Vision
The Department of Biological Sciences will be a leader in the state of North Dakota and beyond for biology research and education, providing faculty, students, and staff with a state-of-the-art environment where we welcome diversity in all forms and promote innovation and well-being of our community.
Mission
The Department of Biological Sciences integrates exceptional biological research and diverse learning opportunities to provide everyone with the knowledge and skills to succeed in a changing world.
Curriculum
Students in our department are actively engaged in their learning through active learning techniques, collaboration, inquiry, and other innovative and proven methods of pedagogy. Our student-centered classrooms are focused on obtaining complex levels of scientific understanding, and on developing critical thinking skills. With nearly 500 undergraduate majors, our department is fortunate to have many Undergraduate Learning Assistants and Graduate Teaching Assistants to assist students and instructors in obtaining these goals.
Undergraduate Biology majors in our department can choose among several degree emphases, including Biomedical Sciences, Ecology and Conservation Science, and Environmental Science. Graduate students can obtain M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Biology. In addition, five interdepartmental graduate programs are offered: Cell and Molecular Biology, Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Natural Resource Management, Genomics and Bioinformatics, and STEM Education.
Faculty
The Department of Biological Sciences at NDSU is home to 22 faculty members and more than 40 graduate students who are involved in scientific research that crosses all levels of biological organization. Top scientists from around the world have joined our team and competitively obtain funding to find answers to biological questions in molecular and cellular biology, evolution, population biology, and ecology.
Our department is also home to STEM education researchers. Studying how students learn science, these faculty have driven research-based change in teaching methods that have resulted in increased student success in our department and across campus.
Research
Our department offers many opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in authentic research.
NDSU is classified by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education as a Doctoral University – high research activity and has been listed in the top 100 public research universities in the United States. The Department of Biological Sciences is proud and energized to be a part of this achievement.