The Department of Biological Sciences offers two main avenues for undergraduate training:
1) Traditional four-year degrees. This is the usual path for students majoring in Biology. It offers comprehensive training in biological subjects as part of a broad liberal arts education. It provides all of the academic coursework necessary for admission into post-graduate programs in healthcare (medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary science), education, or biological research (Masters or PhD). Within our major we offer several specific programs. Click on the links to learn more:
• Biology Major, Standard: This is the standard major for students whose career interests lie within the biological disciplines. Students have the greatest freedom to choose upper-level areas of study matching their own interests and career goals.
• Biology Major, Concentration in Biotechnology: The biotechnology concentration provides majors with an in-depth understanding of the molecular interactions that occur within and between cells.
• Teacher of Biology, Secondary Level: In cooperation with the School of Education, the department offers a concentration which combines most of the requirements for a major in biology with certification for teaching biology at the middle and high school levels.
2) Targeted health professional programs. This path is for those who seek accelerated training towards a healthcare career immediately after college. Upon completion of a program almost identical to the standard Biology major, the student applies to a one-year internship at a medical center or hospital associated with DePaul University. This internship can lead to certification in the the fields of Clinical Lab Science, Nuclear Medicine, or Radiation Therapy. Click on each link for more information:
• Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS): Clinical lab science professionals, also called medical laboratorians, provide laboratory information from biological samples to assist physicians in disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment. They help detect cancer, heart attacks, diabetes, infectious disease, poisons, and drugs of abuse.
• Nuclear Medicine (NM) : Nuclear medicine is a branch of health care that uses radioactivity in some form to scan, diagnose or treat the human body. Nuclear medical technologists administer and track radiopharmaceuticals in the body, producing high-quality images for a physician to interpret.
• Radiation Therapy (RT): Radiation therapy involves treating disease, primarily cancerous tumors, with high-energy X-rays. Radiation therapists are responsible for accurately recording, interpreting and administering the treatment prescribed by radiation oncologists, using advanced imaging techniques to localize treatment.
