Biological Science, B.S.

Students gain practical scientific skills through laboratory classes, field studies, faculty-mentored research and course-based undergraduate research. The Biology Department gives students access to sophisticated research infrastructure in Shoemaker Hall, while the University of Mississippi Field Station provides a natural laboratory with forests, wetlands, ponds and other habitats for ecological and environmental study. Students can also work with advanced imaging and molecular instruments, building experience with techniques and data used in contemporary biological research.

The program offers several ways to turn classroom learning into hands-on scientific experience:

• Course-based undergraduate research: CURE courses allow students to develop and complete an original research project during a semester under the guidance of a biology faculty member.

• BISC 200 — Research Experience: Students work with a biology faculty mentor, learn how the scientific method is applied in research and develop scientific communication and STEM career skills.

• BISC 491/492 — Directed Study in Biological Science I and II: Students conduct an independent research project under faculty supervision and produce a written or oral research product.

• BISC 493 — Capstone Directed Study: Students continue an independent research project and present the results through a research paper and oral presentation in a public forum.

• Advanced imaging: The Biology Imaging Core provides access to a Leica SP8 inverted confocal microscope, Zeiss fluorescence and stereomicroscopes, a Flowcam cytometer and image-analysis workstations.

• Imaging software: Imaging facilities include LAS X, Axiovision, Stereologer and ZEN software for microscope control, image acquisition, quantitative analysis and 3D imaging.

• Molecular research equipment: The Molecular Biology Core includes an Azure C600 Advanced Imaging System, Qiagen Rotor-Gene Q real-time cycler, QIAgility robotic workstation, Biotek Synergy LX Multi-Mode Plate Reader, OT-2 liquid-handling robotic system and other research equipment.

• Pullen Herbarium: Students interested in plant biology and biodiversity can benefit from the 80,000+ plant specimens maintained by the Pullen Herbarium for teaching and research.

• UM Field Station: The field station provides more than 740 acres of pine and hardwood forest, bottomland forest, wetlands, ponds, springs and experimental sites for ecological research and teaching.

• Field research locations: Department research also extends to sites and collaborators including Holly Springs National Forest, Tallahatchie Experimental Forest, Strawberry Plains Audubon Center, USDA National Sedimentation Laboratory and Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks.

• STEM facilities: Biology courses are also taught in the Jim and Thomas Duff Center for Science and Technology Innovation, which provides innovative laboratory, classroom and student collaboration spaces.

The B.S. in Biological Science provides a strong foundation for employment in biological, environmental, research and healthcare-related settings while also preparing students for advanced professional or graduate education. Students can tailor their biology electives toward ecology, molecular and cellular biology, organismal biology, integrative biology or pre-health study, depending on their intended career or postgraduate direction.

Typical career directions include Biologist, Microbiologist, Conservation Biologist, Laboratory Technician:

• Career Center support: The Ole Miss Career Center helps students explore career paths, find job and internship opportunities, prepare resumes, practice through mock interviews, receive career advising and plan for graduate school.

• Employer connections: Employers can connect with Ole Miss students through job postings, career fairs, on-campus interviews and networking events, providing opportunities for internships and full-time employment.

• Career areas: The Department of Biology identifies opportunities across healthcare, education, research and development, conservation organizations, business, government, environmental law, urban planning and science or technical writing.

• Research-to-career preparation: CURE courses and faculty-supervised research allow students to develop experimental, analytical, scientific communication and project skills relevant to research and laboratory careers.

• Employment and salary: The official Biology program pages reviewed do not provide a B.S.-specific employment percentage or average salary. Therefore, no unsupported employment or salary figure should be recorded as a program statistic.

• Professional preparation: The B.S. is designed for students pursuing advanced pathways in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine and other professional or graduate fields.

• Accreditation value: No separate professional accreditation is identified by the university for this B.S.; its value comes from the depth of biology and natural-science preparation, including 42 biology credits, advanced biology coursework, calculus, general chemistry and organic chemistry.

• Graduation preparation: Students complete the BISC 498 Major Field Achievement Test and finish substantial upper-level biology coursework, providing a structured academic conclusion to the major.

• Industry and research exposure: Department research collaborations and external research sites connect biological study with conservation, environmental science, freshwater ecology, biodiversity and other applied research areas.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into the University of Mississippi's M.S. in Biological Science, which supports advanced study and careers in areas such as freshwater biology, medicine, education, molecular genetics, ecology and conservation biology. The department also offers a Ph.D. in Biological Science for students pursuing advanced research and academic, industrial or government careers. In addition, qualified Ole Miss undergraduate biology majors who have completed 90 undergraduate credits with a GPA of 3.0 or greater can begin earning credit toward the M.S. through the university's accelerated master's pathway, allowing the undergraduate and master's degrees to be completed in a shorter overall timeframe.