Department of Biology

Welcome!

The Department of Biology is the hub for fundamental biological sciences at UMD. We are committed to furthering study of our natural world and have a strong collaborative network to support our students in a wide range of fields, from conservation to biomedical sciences.

Our mission includes undergraduate education, research, graduate education, and service. With research, we specialize in ecology and cell and molecular biology. These emphases serve as major themes integrating our undergraduate, graduate, and research programs.

Our department is one of eleven departments within Swenson College of Science and Engineering. Among the largest of UMD's programs, we serve more than 700 different majors in addition to providing a liberal arts experience for many undergraduates across campus.

We offer

Biology B.S. degree

Biology B.A. degree

Biology Minor

We also provide support for many pre-professional programs.

Focused on Research

The Department of Biology is housed in one of the newest buildings on the UMD campus and features state-of-the-art labs for conducting research. Students interested in research can get involved as early as their freshman year, working one-on-one with faculty members and graduate students. The goals of our instructional and research programs are:

  • To provide an active and hands-on learning experience.
  • To reinforce, through experimentation, the theories and principles learned in traditional lectures.
  • To develop basic and analytical skills in preparation for professional and graduate level application.
  • To advance the frontiers of knowledge through innovation and research.

Community Collaboration

The Department of Biology interacts with other academic departments and many other agencies, for example:

These relationships range from teaching classes in other departments and serving on graduate committees to joint research ventures.