TRACKS
Pre-Athletic Training
Pre-Dental
Pre-Medicine
Pre-Occupational Therapy
Pre-Optometry
Pre-Pharmacy
Pre-Physical Therapy
Pre-Physician Assistant
Pre-Veterinary Medicine
COMPLEMENTARY DEGREE
Biology/Science with Professional Education License—Secondary Education (B.S.)
University of St. Francis science faculty members are committed to the success of Biology majors, which is proven by the fact that the majority of our students go on to obtain employment or enter graduate school within six months of graduating. The LaVerne & Dorothy Brown Science Hall offers a unique learning environment where students have modern scientific labs, tools and resources at their fingertips. In addition, interaction with faculty and peers is made more effective through the clustering of programs in the building.
A focus of the biology program is to engage students in research starting in your first semester. Not only will you do research, but you will also report your findings at local, regional and national conferences. Your courses will challenge you to integrate concepts from sub-cellular systems up through ecosystems. You will be exposed to other scientific disciplines like chemistry and physics and learn to make meaningful connections between society and the natural world.
I am enjoying my time as a biology major. The faculty are caring, supportive, kind, motivating, and sincere. The courses are engaging and make learning science fun.
— Hannah Knight
Students majoring in Biology have the educational foundation to continue their studies at professional schools in dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, veterinary medicine, podiatry, optometry, chiropractic medicine, osteopathic medicine, biological research, forensic science and more. This major is also appropriate for students interested in teaching high school, or eventually attending graduate school. The Biology degree is appealing because of the many doors it opens on the career front – some grads even go on to restore native ecosystems, fight human and animal disease, and work in national labs.
Research projects and internships at nationally-acclaimed research facilities are just some of the ways you will DO science at USF. The University of St. Francis has teamed up with Argonne National Laboratory, the Shedd Aquarium, the Morton Arboretum, Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie and the Will County Forest Preserve to provide students with true-life learning experiences in scientific settings and labs with advanced instrumentation. Students also have the opportunity to do research at USF’s Charlotte Codo Prairie, a restored tallgrass prairie ecosystem. In addition, USF Science Fellows program represents a unique opportunity for learning and getting involved in science activities.
ACCREDITATIONS
The University of St. Francis is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and is authorized to operate as a post-secondary institution by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (ibhe.org).