Biology Honors Program

The honors program is open by departmental permission to all majors in the Department of Biology. Students who, by the end of the first semester of their sophomore year, have a minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA will be invited to apply for the program. The application will include a transcript and a personal statement outlining the student’s academic plan, career goals, and why she or he wants to be considered for the honors program. A department honors committee (makeup to be determined by the department) will select a maximum of 12 students per year for the program.

Students accepted into the program will take BIOL 484  during the first semester of their junior year, two semesters of BIOL 483  , and one 500- or 600-level BIOL course. The honors thesis will be based on research performed under the supervision of a department professor who specializes in the student’s area of interest and must be approved by a thesis committee made up of the faculty member directing the student and two others, one of whom may come from outside the Department of Biology.

Students interested in the Biology Honors Program should discuss this opportunity with their advisors as early as possible so that they have achieved the necessary GPA and are prepared to make application for the program in the spring of their sophomore year. This program, though designed for all qualified students within the Department of Biology, should be of particular value to students intending to seek admission to graduate or professional schools. Honors course work is designated on university transcripts. Students completing the departmental honors program are recognized at departmental commencement ceremonies.