Biology

Faculty actively conducting research with students, updated facilities and equipment, five local nature preserves and excellent teaching with small class sizes will all prepare you for future careers in medicine, research biology and many emerging biological fields.

Biology majors at Ashland University have lots of options and opportunities. If you wish, you can focus your program in a very specific direction by adding a Forensic Biology or Biotechnology concentration to your Biology major.

Whatever your choice, you will be taught by an extraordinary group of professors who are outstanding teachers as well as respected scholars in their fields. All engage in research and mentor students in this process. If you are interested in a medical career, graduate study or a future in research biology, forensic biology or any of a number of emerging biological fields, Ashland University offers the background you need to confidently take the next step toward your bright future.

What You’ll Love About the Biology Program:

• Access to unique facilities, like four laboratories dedicated to collaborative research between students and faculty, a human cadaver anatomy lab, a greenhouse and facility for housing research animals, five local environmental preserves and modern science instrumentation.
• We offer a strong pre-professional program with an excellent track record of our graduates being accepted into highly competitive medical, physician assistant, dental, physical therapy, pharmacy and veterinary medicine programs. Since 2004 over 90 percent of Biology majors who applied to health professional schools were admitted within one year of graduation.
• You will have opportunities to carry out research at the undergraduate level, working closely in a mentoring relationship with faculty. These research projects often lead to presentations at regional and national science conferences and give you an edge when applying to bioscience jobs, graduate school and professional programs like medical school.
• We have over 20 years of experience teaching Forensic Biology, the only undergraduate Toxicology major in the country offered by a small college, and a strong track record of preparing students for diverse and growing careers in biology. The Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that job openings in the biosciences will grow by 21% between 2008 and 2018.
• Our faculty/student research projects have been supported by over $700,000 in federal funding since 1997.

 Professors Who Are Outstanding Teachers

• Professors enjoy mentoring students in the classroom and in research as well as in the advising process.
• Each of our faculty is a recognized scholar in his or her research discipline.
• Faculty often publish research with students as co-authors, which is an example of the many one-on-one opportunities between faculty and students.
• The professors in the biology department all hold Ph.D.s and are excellent classroom and lab instructors.
• The chair of the biology department was honored with the Ashland University Taylor Excellence in Teaching Award, and four Biology professors have won University Academic Mentor Awards.