Department of Biology

Undergraduate Degree Programs

We offer three Programs at the undergraduate level: B.S. Biology, B.S. Biotechnology, and Honors in Biopsychology. We recently established three undergraduate concentrations within the B.S. Biology: Biology, Ecology, Physiology & Behavior. In addition, the department's Pre-Professional Committee tailors schedules for students interested in attending professional school (e.g., medical, dental, veterinary et al.). Detailed information is presented below.

  1. Application Procedure

  2. Undergraduate Courses

  3. B.S. Biology (NEW concentrations in 1998)

  4. B.S. Biotechnology

  5. Biopsychology Honors Program

  6. Pre-Professional

1. Application Procedure:

The Department of Biology admits freshmen, transfer and second baccalaureate degree students who meet criteria for admission to William Paterson University (information at: Undergraduate Admissions). We encourage you to visit the department, especially if you have questions about high school advanced placement courses, and transfer credits.


2. Undergraduate Courses:

We offer approximately 40 undergraduate courses that include General Education courses for non-science majors, service courses for mostly health-related programs, and core and elective courses for biology majors. Descriptions of courses including prerequisites and number of credits can be found at: Biology and Biotechnology Undergraduate Courses . Biology courses which are scheduled for the current academic year can be found at: Course Offerings.

3. B.S. Biology (Now with 3 concentrations: Biology, Ecology, Physiology & Behavior):

The Bachelor of Science in Biology is a highly-structured program that requires 6-7 core biology courses including the capstone Biology Seminar. An additional 3 upper-level biology electives are required. Students with a minimum GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale) are encouraged to conduct an Independent Study project under the guidance of one of the faculty and to present their findings in a college-wide seminar. Several excellent Independent Studies have been published in scientific journals and have won awards at national professional meetings. Co-requirements include physics (2 semesters), general chemistry (2 semesters), organic chemistry (2 semesters), and math through Calculus I followed by Calculus II or statistics. Junior and senior biology majors may take graduate biology courses, at the 500 level, with permission of the instructor and the department chairperson. In 1995, the B.S. in Biology program was ranked one of 5 top programs at William Paterson.

4. B.S. Biotechnology:

This innovative program emphasizes coursework and training in many aspects of molecular biology, genetics, plant tissue culture, animal cell culture, DNA analysis tecniques, protein isolation and recombinant DNA techniques. Students with the required grade point average may enter the biotechnology master's degree program directly. This program was developed in response to a need, based on the large number of biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms in the state, for personnel with expertise in all phases of biotechnology. The program is designed not only to train students in the necessary technical skills but also to provide them with the theoretical basis for continued study. Graduates are prepared to pursue further graduate study in biotechnology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and other related areas or to obtain employment in academic, clinical, industrial, or government research laboratories.
Contact: Dr. Neil Grant, Coordinator B.S. Biotechnology (GrantN@wpunj.edu).

5. Biopsychology Honors Program:

The Honors Program in Biopsychology draws on newly emerging discoveries in such fields as behavior, the brain sciences, genetics, psychopharmacology and many others to unravel the biology of the mind and behavior. We were awarded two grants by the National Science Foundation to support the development of this exciting program. As all honors programs at William Paterson, biopsychology is not itself a major, but a distinctive cluster of courses that deepens, broadens and adds challenge to students' chosen majors. This program is highly recommended for students planning graduate study, including pre-medical/dental/veterinary/graduate nursing studies and, in general, for those students interested in clinical or research careers. As an honors program, biopsychology is designed for highly motivated individuals. Descriptions of courses including prerequisites and number of credits can be found at: Biopsychology Courses
Contact: Dr. Martin Hahn, Director Biopsychology Honors Program (HahnM@wpunj.edu).

6. Pre-Professional Programs:

Our Pre-Professional Programs are designed to guide and support students as they prepare for a career in health-related sciences (e.g., medical, dental, veterinary, physical therapy et al.). Dr. Leonard and Dr. Schneider are the co-coordinators of these programs. Students interested in one or more of these programs are encouraged to join the Galen Society, a student organization that focuses on preparation for professional schools. The most recent addition to our Pre-Professional Programs is the Pre-Physical Therapy Program -- a 3 + 3 year collaborative program between WPUNJ and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ). Interested in these programs? Find details at: Pre-Professional Programs
For more information contact: Dr. Claire Leonard (LeonardC@wpunj.edu) or Dr. Henning Schneider (SchneiderH@wpunj.edu).

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