Hartwick College biology student at crayfish research pools with net

welcome to hartwick biology

WHY STUDY BIOLOGY AT HARTWICK?

You’re interested in healthcare, bench science, or environmental conservation. You’re ready to make a difference as a physician, an educator or a researcher.

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Here’s why our biology program stands out:

Master in-demand skills - on the very tools you’ll use in your career.
Take advantage of internships and research projects in the Center For Craft Food & Beverage labs.
Work on National Science Foundation-funded projects.
Combine your academics with sustainable living at the Pine Lake Environmental campus.

Projected Growth

With a projected growth of 10 percent over the next 10 years (Bureau of Labor Statistics) Hartwick alumni have worked for some seriously impressive companies:

Siemens USA
Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Amazon
Vanderbilt University
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)
New York State Department of Health
Bassett Healthcare
Onondaga Physical Therapy
The Biodiversity Group
Sacred Heart University
Colorado College
Banfield Pet Hospital

FlightPath In Action

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

Build your foundation in the core concepts of biology, from physiology to ecology evolution.
Small class sizes in upper-level courses like cell biology, bioinformatics and aquatic ecology help you refine your focus.
Our labs have it all – Phase-contrast, fluorescence, and electron microscopes; equipment for genetic engineering, cloning, and immunology; even a lab devoted to collected tissue cultures.
Get off-campus for faculty-led J Term courses in Thailand, The Bahamas, and Portugal.

Biology Major and Minor Requirements

EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITIES

Short-term J Term study abroad courses might take you to Portugal for an interdisciplinary study of the microbiology of food, or to the Bahamas to examine the biogeography of marine animal and plant life.
Research assistantships give you advanced work experience that will build your resumé and set you apart as a graduate school or job candidate.
Test your research career aspirations with funding from one of our competitive Emerson International Research grants.

Biology Special Opportunities

Biology Department Awarded Gold in National Review

This distinguished honor places the College among a select comparison group of 27 U.S. colleges and universities.

Undersea Research to Area Youth

Over the summer, Carr continued a deep-sea research project initially undertaken in 2019, when she and one of her undergraduate students were studying the existence of microbes in the deep waters off the coast of Washington State.

Bio major chases hobby with research

Zach Craft ’23 leverages his passion for fishing in an undergraduate research project made possible by his professor.

Where Will A Hartwick Biology Degree Take You?

Research

Like Kayla Murphy ’14, PhD, who is now a postdoc studying neuropathic pain and multiple sclerosis at the University of Pittsburgh. She gained invaluable experience as an undergraduate when Biology Professor Emeritus Stan Sessions recommended her for an extraordinary opportunity doing fibrotic disease research with Louise Hecker ’00, PhD, then at the University of Alabama. Kayla double majored in political science at Hartwick and earned her doctorate from Drexel University.

Medicine

Like Bailey O’Donnell ’17, who just graduated from SUNY Upstate Medical University and is beginning her residency in pediatrics at Maine Medical Center. A John Christopher Hartwick Scholar, Bailey balanced the stress of pre-med by taking a Psychology in Hawaii J Term course and raising a puppy on campus for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, and volunteering for the local hospice.