of cell biology, biochemistry, human anatomy and physiology, animal taxonomy, genetics and molecular biology, origin of species, botany and ecology. After their first year, students plan their academic schedules with their advisors, who are assigned on the basis of specialization. All biology majors are required to take a year of Chemistry, and B.S. students must take two semesters of Organic Chemistry, two semesters of Physics, and a semester of Calculus. All biology majors are required to take Genetics, and Senior Seminar.
