Why study biology at Mary Baldwin?

See biological processes come to life with hands-on learning — from day one! At Mary Baldwin, majoring in biology is more than gaining scientific knowledge. You’ll also build technical, analytical, and communication skills that will give you a competitive edge for careers and graduate school. Here’s how:

• Conduct your own hypothesis-driven research under faculty mentorship 
• Learn how to read closely and write persuasively by creating research proposals and performing literature reviews
• Hone your presentation skills so you can convey research results in a clear, professional manner
• Gain real-world experience through internships or by serving as a lab/research assistant
• Make professional connections through student groups, honor societies, and industry organizations
• Gain hands-on experience in field techniques as you explore diverse ecosystems of the central Appalachians, a global biodiversity hotspot

Labs, facilities & resources at MBU

Whether you’re contributing to faculty research or working on a self-designed project, our Pearce Science Center allows you access to labs, equipment, instrumentation, and resources that will help you test your hypotheses and bring your ideas to life.

Just beyond campus, a living laboratory awaits. Located in the Shenandoah Valley, our campus location is another major benefit of studying biology at MBU. The surrounding ecosystems, including national parks and forests, provide a larger-than-life laboratory for field studies and independent research. Such close proximity to amazing parks is something just not available at city campuses.  

Concentrations

Students pursuing a Bachelor’s in Biology will have three diverse concentrations to chose from:

• Biochemistry
• Environmental Biology
• Biomedical Science

Where you’ll go after graduation

As biology is the foundation of life, it’s no surprise that our graduates directly impact the quality of life itself in myriad ways. Some perform surgeries on cancer patients or tackle health issues overseas. Others work with endangered species conservation or are forensic examiners, veterinarians, elementary and high school science teachers, and soil conservation technicians. 

Our alumni started or advanced their careers with positions such as: 

• Data scientist 
• Medical entomologist 
• High school biology teacher
• Computational biologist
• Business development director in biotech
• Clinical research associate 
• Firearms forensics examiner
• Project coordinator (pharmaceutical research)
• Special surgery lab assistant (dermatology)
• Health and wellness program manager
• Technical writer (pharmaceuticals)
• Compliance associate

Further, our alumni who pursue graduate and medical degrees are working as physicians, ophthalmologists, veterinarians, and other healthcare providers.   

Graduate Schools

Mary Baldwin biology alumni also continue their education at schools and programs such as: 

• Johns Hopkins University (MS, biomedical engineering)
• New York University (Master of Public Health, epidemiology)
• North Carolina State University (MS, biochemistry and molecular biology)
• University of Arkansas Little Rock Bowen School of Law (JD)
• University of Michigan (PhD, medicinal chemistry)
• University of Florida (MS, ecological restoration)

Looking ahead to graduate school, Mary Baldwin’s Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences offers several master’s and doctoral programs. MBU undergraduate students are able to take advantage of a guaranteed interview program at Murphy Deming.