About the Program

As a biology student at UMFK, you’ll benefit from small classes, supportive faculty, and hands-on learning as you prepare for a rewarding career in the biological sciences. Opportunities include internships, research projects, and experiential field trips to places such as the Violette Camp in the Allagash Wilderness.

You have the option of pairing your degree with a minor in a field outside of biology or with one of our two biology concentrations.

Biology Program

In the Biology program  you will choose elective courses that reflect your individual interests and career paths.  You will participate in a Field Experience Program as part of  your coursework.

Biology Minor

The Biology minor provides an exploration within the biological field. Courses are offered for basic concepts as well as for application of the principles to a laboratory setting.

Concentrations

Customize your biology degree to match your career goals with one of these concentrations.

Biomedical Sciences

Prepare for a careers in healthcare, research, and the biotech industry or advanced studies in medicine, dentistry, osteopathy, veterinarian medicine, nursing, physical therapy, and more.

Ecology and Conservation Biology

Study the distribution and abundance of organisms, the interactions between organisms, and the interactions between organisms and the physical environment.

Employers who have hired our graduates in recent years include:

  • Jackson Lab
  • IDEXX
  • Mt Desert Isl. Bio Labs
  • Abbott Diagnostics
  • Natural Heritage program
  • Department of Environmental Quality/Protection
  • Forest Service
  • National Park Service
  • Bureau of Land Management

Potential employers include:

  • Biotech industry
  • State agencies
  • Federal agencies
  • Public research labs
  • Universities or non-profit laboratories

Graduates have careers as:

  • Lab technicians
  • Forest rangers
  • GIS technicians
  • Fisheries technicians
  • Biological technicians

Career outlook and earning potential

Bureau of Labor Statistics – Potential Occupations

26.101 Biology/Biological Sciences, General

Program Requirements

  • BIO 100: General Biology I
  • BIO 121: General Biology II
  • BIO 202: Botany
  • BIO 204: Zoology
  • BIO 320: Genetics
  • BIO 352: Ecology
  • BIO 353: General Microbiology
  • BIO 353L: General Microbiology Lab
  • BIO 366: Introduction to Genomics
  • BIO 339: Research Methods & Techniques
  • BIO 498: Senior Project

Required Support Courses

  • BIO 219: Career Path in the Sciences
  • CHY 100: Chemistry I
  • CHY 101: Chemistry II
  • CHY 310: Organic Chemistry I
  • CHY 311: Organic Chemistry II
  • GIS 300: GIS Applications I
  • HUM 102: First Year Experience
  • MAT 255: Calculus I
  • MAT 351: Statistics I
  • PHY 100: Physics I

Bio Park/Arboretum

Among the facilities students have access to

99%

Students who complete a research project before graduating

Jackson Lab

An example of where our graduates work today

Next Steps

Tell us about yourself to learn more about the benefits of earning your degree at UMFK.