Undergraduate Advisment

Biology

Urban Ecology

Pre-medical Studies

Be a part of the Department of Biology at Hofstra! We have redesigned our entire curriculum to provide new opportunities for both majors (BA and BS programs) and minors. Our programs incorporate interactive learning strategies and are designed to provide a broad exposure to biology. We have rigorous and up-to-date courses to prepare you for the changing world that you will experience after graduation, regardless of whether you plan to go to medical school, graduate school, start working right away—or whatever. Our faculty care about students and about being good teachers. We offer a variety of “real research” opportunities for juniors and seniors in disciplines as diverse as terrapin conservation, bacterial differentiation, molecular biology, functional morphology, and plant cell physiology, to name a few. Interested? Come and talk to a biology faculty member; we will be glad to help you find out how a biology degree will benefit you.

Department of Biology

The Department of Biology currently has fifteen full-time faculty members with teaching and research expertise in a broad range of biological sub-disciplines.  Please visit our web page (www.hofstra.edu/Biology) to learn more about each professor's specific interests.  The web site also has information on biology student clubs and honor societies, Long Island Natural History and other useful information.  All biology offices and labs are located in Gittleson Hall. We have programs for undergraduates and master's degree students.  Undergraduates may choose between the B.A. degree (with a few more courses in the humanities and social sciences) or the B.S. degree (with a few more biology courses).  All B.S. students complete an independent research project in one of the faculty member's laboratories.  B.A. students can complete an independent research project as part of their Biology elective credits.  Competitive Summer Fellowships are available to allow qualified students to work all summer on their research projects and get paid!  Past graduates from our programs have gone on to a variety of professional schools (medical, veterinary, dental, law), graduate schools in biology-related disciplines, education and others, and entered the work force directly by working in academic laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, biotech companies, not-for-profit agencies, government laboratories and field sites etc.

A good way to meet students with similar interests is by joining The Biology Club, APHOS (Association of Professional Health-Oriented Students), Alpha Epsilon Delta (premedical honor society) and/or Beta Beta Beta (biology honor society). 

Advisement

Information regarding the undergraduate programs and courses in biology can be found in the Hofstra Bulletin under "Biology."  The Bulletin information is available on-line by clicking on "Catalogue" from the Hofstra University home page (www.hofstra.edu).  Each student is governed by the Bulletin with the same date as the student's first semester at Hofstra.

All undergraduate majors in the Biology Department (whether Biology, Urban Ecology, or Pre-Medical Studies) must declare a major (and whether they are in the BA or BS program) by filling out a form for the Office of Financial and Academic Records and by completing another form for the Department of Biology.  Potential majors must speak with an advisor from the Biology Department about the programs available in our department.  After student and advisor discuss the program options, the advisor will sign the departmental “Change of Major” form.  Bring both the departmental and the university forms to the biology chairperson's office (Room 130 Gittleson Hall). Biology majors must be properly assigned in the University computer system so that the degree audit report (DAR) lists the degree requirements correctly.  The departmental form may be obtained from the departmental secretary, Rochelle Williams, in Room 130, Gittleson Hall.

Sophomores who still do not have an adviser in the Department of Biology should see the departmental secretary in Room 130, Gittleson Hall immediately to be assigned an adviser for biology.  Students may request that a specific faculty member be their adviser.  Faculty office hours are posted in the corridor of Room 130 Gittleson Hall and on the web.  Please note that Faculty office hours change each semester.

The University has an open registration format that allows students to register for courses without written approval by an advisor.  However, we strongly recommend that all majors in the Biology Department visit regularly with their biology adviser to discuss appropriate course sequences and future career plans.   If you are planning to minor in biology, see a biology adviser to determine what courses are most appropriate for your specific interests.   Advisement should not be thought of as just a prelude to course registration.  Advisors can help students with a wide array of issues. 

Departmental Honors

We encourage students with high GPAs and an interest in research to attempt to graduate with departmental honors. Graduation with Honors in Biology, Urban Ecology or Pre-Medical Studies requires a minimum GPA of 3.5 in biology; a cumulative GPA of at least 3.4; completion of no fewer than 60 credits in residence at Hofstra, including at least 15 credits in biology and completion of an undergraduate research project or internship and thesis or essay (BIO 90 or 93 and either 91 or 92 or 94 or 95).  Please see your biology department advisor about undergraduate research. BIO 90 or 93 must be started no later than the first semester of the senior year.

Pre-health Advisement (Office of University Advisement)

The Office of University Advisement provides academic support services for those students interested in the health professions (medical, dental, etc.) as well as the allied health professions.  Such services include selecting an appropriate major, exploring career options, providing information on various schools, assisting in the preparation of applications, and conducting special seminars of particular interest to prehealth profession students.  Students are encouraged to make use of these services early and regularly as they progress through their academic programs.

All students interested in pre-health advisement should open personal files in the University Advisement Office by completing the appropriate forms.  The pre-health file will eventually include faculty recommendations (and personal recommendations if desired), health profession admission test scores (MCAT, DAT, OAT), and a résumé.   Students will be required to submit five letters of recommendation from faculty members -- three from science faculty and two from non-science faculty.  It is highly recommended that students build strong rapport with faculty, especially in the sciences.   Students interested in health-related graduate professional degrees should maintain at least a 3.2 GPA.

As part of the application to schools in the health professions, student candidates meet with the Premedical Advisory Committee, consisting of departmental representatives from the sciences and the pre-health adviser.  The committee interviews each candidate, assesses the candidate's credentials, and makes an appropriate recommendation. This recommendation becomes the final component of the student's prehealth file, which is then submitted to the schools designated by the student.

What will you do after you graduate?

If you have questions, please feel free to talk to your professors or advisors about the options that are available.  If you think that you would like to stay in school, but are not quite sure what to do or where to go, consider staying at Hofstra for a master's degree in the Department of Biology.  We offer M.A. or M.S. programs, with degrees in Biology (with concentrations in Organismal/Ecology/Conservation and Cell/Genetics/Molecular Biology) or Urban Ecology.

If you would like more information on the graduate programs, please see Dr. Maureen Krause, Director of Graduate Programs for the Department of Biology or visit the grad pages on our web site (www.hofstra.edu/Biology).

Suggested Courses for the B.A. in Biology

Suggested Courses for the B.S. in Biology

Suggested Courses for the B.A. in Urban Ecology

Suggested Courses for the B.S. in Urban Ecology

Suggested Courses for the B.S. in Pre-Medical Studies