Apr 16, 2024  
Course Catalog 2020-2021 
    
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Course Catalog 2020-2021 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Biology

Keith Tarvin, Professor of Biology; Department Chair
Taylor Allen, Associate Professor of Biology
Jane Ellen Bennett, Lecturer in Biology and Laboratory Instructor
Yolanda Paje Cruz, Robert S. Danforth Professor of Biology
Katherine E. Cullen, Lecturer in Biology and Laboratory Instructor
Mary Garvin, Professor of Biology
Mary Gemmel, Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology
Aaron Goldman, Associate Professor of Biology
Marta Laskowski,  Professor of Biology
Roger H. Laushman, Associate Professor of Biology
Michael J. Moore, Professor of Biology
Ruth McDowell, Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology
Maureen A. Peters, Professor of Biology
Angela J. Roles, Associate Professor of Biology
Laura Romberg, Associate Professor of Biology

arrow Visit the department webpage for up-to-date information on department faculty, visiting lecturers and special events.

The biology major at Oberlin has three learning goals. 1) Graduates will have knowledge of key biological concepts and underlying fundamentals and will be able to apply these across all levels of organization. 2) Graduates will have critical thinking and functional skills needed to carry out the scientific process from inception through communication of results. 3) Graduates will have an understanding of the ways in which biology interrelates with other sciences, disciplines, and society.

Many biology majors proceed to study and work in the life sciences, including in fundamental research and in applied fields such as medicine, conservation biology, science writing, and teaching. By a proper selection of biology and other science courses in consultation with a departmental advisor, a student majoring in biology can prepare for graduate study in a wide range of areas such as animal behavior, biochemistry, biophysics, botany, cell biology, ecology, conservation biology, developmental biology, environmental sciences, evolutionary biology, forestry, genetics, genetic counseling, genomics, immunology, marine biology, molecular biology, microbiology, parasitology, physiology, plant biology, public health, systematics, systems biology, translational medicine, virology, and wildlife biology.

arrow See information about Research, Internships, Study Away and Experiential Learning (RISE).

Advanced Placement

Students earning a score of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Biology exam (AP Bio) or a score of 6 or 7 on the International Baccalaureate Biology Higher Level exam may receive credit for one full course, as BIOL 604, applied toward graduation requirements, but not toward the Biology major. 

Entry-Level Course Sequence Suggestions

Students with a strong high school science background find taking introductory Biology and Chemistry courses simultaneously in the first semester both useful and challenging. Other students benefit from taking only one of these courses during their first semester at Oberlin. Prospective Biology majors are urged to consult with a Biology faculty member during advising period to discuss these options.

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Majors and Minors

Courses