Biology is the study of the structure and function of organisms and their relationships with the biological and physical world. Students must integrate biological knowledge with other sciences such as physics and chemistry.

Employment opportunities for biological sciences are expected to increase as fast or faster than the overall job market, especially in the biological technology fields. Examples of biological technologies include genetics, biochemistry, microbiology, and cell and molecular biology, which are utilized by agricultural, pharmaceutical and medical industries. Much faster-than-average employment growth is anticipated in the health-related professions.

Limited career opportunities exist for those with an associate's or bachelor's degree. Opportunities increase along with salary levels with professional and advanced degrees.

The College of DuPage Biology/Botany/Zoology program offers general interest courses in addition to classes for biological sciences. The study of biology can be personally enriching and useful in understanding such complex issues as environmental degradation, energy use, health, food production and genetic engineering.

Students interested in optometry will fulfill many of the required general education requirements with an additional focus on mathematics, physics, microbiology and the social sciences. 

Students preparing to go into dentistry, medicine or veterinary medicine take many of the same entry courses. These suggested courses aid students in preparing for medical fields, but successful completion of these courses does not ensure entry into professional schools. Students usually must earn a bachelor's degree in any area of interest before being considered by a professional school. Final acceptance by a professional school is based on analysis of previous college work, special entrance examinations and other criteria.

All pre-professional areas in this program guide require two years of chemistry, one year of physics, and one to two years of biology/zoology. A student's mathematics skills should extend through a minimum of Mathematics 1432, Trigonometry. Students should begin the appropriate course sequences as soon as practical.

The professional fields of dentistry, medicine and veterinary medicine are well known for their social, psychological, economic and essential benefits to both patient and practitioner. Entry into professional schools is very competitive; successful entrants will have superior character and excellent performance in courses and admissions tests.

Students interested in pursuing a degree in Physical Therapy (PT) can prepare by taking general education coursework at College of DuPage. With careful course selection, students can earn an Associate in Science degree while fulfilling many prerequisites for application to a PT degree program. 

Successful completion of these courses will not ensure entry into a program. Admission to PT programs is competitive and prerequisites and other admission requirements vary considerably among schools.

Admission is generally based on some combination of transcript evaluation, admission testing, references, writing samples and interviews. Stated prerequisites and grade point averages are generally only minimum requirements for eligibility. A higher GPA may be needed for selection. Most PT programs require completion of a bachelor's degree and results of graduate school admissions tests for acceptance.

Pharmacy includes professionals who provide a broad spectrum of pharmacy-related patient care services in community settings such as drug stores, hospitals, nursing homes and extended care facilities. Other aspects of pharmacy work include professionals involved in research, industry and education.

Acceptance to a pharmacy program is highly competitive. Students first must complete a two-year program at College of DuPage before applying for admission to a college of pharmacy. The pharmacy programs require an additional three years of study leading to a bachelor's degree in pharmacy or four years resulting in a Pharm.D. degree. The total period of full-time academic work is five to six years.

The Pre-Pharmacy program at College of DuPage concentrates on science and mathematics. Students considering this program should have a demonstrated aptitude for science and mathematics, because entry into colleges of pharmacy is competitive. 

Students interested in pursuing a degree in Physical Therapy (PT) can prepare by taking general education coursework at College of DuPage. With careful course selection, students can earn an Associate in Science  degree while fulfilling many prerequisites for application to a PT degree program.

Successful completion of these courses will not ensure entry into a program. Admission to PT programs is competitive and prerequisites and other admission requirements vary considerably among schools.

Admission is generally based on some combination of transcript evaluation, admission testing, references, writing samples and interviews. Stated prerequisites and grade point averages are generally only minimum requirements for eligibility. A higher GPA may be needed for selection. Some schools offer a 3+3 curricular program where the student takes three years of specific pre-physical therapy coursework, followed by three years of a professional PT program. 

The physician assistant program is a graduate-level program that requires applicants to have earned a bachelor degree. The shadowing of a physician assistant will improve your application. Most physician assistant applicants are nurses, EMT's, medical technologists or other types of health care personnel. 

The Pre-Physician Assistant program focuses on biology and the health sciences. 

The Wildlife Biology and Ecology program focuses on sciences and math. In Wildlife Biology, students should also consider taking zoology courses at COD. 

Academic and Career Pathways give you a roadmap to achieving your career goals. Follow a pathway based on your degree that outlines which classes you need to take and when so you graduate on time or move on to the next phase in your career.

• Biology Program Course Maps
• Pre-Pharmacy Program Course Maps

Students who complete courses in the Biological Sciences will:

Demonstrate ability to read and comprehend biological texts

• Comprehend key biological terms, concepts, and principles.
• Attribute ideas to persons and time periods.

Demonstrate scientific reasoning

• Describe the scientific method and its use in developing the body of biological knowledge.
• Apply the scientific method to design and run an experiment including generating hypothesis, data analysis, and making inferences.

Demonstrate critical thinking

• Evaluate merits and claims of biological issues and develop a logically structured argument that reflects biological facts and evidence.
• Critically analyze and debate biological issues.

Demonstrate information literacy

• Locate and evaluate information and its sources critically.
• Use information effectively, ethically, and with appropriate attribution to accomplish a specific purpose.

Demonstrate an understanding of how biological sciences connect to society

• Analyze personal lifestyle and global issues from a biological perspective and assess the relevance of biology to solving contemporary problems in human society.
• Develop a broad understanding of the place of humans on the planet, and evaluate desirable and undesirable practices of humans.