Biology

Degrees Offered:
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

Overview

A major in biology at Barton provides you with a comprehensive understanding of living things. You will examine plants, animals, and microbes on a microscopic and macroscopic level. You will explore the molecules of life and discuss the relationship of living things to each other and their environment. Barton College biology students receive hands-on training using sampling and identification techniques in the lab and in the field. You will then put your learning to work in internships and gain practical experiences in a variety of settings. And because of our extensive course offerings and the flexibility of our program, you will focus your studies to fit your interests.

Course Information

At Barton College, biology major can choose to focus their studies on life at the cellular, organism, or environmental levels. Interested in DNA, protein, and signal transduction? Then the concentration in Cellular Biology is for you. Are you interested more in the structure, function, and evolution of plants and animals? Then the Organismal Biology concentration is the way to go. What about the relationship of organisms to one another and to the environment? The Environmental Biology concentration is for you.

Courses for the concentrations include:

Cellular Biology

• Cell Biology
• Biochemistry
• Molecular & Mendelian Genetics
• Immunology

Organismal Biology

• Organismal Biology
• Invertebrate & Vertebrate Zoology
• Non-vascular and Vascular Plants
• Structure and Function in Man I & II
• Animal Behavior

Environmental Biology

• Advanced Field Biology
• Environmental Science
• Environmental Chemistry
• Environmental Biology
• Analytical Chemistry

Scholarships and Financial Aid

The Barton College Science and Mathematics Department is fortunate to have a number of scholarships that are awarded annually:

• GlaxoSmithKline Women in Science Scholars
• Ruth O’Neal Scholarship
• J.P. Tyndall Scholarship
• Philip J. Witherington Scholarship
• Garnett Whitehurst Scholarship

Internships

All biology majors must complete an internship. Internships provide excellent real-world experiences in a variety of occupations. Department faculty will work with you to develop a resume and to locate an appropriate placement, perhaps one working with department faculty on an independent research project. Internships have led to part-time jobs and even full-time post-graduate employment. Our majors intern throughout the Southeast and even internationally. Recent sites include:

• Carnivore Preservation Trust, North Carolina
• Department of Science and Math, Barton College, North Carolina
• GlaxoSmithKline, North Carolina
• Imagination Station, Children’s Science Museum, North Carolina
• Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• North Carolina Coastal Wildlife Facility, North Carolina
• North Carolina Museum of Natural Science, North Carolina
• Primate Preserve, Florida
• Virginia Beach Aquarium, Virginia
• Wilson County Waste Water Treatment Facility, North Carolina
• Wood Hudson Research Institute, Kentucky

Students have also assisted and participated in shadowing programs with veterinarians, medical doctors, physician assistants, physical therapists, dentists, chiropractors, and podiatrists.

Career Opportunities

With a degree in biology from Barton, you can easily enter graduate or professional school. You are also job-ready in a variety of fields, including microbiology, genetics, agriculture, wildlife, environmental science, biochemistry, and physiology.

Our graduates have gone on to graduate school, medical school, veterinary school, and chiropractic school and have entered podiatry, physical therapist, and physician assistant programs from such institutions as:

• Clemson University
• East Carolina University
• Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
• Thomas Jefferson University
• University of Alabama at Birmingham
• University of Minnesota
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• Wingate University School of Pharmacy

Clubs and Organizations

The Barton College Science Club is open to anyone interested in science. The organization participates in community events and sponsors professional talks on campus.