Majors and Minors (<<Back to Majors and Minors list)

Biology
Major only

Biology is the study of life and living organisms. Students study life on a broad scale; from the molecular level to entire ecosystems. Biology emphasizes the relationship of structure to function in biological systems, how anatomical, cellular, and molecular structures are related to biological functions of development, regulation, movement, growth, and reproduction. Because the discipline itself is so broad, it is necessary for student to study overlapping fields such as mathematics and chemistry.

Highlights of the Hopkins Program
The Biology Department at Hopkins is the nation’s first, established in 1876, the same year the university was founded. The department emphasizes molecular and cellular biology and offers some of the most advanced laboratories and equipment in the world, including electron and confocal microscopes, nuclear magnetic res­onance, x-ray crystallography, microcalorimetry, etc. Major areas of study include biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, cell biology, developmental biology, immunobiology, and neurobiol­ogy. In addition to the B.A. in biology, Hopkins offers a B.S. in molecular and cellular biology, as well as a combined B.A./M.S. program.

Departmental Homepage
Direct access to the department’s undergraduate information and their own description of their programs.
http://www.bio.jhu.edu/Undergrad/Default.html

Scheduling

Sample First Semester Schedule

  • General Biology I, 020.151
  • Introductory Chemistry I, 030.101
  • General Chemistry Lab I, 030.105
  • Calculus I, 110.106
  • Elective H or S course to begin fulfilling distribution
  • Total 12-16 credits

Major Checklist
A checklist which can be used for exploring the requirements of a potential major and monitoring your own degree progress.

Major (BA): http://www.jhu.edu/advising/images/checklists_pdf/BiologyMajor.doc

Career Exploration

Skill Set
The “real world” skills you’ll develop with a major in Biology:

  • Operating scientific equipment
  • Applying biological theories
  • Designing experiments and recording results
  • Applying scientific concepts to problems
  • Reasoning logically to evaluate the effects of phenomena
  • Attention to detail
  • Reporting results and conclusions orally and in writing

Career Center
What have alumni done with their major in Biology?
http://www.jhu.edu/~careers/explore/majors/biology.html

More information about career possibilities with a major in Biology:
http://www.jhu.edu/~careers/explore/sheets/biological.pdf
Looking for information about majors, careers, and finding jobs and internships? Visit the Career Center’s website:
http://www.jhu.edu/~careers/


Last modified: September 5, 2008