Zoology Fact Sheet

Many of the major challenges that confront humankind in the 21st century center around issues with which zoologists are trained to deal. Society seeks cures for cancer and other diseases. We struggle over the moral and biological implications of genetic engineering, test-tube babies and cloning. We seek answers to environmental problems, the conservation of natural resources, energy shortages, population growth and famine.

Background Information

Zoology majors gain a sound education which helps them to better understand and face these issues. Many continue their education in graduate or professional schools. They become some of the physicians, researchers, educators, resource managers and policy makers who help shape the future.

Zoology, the study of animals, is a diverse field with specialties that range from cells (cytologists, molecular biologists, geneticists), to organisms (anatomists, physiologists, entomologists, mammalogists, ornithologists), to populations and their relation to each other and to their environment (ethologists, ecologists).

The Program

Zoology students receive training not only in their major but in mathematics, the physical and social sciences and the humanities. The zoology curriculum introduces students to a broad spectrum of studies while allowing individual interests to be explored. Upper-division majors may focus their interests in a particular area by pursuing individual study or research with a faculty member.

Students may choose to follow a general zoology course sequence or select from two other curriculum options: (1) pre- professional, for those who plan to enter medical, dental or optometry school; and (2) fisheries and wildlife.

Minimum requirements for the zoology major include 42 credits of biological sciences (there are core courses in zoology which are common to the general course sequence and to both options); 22-36 credit hours in chemistry, physics, mathematics and statistics; 18 credit hours in humanities and social sciences; six credit hours in English; three credit hours in speech; and two credit hours in wellness.

Co-Curricular Activities

Many departmental activities are available including student-run Pre-Med and Wildlife Clubs which sponsor speakers, field trips and other activities, and an annual Awards Day, which gives recognition to outstanding undergraduates.

Faculty and Facilities

The Department of Biological Sciences is located in Stevens Hall, which was dedicated in 1968 in honor of the late Dr. Orin A. Stevens, a renowned North Dakota State University naturalist. Stevens Hall houses a large lecture auditorium, classrooms, teaching and research laboratories and specialized facilities such as animal research rooms, an aquarium room, a reptile room and a vertebrate museum. Faculty members teach and advise students. In addition, they conduct research on such topics as Philippine eagles; growth and development of fruit flies; lakes and wetlands; control of growth, development and metabolism of trout; vertebrate pest management; behavior of grebes; conservation genetics of fishes; fish ecology; and coot reproductive biology.

Career Opportunities

Most career opportunities require advanced training beyond the four-year baccalaureate degree. Graduates are employed in a variety of health-related occupations, including doctors, dentists, optometrists and chiropractors; in state and federal agencies; in private industry; and at universities as teachers and research scientists. Some specialize in resource management and are employed as fisheries and wildlife biologists, game managers and conservation officers. Others find jobs in museums, zoos and in national and state parks.

Preparation

The zoologist must have a sound background in physics, chemistry and mathematics. Students entering the zoology program are urged to take four units of mathematics and four units of science in high school. At NDSU, pre-professional training in medical and health-related sciences requires a thorough background in basic science. In general, most professional and graduate schools require a full year of organic chemistry, physics and zoology through comparative anatomy. Completion of a bachelor's degree is recommended. Students should earn a B average or above for admission to graduate and professional schools.

Contact Information

Dr. William J. Bleier, Chair
Department of Zoology
North Dakota State University
Stevens Hall 218
Fargo, ND 58105

Tel: (701) 231-7087
Fax: (701) 231-7149
Email:William.Bleier@ndsu.edu
Web: http://biology.ndsu.nodak.edu/



Office of Admission

North Dakota State University
124 Ceres Hall
Fargo, ND 58105

Tel: (701) 231-8643
Fax: (701) 231-8802
Email: NDSU.Admission@ndsu.edu
Web: http://www.ndsu.edu/prospective/students/

(6/07)