Biology
Why Study Biology at MBC?
- integrated lab and lecture allow students to learn technique, theory, and concept
- courses designed to get students prepared to carry out their own research projects
- hands-on lab experience allows students to graduate having done real research
- hands-on lab experience allows students to have the competence and confidence in graduate school and for job interviews
- graduates report already having worked with equipment used in graduate studies that their peers have not
- most projects are student-driven; students are given the freedom to decide what they will be researching
- demanding senior projects challenge undergraduates to think like graduate students
- network with others devoted to the discipline through Beta Beta Beta, the National Biological Honor Society
We believe that the best way to learn science is by doing it — by involvement in thoughtfully designed laboratory work which includes self-designed experiments, and by exposure to current methods and questions in the field. We believe that it is important even for non-biology majors, both because of the understanding of science that comes from it and also because of the teamwork and analytical skills which are developed — skills which are valuable in any setting. For our majors, we expect the experimental work to incorporate sophisticated techniques and instrumentation and skill in using the primary research literature; this culminates in an original and substantial senior research project and the presentation and defense of a thesis.
– Eric Jones, associate professor of biology
