- <a href="/live/image/gid/61/width/650/86393_Biology_new_template.jpg" class="lw_preview_image lw_disable_preview" tabindex="-1"><picture class="lw_image lw_image86393"> <source type="image/jpeg" media="(max-width: 500px)" srcset="/live/image/gid/61/width/500/height/479/crop/1/86393_Biology_new_template.rev.1607363079.jpg 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/61/width/500/height/479/crop/1/86393_Biology_new_template.rev.1607363079.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/61/width/500/height/479/crop/1/86393_Biology_new_template.rev.1607363079.jpg 3x"/> <source type="image/jpeg" media="(min-width: 501px)" srcset="/live/image/gid/61/width/720/height/690/crop/1/86393_Biology_new_template.rev.1607363079.jpg 1x, /live/image/scale/2x/gid/61/width/720/height/690/crop/1/86393_Biology_new_template.rev.1607363079.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/61/width/720/height/690/crop/1/86393_Biology_new_template.rev.1607363079.jpg 3x"/> <img src="/live/image/gid/61/width/720/height/690/crop/1/86393_Biology_new_template.rev.1607363079.jpg" alt="Associate Professor of Biology Norma Velazquez-Ulloa looks over a research sample with Asia Wooten BA '20." width="720" height="690" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/61/width/720/height/690/crop/1/86393_Biology_new_template.rev.1607363079.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/61/width/720/height/690/crop/1/86393_Biology_new_template.rev.1607363079.jpg 3x" data-max-w="3200" data-max-h="3067" loading="lazy"/> </picture> </a><div class="hero-split_image_caption collapsable-caption"> Associate Professor of Biology Norma Velazquez-Ulloa looks over a research sample with Asia Wooten BA ’20.</div>
Biology
We want our students to do biology, not just read about it. Hands-on study is the best possible training for a career in biology and the best way to become a scientifically literate citizen. You will learn tangible skills that apply across disciplines, all while benefiting from our proximity to Oregon Health & Science University and the diverse natural environments of the Pacific Northwest.
Why Choose a Degree in Biology?
Our innovative and comprehensive program emphasizes original research and critical thinking. You will generate hypotheses, design studies, collect data in the lab and the field, analyze and interpret the results, and communicate your findings through talks, posters, and papers. Our classrooms and labs rely on cutting-edge tools in microscopy, physiology, computational biology, and molecular biology. We also offer robust opportunities for experiential learning through fieldwork, internships, and paid student-faculty research. Our students graduate with a degree in biology and excellent career preparation skills, knowing how to write grants, read scientific literature critically, reason quantitatively, and work in teams.
What You’ll Study
Our curriculum embraces all of biology, from molecules to ecosystems, and draws on other fields, like chemistry, mathematics, and psychology. We believe in working closely with our students both in the classroom and our laboratories, providing opportunities rarely available to undergraduates.
Many of our students—unlike students at other schools—earn course credit toward their biology degree while on an overseas program. In addition to general cultural programs that are open to all students, there are programs designed and led by biology faculty to Australia, East Africa, and New Zealand.
Outside the classroom, many biology students get involved in research, by either collaborating with one of their professors or pursuing their own investigations off-campus. We provide extensive guidance to help students find and secure these opportunities. Each fall, students present their work to the campus community at a poster conference. We have a seminar series that regularly brings biologists to campus to speak about new areas of research. Our natural history collection—curated by students—includes specimens of plants, fungi, insects, birds, and mammals from the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Complement Your Education With One of These Minors
The most popular minors for our biology majors are environmental studies, health studies, and neuroscience.
What Students Are Saying About Lewis & Clark
- Zoë Sanderson BA ’24
I chose biology as my major because the major requirements fit well with pre-med requirements, and the class descriptions interested me. The STEM faculty I got to interact with also made the decision easy.
Biology | Eugene, OregonMore about Zoë - Roland Berg BA ’22
Lewis & Clark made me feel wanted as a student.
Biology and English (double) | Saint Paul, MinnesotaMore about Roland - Cody Bowen-Crosby BA ’22
Don’t pick your school based on a figure from some website; pick your school off of where you think you’ll be happiest and where you want to plant the seeds to start a professional career.
Biology and World Languages (double) | Kalispell, MontanaMore about Cody
What Can You Do With a Degree in Biology?
Our alumni use their BA in biology in a wide variety of careers, including research, medicine, public health, natural resource management, teaching, and law. They work in academia, in industry, with nonprofits, and for local, state, and federal governments. Many of them apply the skills they have acquired in problem solving, critical thinking, writing, and speaking to fields other than biology.
Dedicated Faculty
Our expert professors are your expert mentors. You will learn directly from faculty (no graduate assistants here!) that are nationally recognized in their fields of study and who love to work with and learn from their students. Your professors will inspire you to be a thoughtful and passionate participant in a diverse world. Your small classes will support you as you explore new ideas, find your voice, and speak your truth.
Biology faculty rely on their students to be collaborative researchers in the lab, providing an opportunity that’s rarely available to undergraduates at other schools. Students are frequent coauthors on peer-reviewed faculty publications and professional presentations.
- 19
Average class size for undergraduate students
- 96%
Within six months of graduation, 96% of the Lewis & Clark Classes of 2018–2022 were already changing the world through employment (76%), continuing studies (19%), and service work (1%), like the Peace Corps.
- 10%
of our undergraduate students are from outside the U.S.
- 125
of our undergraduate students are Third Culture Kids.
- 29+33
Lewis & Clark offers 29 majors and 33 minors.
Invest in Yourself
A private liberal arts education is often more affordable than you think. Last year, Lewis & Clark distributed over $74 million in assistance from institutional, federal, state, and private sources. Additionally, we’re so confident that our first-year students will graduate in four years with their bachelor of arts degree that if you don’t, we’ll cover the extra semester of tuition.
The Kent Swanson Jr. Biology Scholarship benefits junior and senior students majoring in biology who have demonstrated financial need and interest in the outdoors, environmental conservation, and the arts.
Find Your People
Students can join a variety of student-run organizations that relate to their biology major, like Math Club, Physics Club, and Pre-Health Club. Don’t see what you’re looking for on the club list? Start something new and build your own community of peers!
Where Lewis & Clark Will Take You
- RuthMabel Boytz BA ’20
L&C taught me how to critically assess and synthesize information from diverse sources and to apply my understanding to new situations. This initiated my development as a scientist and prepared me for graduate science courses.
Biology | Mathematics | Seattle, WashingtonMore about RuthMabel - Peter Lahti BA ’19
Lewis & Clark did a lot of really great things to shape me to be the person that I am today. I was challenged me to be a better student, a better athlete, and a better all-around person.
Biology | Lincoln City, OregonMore about Peter - Kelsey Parker BA ’22
The two most valued traits I gained at L&C are an open mind and being prepared for rigorous academia. The coursework absolutely challenged me and tested my limits but in return I learned how to overcome that.
Biology | Merced, CaliforniaMore about Kelsey