Achieve your highest scientific ambition
From our first-semester seminar in which students develop the strategies and relationships to succeed in the major and our sophomore career development course, through our electives and inquiry-based capstone laboratories, Duquesne Biology majors build the skills needed to excel in a broad range of careers. Students are coached through peer and faculty mentoring to develop an individualized success plan, selecting upper-level courses and experiential learning opportunities that best fulfill their interests and bigger goals.
Student-Centered Courses
Our specialized courses provide students with the skills to be successful in the major and to excel in a broad range of careers.
- Biology Major Exploration and Mentoring Experiences (BioMEs): This seminar supports the transition from high school. Students work together to develop skills and identify resources needed to be successful at Duquesne and beyond, as they build a support network within our department through focused peer and faculty mentoring. Topics include the neuroscience of learning, scientific ethics, mental health resources, and the development of skills in time management, problem solving, and effective communication.
- Career Development: This course guides majors as they explore their educational and career goals. Speakers introduce students to a range of career paths and educational opportunities. Students prepare a resume, cover letter, and practice interview skills. The final project is the creation of an Individual Development Plan where students set goals; assess strengths, weaknesses, and personal values; define technical and non-technical skills; and identify opportunities and resources necessary to achieve their goals.
- Pre-Med/Pre-Health Preparation: The B.S. in Biological Sciences curriculum is an excellent preparation for graduate studies in medicine or other healthcare related professions. In addition, students have access to a variety of resources to help them meet their goals in Pre-Med/Pre-Health
Our junior-level capstone experience is an inquiry-based two semester laboratory sequence.
- Capstone 1: Students learn and practice basic research techniques in microbiology and molecular biology while investigating the identity of an unknown bacterial species isolated from an environmental sample.
- Capstone 2: Students design their own experiments to investigate a real-world research question in an advanced topic area of their choosing such as Cell & Molecular Biology, Cell & Systems Physiology, or Microbiology.
Your Path to Medical & Health Professions
The B.S. in Biological Sciences offers a foundation for graduate study in medicine and healthcare, paired with resources to support your Pre-Med/Pre-Health goals.
Real Voices. Real Experiences.
The capstone course teaches you so many laboratory techniques and allows you to pursue a research project that interests you. Joining a laboratory can be hard and time-consuming, but this course allows us to build necessary bench skills and gain experience that helps students excel in the lab.
The Capstone program exposed me to multiple different types of research in two five-credit classes that are part of the biology curriculum. My time in these labs helped me immensely during my time at Columbia as a summer intern.