Biology Concentrations

The Department of Biological Sciences provides programs for both biology majors and non-majors.  For its majors, the department offers six different concentrations, briefly described below. These concentrations provide a core program consisting of six to seven lecture/laboratory courses. Beyond the core program, the concentrations allow the students to have a moderate degree of specialization in any one of several areas. It also provides a number of opportunities for learning outside the classroom, including a program of seminars, internships and opportunities for research with, or under the direction of, a member of the faculty. 
 
Typically students enter the program under the General Concentration, and choose their concentration of interest after they have completed the first year of General Biology. The General concentration is also available to all Biology majors who want an overall degree in Biology without a specific concentration, or students who started off in a different concentration and changed their mind about whether they want to continue in it. The General Concentration can also provide a means by which students can select electives in their own area of interest.

Students who intend to enter medicine or a wide range of other health-related professions such as dentistry, veterinary medicine, physical therapy, pharmacy, or optometry may find it most appropriate to select the Pre-Health Concentration. The Pre-health science curriculum includes core classes that will prepare students for application to health profession training after graduation from DePaul. It will also expose students to the breadth of fields within biology while allowing them to select from courses with a human biology focus. In addition, the department is working with other science departments at DePaul to provide health advising, and has a specialized pre-medical advisor.

The Neuroscience concentration at DePaul will provide students majoring in either Biology or Psychology the opportunity to design a curriculum that will prepare them for a career or future study in Neuroscience. In addition to a core curriculum within the major, the concentration will also provide recommendations for courses within the LA&S learning domains that relate to Neuroscience.    

For students more interested in the fields of ecology or evolution, the department has a designated Ecology-Evolution concentration, allowing a degree of specialization in these disciplines, building on the first year sequence. Courses focus on understanding the relationships between organisms and the natural environment as well as how those relationships change or have changed over time. This concentration is appropriate for students with an interest in ecology, evolution, animal behavior, developmental biology, paleontology or organismal biology.

The Cell and Molecular Biology concentration curriculum is designed for those students who wish to focus on the structure and function of living organisms at the cellular and molecular level. It is designed to expose biology students to recent advances in the field of Cell and Molecular Biology and acquire relevant technical skills in the field.

Students interested in the more technological side of modern biosciences can follow the Biotechnology concentration. This concentration allows students to pursue a more focused course of study in those areas most relevant to Biotechnology. Students in the Biotechnology option take a core course in Principles of Biotechnology, as well as courses in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, and Immunobiology.  This concentration may be particularly suited for students whose interests include areas such as microbiology, bioethics, agriculture, environmental biology, forensic sciences, health, and medical research.

In addition, the School of Education offers a program that prepares students for a career in teaching biology at the secondary school level that culminates in certification by the State of Illinois.  The Department of Biological Sciences also works with the School of Education to offer courses as part of a Master of Science in Science Education (MSSE).  The MSSE program helps practicing teachers to gain experience and endorsement in areas of science.

The Department of Biological Sciences also administers a Clinical Laboratory Sciences (Medical Technology) concentration within the Allied Health Technology program similar to the Standard Biological Sciences concentration. The department provides specialized academic advising for students in this program. Upon completing the requirements for the baccalaureate, the student enrolls in a hospital associated with DePaul for a year of specialized study.  This program is available as a concentration through the Allied Health Technologies program. The department also administers concentrations in Nuclear Medicine Technology and Radiation Therapy through the Allied Health Technologies program. These two concentrations are offered as 3+1 programs in which the student spends three years at DePaul and one year at an internship at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.  
 
Additionally, the department provides courses for the life science components of non-biology majors (e.g. nursing, physical education, chemistry, environmental science, psychology) as well as prerequisite courses for those who intend to later apply for entrance elsewhere into specialized programs such as Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy, and Dentistry. The Department of Biological Sciences provides those students with both academic and career counseling during their years at DePaul University.