In the Biological Sciences Collegiate Division (BSCD), students from every major study life in all its forms. The student experience focuses on the research processes that inform our knowledge of biological mechanisms that govern living things and the interactions of organisms with each other and with their environment.
Students may choose among several different tracks through the Biological Sciences Major:
Majors in the Biology Track take a series of foundational courses that span biological knowledge across fields and scales. They may then explore the breadth of biology with free electives to complete the major OR they may specialize in one area of biology through a focused selection of electives.
Increasingly, the biological sciences are incorporating knowledge and tools from physics, chemistry, computer science, statistics, public health, technological sciences, and the study of culture and society. Each Interdisciplinary Biology Track requires unique foundational courses that reflect these intersections. These tracks also allow students to choose electives from multiple departments to complete the major.
Computational Neuroscience studies how animal and human nervous systems interact to produce behaviors. Students use quantitative and modeling approaches to describe how nervous systems function, then duplicate those functions with man-made devices. A major is not offered, but students may minor in Computational Neuroscience through the Biological Sciences Collegiate Division.
Neuroscience is the study of neurons and neural systems and their outputs: sensation, perception, homeostasis, and behavior. Neural function is investigated at the levels of molecules, cells, circuits, organisms, and species, making neuroscience inherently multidisciplinary. Neuroscience is designed to accommodate students with the range of scientific variety that one finds at the professional level of neuroscience, including physics, chemistry, computer science, engineering, mathematics, biology, psychology, and medicine.
Hands-on biology and neuroscience courses are available to students from all majors in the Summer, Autumn, and Spring Quarters. All programs take place on the MBL campus in Woods Hole, MA.
All students at the University of Chicago are required to take two courses in biological sciences. For students not taking BIOS courses as part of their major or pre-health preparation, the BSCD offers distinct "non-major" general education courses. General education courses in the BSCD prepare students from all majors to engage in intelligent discourse about health, life on earth and its history, and biotechnology, as well as the scientific problems facing the modern world.
The University of Chicago is a preeminent center for biological and biomedical research. The BSCD believes that hands-on research experiences are an essential part of an education in biological sciences and neurosciences, and we are committed to helping all motivated students find a research activity that matches their interests. It is also important for students to explore the careers that are opened up by a degree in biological sciences or neurosciences.
There are two paths you can follow to gain hands-on experience and develop as a researcher:
Click here to schedule an appointment with a BSCD adviser.
A broad liberal arts education provides an exceptional preparation for a career in the health professions. Students are encouraged to concentrate in any discipline in which they have a strong interest, while making sure that they fulfill the common entry requirements for professional school.
The Quantitative Biosciences Center is a drop-in help center that undergraduates use as a resource in completing assignments, understanding curriculum, and discussing the applications of computers and mathematics to biology. Students require support to be able to complete quantitative, computer-based assignments and synthesize the incorporation of mathematics and computation with complex biology. Thereby, the construction of the Quantitative Biosciences Center with its “help center” hours and “drop-in service” was born. Graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants staff the center and provide consultation for students engaged in the computational biology curriculum that is integrated into the first 6 courses required in the Biology major. Physical scientists routinely apply computational and mathematical approaches in their fields and thus have the skills to provide technical and conceptual assistance to undergraduate students in the biosciences.
Dave Lerner, Program Director of Careers in Biological Sciences, serves as the lead adviser for students interested in pursuing biological sciences career paths - you can schedule an appointment with Dave on Handshake or contact him directly at dlerner@uchicago.edu.
According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), Pathway Programs enhance diversity in the academic fields of science and medicine by broadening and stimulating student access to these diverse areas of study. Pathways are specifically charged with addressing the long standing underrepresentation of racially minoritized groups and women within STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) “but many, if not most programs, increase awareness, access, engagement, and inclusion for all students.”
