BS Genetics

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Auburn University

Program Overview

Auburn University’s B.S. in Genetics gives students a broad foundation in the biological, physical, and mathematical sciences underlying heredity and evolution. It suits students interested in genetics research as well as applications in biotechnology, agriculture, environmental science, medicine, pharmacy, and genetic counseling, with opportunities to develop computational skills through upper-level coursework.

Curriculum Structure:

Freshman Year:

Students establish their scientific foundation through BIOL 1020 Principles of Biology, BIOL 1030 Organismal Biology, CHEM 1030 Fundamentals Chemistry I, and their associated laboratory courses. MATH 1610 Calculus I and BIOL 2100 Professional Development add quantitative and career-development preparation.

Sophomore Year:

Students move into genetics and more advanced chemistry through BIOL 3000 Genetics, BIOL 3001 General Genetics Laboratory, CHEM 2070 Organic Chemistry I, and CHEM 2080 Organic Chemistry II. They also study BIOL 3030 Evolution and Systematics, BIOL 3020 Genomic Biology or BIOL 3200 General Microbiology, and STAT 2510 Statistics for Biological and Health Sciences.

Junior Year:

The curriculum becomes more specialized with BIOL 5800 Introduction to Computational Biology, BIOL 5220 Introductory Molecular Genetics, and BIOL 4100 Cell Biology. Students also complete BIOL 4101 Cell Biology Laboratory, BCHE 5180 Biochemistry I, and physics, strengthening their molecular and computational understanding of genetics.

Senior Year:

Students customize their studies through GENE CORE and GENE SUPP electives, allowing them to explore areas such as human genetics, functional genomics, bioinformatics, plant gene expression, and recombinant DNA. The year also includes BIOL 5330 Developmental Genetics and BIOL 4950 Senior Seminar, providing advanced subject knowledge and professional preparation.

Focus Areas:

Genetics, genomics, molecular genetics, computational biology, bioinformatics, cell biology, evolution, human genetics, biotechnology, agriculture, environmental genetics, and biomedical science.

Learning Outcomes:

Students develop knowledge of heredity and evolution, molecular mechanisms of genetic change, genome-scale data analysis, laboratory genetics, computational biology, and problem-solving using real and simulated genetics data.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

The official Auburn Bulletin does not list a separate specialized professional accreditation for the B.S. in Genetics. The program instead provides academic preparation applicable to genetics research, biotechnology, agriculture, environmental work, and health-professional pathways including medicine, pharmacy, and genetic counseling.

Reputation (Employability & Rankings):

Auburn University reports 85% undergraduate first-destination success for 2021–22 and 84% for 2023–24 in its institutional strategic-plan data. For 2025–26, Auburn reports a #102 national-university position in U.S. News & World Report and a QS international ranking in the 851–900 range. These are university-wide figures rather than rankings specifically for the Genetics major

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Auburn University’s B.S. in Genetics gives students practical experience through dedicated genetics laboratories, computational biology training, faculty-mentored research, and access to specialized biological research facilities. The curriculum includes hands-on work with real and simulated genetics datasets, while BIOL 5800 Introduction to Computational Biology introduces computational approaches, statistical analysis, and graphical analysis of biological data. Students can also connect with faculty research in areas such as evolutionary genetics, genomics, computational biology, immunogenetics, and molecular genetics.

Students can build practical experience through:

Genetics laboratory: BIOL 3001 General Genetics Laboratory provides practical experience in transmission, cytological, molecular, and population genetics, with problem-solving based on real and simulated genetics datasets.
Computational biology: BIOL 5800 Introduction to Computational Biology includes a laboratory component covering computational approaches to biological data analysis, basic statistics, and graphical analysis.
Undergraduate research: COSAM’s Undergraduate Research Network connects students with faculty-led laboratory, field, computational, and interdisciplinary research opportunities.
Genomics and sequencing: Students have access to Auburn’s Genomics and Sequencing Laboratory, supporting research involving genomic and sequencing technologies.
Advanced microscopy and imaging: The Advanced Microscopy and Imaging Laboratory provides specialized research infrastructure within Auburn’s biological sciences environment.
Bioinformatics and HPC: Auburn provides access to the Easley High-Performance Computing cluster, including computing resources, storage, software, and technical support for computational research.
Research internships: Auburn has connected Genetics students with the UAB and HudsonAlpha Summer Undergraduate Research Experience in Genomic Medicine (SURE-GM), which includes research training and mentored laboratory experience.
Specialized research environment: Biological Sciences research facilities are concentrated in the Rouse Life Sciences Building, Funchess Hall, Sciences Center Complex, and the CASIC Building at Auburn Research Park.
Research areas: Students can engage with faculty research involving fish phylogenetics, butterfly wing-pattern genetics, fruit-fly immunogenetics, bird coloration, computational biology, and metals transport.

Facilities and resources: Auburn’s Biological Sciences facilities include the Genomics and Sequencing Laboratory, Advanced Microscopy and Imaging Laboratory, Auburn University Research Instrumentation Facility, Natural History resources, and additional research and teaching laboratories.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Auburn University’s B.S. in Genetics can prepare graduates for roles across biotechnology, agricultural and food production, pharmaceutical research, public health, environmental science, and laboratory research. The university’s original program proposal specifically identified pathways into industry, business, and graduate or professional programs, including biotechnology companies, agricultural firms, medical and university laboratories, and genetic counseling.

Typical career directions include Genetic Laboratory Technician, Biotechnology Research Assistant, Genomics Researcher, and Agricultural Genetics Technician.

Key career-development opportunities include:

Career support: Auburn’s Career Discovery and Success resources provide career exploration, employer information, job-search resources, and labor-market data, including occupation descriptions, employment trends, top employers, education levels, and annual earnings.
COSAM support: The College of Sciences and Mathematics provides student services, tutoring, undergraduate research support, and professional-development opportunities.
Industry connections: Auburn’s Genetics program proposal specifically identified HudsonAlpha and the companies located at its Institute for Biotechnology campus in Huntsville as potential sources of employment for students interested in industrial and research applications of genetics.
Research and internships: Genetics students have participated in opportunities such as the UAB and HudsonAlpha Summer Undergraduate Research Experience in Genomic Medicine, gaining research and technology experience relevant to future genetics careers.
Employment outcomes: Auburn collects first-destination information through its First Destination Survey and follows graduates for up to six months after graduation. The university allows outcomes to be filtered by college and major, although a specific current salary figure for the Genetics major is not published on the official pages reviewed.
Salary information: Auburn's Career Discovery and Success platform provides annual earnings information through its labor-market data resources; these figures are occupation-level data rather than a guaranteed salary for Genetics graduates.
Accreditation value: The B.S. in Genetics is an academic bachelor's degree, and Auburn's official program information does not list a separate specialized professional accreditation for the Genetics major. Auburn University maintains institutional accreditation through SACSCOC.
Graduation progression: Auburn's first-destination system tracks both employment and continuing education, allowing graduates' post-degree pathways to be documented through the university's six-month follow-up process.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing the B.S. in Genetics, students can continue into master's or Ph.D. programs in genetics, genomics, molecular biology, biotechnology, biological sciences, or related fields. The degree can also provide a foundation for professional programs such as genetic counseling, medicine, pharmacy, and other health-related graduate pathways, depending on the student's prerequisites and career goals.