BA in Biological Sciences

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Dartmouth College

Program Overview

Dartmouth’s Biological Sciences, Bachelor of Arts gives students a broad foundation in biology while allowing them to develop deeper expertise through an individualized area of concentration, such as Human Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Neuroscience, or Integrative Biology. The program suits students interested in understanding life at environmental, organismal, cellular, and molecular levels, with opportunities for laboratory research, fieldwork, independent study, and honors research.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students begin by building their biological foundation through courses such as BIOL 09.01 Researching Cellular Mysteries or BIOL 11 Biology of the Brain, alongside prerequisite study in chemistry and quantitative methods. BIOL 09.01 provides hands-on, discovery-based laboratory experience in experimental design and cell and molecular biology, while BIOL 11 introduces fundamental biological concepts and scientific thinking.

Year 2: Students progress into the foundation curriculum with courses such as BIOL 12 Cell Structure and Function, BIOL 13 Gene Expression and Inheritance, and BIOL 14 Physiology. These courses develop understanding of cellular mechanisms, genetics, molecular biology, and how biological systems function, with BIOL 12 also providing practical experience in microscopy, cell fractionation, and protein purification.

Year 3: Students move into intermediate and advanced biology while beginning to shape their individual area of concentration. Options include BIOL 22 Methods in Ecology, BIOL 40 Biochemistry, BIOL 45 Molecular Biology, BIOL 47 Genomics: Data to Analysis, and BIOL 49 Epidemiology I, allowing students to develop more specialized scientific and analytical skills.

Year 4: Students complete their area of concentration through advanced coursework, including courses numbered 50 and above, and can incorporate BIOL 95/96 Independent Research or BIOL 97/98 Honors Research into the major. Students can also pursue an individualized Integrative Biology concentration with faculty guidance, creating a senior-level academic pathway aligned with their interests and goals.

Focus areas: Human Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Neuroscience, Integrative Biology.

Learning outcomes: Biological knowledge, research methods, experimental design, data analysis, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, scientific communication, ethical understanding of biology.

Professional alignment (accreditation): Dartmouth College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), with the institution most recently reaccredited in 2020 and its next comprehensive evaluation scheduled for 2029.

Reputation (employability rankings): Dartmouth reports a 96% undergraduate degree completion rate within six years and more than 200 employers recruiting directly at Dartmouth; for the Class of 2025, Dartmouth reported a 96.1% success rate among graduates for whom it had tracking data, encompassing career launch, further education, fellowships, or military service within six months.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in Dartmouth’s BA in Biological Sciences undergraduate program gain practical experience through discovery-based laboratory courses, field studies, quantitative analysis, and faculty-led research. The curriculum allows students to work from the cellular and molecular level through organisms and ecosystems, while facilities in the Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center provide access to advanced microscopy, molecular biology equipment, greenhouses, and research laboratories. Students can also pursue independent research, honors projects, and off-campus biology programs involving fieldwork and research projects.

Hands-on laboratory training: Students can develop practical laboratory skills through BIOL 12: Cell Structure and Function, including microscopy, cell fractionation, and protein purification, while BIOL 13: Gene Expression and Inheritance uses molecular biology techniques. BIOL 16: Ecology emphasizes experimental and quantitative analysis through local ecosystem field studies.
Discovery-based research: BIOL 09.01, Researching Cellular Mysteries, is a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience in which students design and conduct experiments, generate new data, and use fluorescence microscopy to study cellular behavior.
Research laboratories: Students can join faculty laboratories through independent study and Honors programs, with some undergraduates spending several terms or as many as four years in the same research laboratory.
Advanced microscopy: The Life Sciences Light Microscopy Facility provides access to Leica Stellaris and Zeiss LSC880 laser-scanning confocal microscopes, spinning-disk confocal systems, a Nikon SoRa super-resolution microscope, an Andor Dragonfly 400SR, and a multiphoton microscope.
Molecular and laboratory equipment: The Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center includes shared autoclaves, superspeed and ultracentrifuges, Chemi-Doc imagers, and NanoDrop spectrophotometers, supporting hands-on biological research.
Research and teaching spaces: The Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center houses approximately 28 research programs, a light microscopy facility, Drosophila media kitchen, apparatus shop, 3-D printing shop, rooftop greenhouse, constant-temperature rooms, plant-growth chambers, and approximately 3,000 square feet of research greenhouse space.
Fieldwork: Students studying ecology can use Dartmouth’s surrounding streams, ponds, bogs, forests, alpine and coastal habitats, as well as the 26,000-acre Dartmouth College Grant, White Mountain National Forest, and Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest for teaching and research.
Biology Foreign Study Program: Eligible students can participate in the Biology Foreign Study Program, taking BIOL 55, 56, and 57 through an intensive program involving fieldwork, laboratories, lectures, discussions, and research projects at field stations in Costa Rica and a marine laboratory on Little Cayman Island.
Marine research: The Shoals Marine Laboratory Summer Research Program provides grants for students to work full-time on summer research projects at the marine laboratory.
Digital and quantitative learning: Biology students develop data analysis, interpretation, mathematical modeling, and computer-based evolutionary inference skills; BIOL 15 specifically includes computer-based evolutionary analyses alongside hands-on activities.
Libraries and research resources: Students can also use Dartmouth Biomedical Libraries and Research Computing, while the nearby Geisel School of Medicine provides access to the Molecular Biology Core Facility, Electron Microscopy Facility, Institute for Biomolecular Targeting, and NIH-approved Animal Care Facility.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The BA in Biological Sciences at Dartmouth College gives students a broad foundation across environmental, organismal, cellular, molecular, genetic, plant, evolutionary, and ecological biology. Students can build practical research experience through faculty laboratories, independent study, Honors research, and specialized programs, preparing them for scientific careers as well as graduate and professional education.

Typical job roles: Biological Research Assistant, Laboratory Technician, Environmental Scientist, Biotechnology Research Associate

Career and employment opportunities:

Career services: Dartmouth’s Center for Career Design supports undergraduate career exploration and development, while Handshake lets students search opportunities and explore alumni by major, employer, position, industry, and location. Dartmouth also provides access to its extensive alumni network for career connections and mentoring.
Research experience: The Biological Sciences Department offers independent study, Honors research, Dartmouth-sponsored research programs, NSF REU opportunities, and faculty-laboratory research. Some students continue research in the same laboratory for as many as four years.
Specialized opportunities: Students can apply for programs including the Shoals Marine Lab Summer Research Program, James O. Freedman Presidential Scholars, E.E. Just Program, E.E. Just Internship at the Marine Biological Laboratory, and research fellowships at Max Planck Institutes.
Employment statistics: Dartmouth reports that 200+ employers recruit directly at Dartmouth and that 96% of undergraduates earn their degree within six years of enrollment. These are Dartmouth-wide figures and are not specific to Biological Sciences.
Salary figures: A Biological Sciences-specific graduate salary figure is not stated on Dartmouth’s official program or career pages, so no program-specific salary is provided.
University–research connections: Biology students can conduct research across Dartmouth’s Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Psychological & Brain Sciences, Geography, Anthropology, Thayer School of Engineering, Environmental Studies, and Geisel School of Medicine, creating opportunities for interdisciplinary scientific work.
Research facilities: Students have access to facilities including the Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center, Life Sciences Light Microscopy Facility, greenhouse, and Hubbard Brook Research Station, supporting laboratory and field-based research.
Long-term accreditation: Dartmouth is institutionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). Dartmouth was most recently reaccredited in March 2020, with the next comprehensive evaluation scheduled for 2029; institutional accreditation supports recognition for areas such as credit transfer, admissions, federal student aid, and employment.
Graduation outcomes: Dartmouth notes that its graduates pursue careers in science, environmental policy, natural-resource management, environmental engineering, education, business, and other professional fields, while many continue to medical, veterinary, law, and graduate schools.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the BA in Biological Sciences, students can continue into advanced study in areas such as Molecular and Cellular Biology, Integrative Neuroscience, or Ecology, Evolution, Environment and Society at Dartmouth. The Biological Sciences Department offers three doctoral graduate programs spanning these areas, while students interested in medicine, veterinary medicine, law, or other professional pathways can also use the undergraduate degree as preparation for professional school.