Academic Programs

• Biology Labs
• Research Opportunities

Possible career options:

• Environmental protection agent
• Medical doctor
• Research scientist
• Teacher

Where our graduates work:

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• Office for Women’s Physical and Mental Health for the Commonwealth of Kentucky
• Smithsonian Institution
• Mount Sinai Hospital
• National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, D.C.
• Emory University
• Boston Medical Center

Program Overview

The biology program prepares students for traditional fields of study and emerging fields such as biophysics, bioinformatics, and molecular genetics.

Transylvania students have a variety of opportunities to conduct research, both independently and with professors. Research projects may receive funding from the university, or from outside organizations, such as the National Institutes of Health. Current faculty research interests include evolution and behavioral ecology of cannibalism, physiological and other correlates of avian personality, and ecology of non-native plant invasions.

See the results for yourself — the majority of our students go on to medical, dental or pharmacy school or are doing research in graduate programs at leading research institutions across the country.

Compare the difference

• In our small lab sessions, you’ll be encouraged to sharpen your investigative skills by undertaking independent research.
• You’ll gain firsthand knowledge of subjects through field trips to destinations such as Kentucky’s Red River Gorge and Daniel Boone National Forest.
• May term travel courses have enabled students to study invertebrates in Florida, tropical ecology in Belize and Hawaii, native plants and animals in the forests of eastern Kentucky, and public health issues in the Philippines.

The science of biology plays a central role in important issues like global climate change, stem cell research, and ecological restoration, as well as global health issues such as avian influenza, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. Transylvania’s biology graduates actively engage these issues, both as researchers in the laboratory and as medical personnel on the front lines. Look around these pages to find out more about the program, and contact us with any questions!