Our department is large enough to have expertise in most areas of specialization, but small enough to be both welcoming and friendly. Our primary mission is teaching, yet all faculty are deeply involved in research and share their expertise with students. Students can pursue either BA or BS degrees in Biology or Urban Ecology, and graduate students can earn M.A. or M.S. degrees in Biology and in Urban Ecology. Undergraduate students can specialize in an area of study (pre-med, cell/molecular, ecology/conservation, etc.) or obtain a more general education in Biology.
Students can participate in a variety of lecture and laboratory courses in cell biology, genetics, molecular biology, physiology, developmental biology, comparative anatomy, parasitology, microbiology, ecology, evolution, conservation biology, field biology, invertebrate biology, tropical marine biology, marine mammals, and ornithology to name a few.
One specialty of our department is the one-on-one research opportunities with faculty, which are available to qualified undergraduate students. Through independent study courses and summer internships, undergraduate students have the opportunity of joining a research lab and conducting research under the mentorship of a faculty member. For more details, see the section on undergraduate research.
Marine and freshwater biology, ecology, conservation biology, and urban ecology studies are carried out on campus, using in-house facility and also at local research sites around Long Island. In addition we study nearby terrestrial, urban, and rural ecosystems. Students have the opportunity to take courses and conduct research at all these locations.
Premedical and other health science studies are important in the Department of Biology. Students may specialize in Pre-medical studies and join APHOS, an intra-departmental organization run by and for students interested in health related professions. The pre-med advisor in the Biology Department will assist you with course selections, volunteer work and application preparation.
Hofstra in Belize 2013
Students enrolled in traditional courses in marine biology are typically at a disadvantage due to the inability to bring the ocean into the classroom. Videos and fish tanks are no substitute for the real thing! The Hofstra in Belize Program offers 13 days of sun, sea, sand and study! In Belize, students snorkel in parts of the largest barrier coral reef in the Atlantic, which is bustling with invertebrates and fish.
BIO 109A: Coastal Marine Biology (undergraduate) and BIO 204: Advanced Coastal Marine Biology (graduate) are offered in fall semester of 2012 so students must sign up and take the appropriate course during the fall semester of 2012 with the field component in January 2013. The program fee of $3,750 covers round-trip airfare from New York, housing accommodations, meals, boat fees, transfers, tours, etc.
For further information or to obtain an application, please contact either Dr. Jason Williams or Dr. Christopher Sanford.
Congratulations! Sarah Rosenheck, a junior Biology major, has been awarded a Research Grant from the Beta Beta Beta Research Foundation to support her research on "Exploring the function of the transcription factor bigmax in the brain of Drosophila melanogaster" in Dr. DiAngelo's lab in the Biology Department at Hofstra University.
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