Biology Department Academic Programs

Undergraduate students can choose to major or minor in biology. The Biology Department offers a General Biology track as well as several concentrations for students with interests or career goals in a specific field of the biological sciences.

• Biology, B.S. [PDF] - major requirements for General Biology students

Concentrations

• Health Professions
• Biotechnology
• Clinical Sciences
• Ecology, Environment, and Conservation
• Secondary Education Certification

Master of Science in Biology

The Master of Science in Biology program at Shippensburg University has an emphasis in Ecology and Environmental Science that prepares future professionals to understand, predict, and/or manage environmental responses brought about by natural and man-made events. Our classes are small with opportunities to work with peers and faculty. Successful students are poised to seek new fields of endeavor, advance in their current professions, or prepare themselves for continuing academic training or education. Students in the Biology graduate Program have the option to complete either a thesis or a capstone experience consisting of three semester hours of an internship or graduate research.

Learn more about the Biology Department's Graduate Program.

Master of Education

The Teacher Education Department offers a Secondary Biology Concentration in its Curriculum and Instruction Master of Education program.

Learn more about the Curriculum and Instruction, Secondary Biology Concentration, M.Ed.

The Biology Department offers an accelerated 4+1 B.S./M.S. program in biology to allow well-qualified biology students to complete a Master’s in Biology in two additional semesters plus one summer of enrollment. Students take graduate classes in their undergraduate senior year that can count towards both degrees upon successful completion of the M.S. degree in Biology.

Applying

Students apply to the program during their junior or first-semester of their senior year, after accumulating 75 credits. Students seeking to enroll in the program must be admitted to the graduate program and maintain a 3.0 grade point average at the time they begin their final undergraduate semester.

Coursework

Students enrolled in the program take two 3-credit graduate biology courses as well as the 1-credit graduate seminar (BIO515: Scientific Communication in Biology) during their senior year. Students then take nine credits during each of their two semesters as a graduate student, and 6 credits during the summers before and/or after their graduate year. The 7 graduate credits taken in the senior year would count toward the B.S., and then on completion of requirements for the M.S., would double-count in that program as well.

Typical 4+1 Coursework

The Shippensburg University Biology Department has articulation programs with the following institutions allowing Health Professions students to peruse an accelerated course of study. The numbers in parentheses refer to the number of years at Shippensburg University followed by the number of years at the professional school necessary to obtain the professional degree. All programs are coordinated with the B.S. in Biology major. Course curriculum details on any program can be obtained from the Health Professions website or by contacting Dr. Marcie Lehman or Dr. Alison Fedrow, Directors of Health Sciences at Shippensburg University.

• Logan University - College of Chiropractic (3+3)
  • Leads to a Doctorate of Chiropractic, D.C. With the Logan Chiropractic agreement, students who maintain at least a 3.25 GPA in the Biology major and who have earned at least a C in the prerequisite, non-science courses can automatically matriculate to Logan University of Chiropractic.
• Northeast College of Health Sciences (3+3)
  • Leads to a Doctorate of Chiropractic, D.C. With the NCHS agreement, students who maintain at least a 3.1 GPA in the Biology major and who have earned at least a C in the prerequisite, non-science courses can automatically matriculate to NCHS.
• Salus University - College of Optometry (3+4)
  • Leads to a Doctorate of Optometry, O.D.
• Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine (3+4)
  • Leads to a Doctorate of Podiatric Medicine, D.P.M.