BA in Biological Sciences

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Missouri

Program Overview

The B.A. in Biological Sciences at the University of Missouri gives students a broad and flexible foundation in the study of living organisms, while allowing them to shape their studies through biology electives, related sciences, minors, or a second major. It suits students interested in biology, health professions, biotechnology, conservation, ecology, research, education, or graduate and professional study.

Curriculum Structure

First Year: Students begin with foundational biology and laboratory work through courses such as BIO_SC 1500 Introduction to Biological Systems with Laboratory, alongside CHEM 1400 College Chemistry I and CHEM 1401 College Chemistry I Laboratory. They also complete mathematics and general education coursework, establishing the scientific foundation needed for more advanced biological study.

Second Year: Students develop a deeper understanding of biological processes through BIO_SC 2200 General Genetics and BIO_SC 2300 Introduction to Cell Biology, while continuing chemistry and broader university requirements. Students can also begin undergraduate research, a second major, minor, certificate, or other electives, giving the BA its flexible structure.

Third Year: Students move into advanced laboratory and biological diversity studies, with options such as BIO_SC 3650 General Ecology, BIO_SC 3750 General Microbiology, BIO_SC 4500 Neurobiology, or other upper-level biology courses. Students also complete physical science requirements and can undertake undergraduate research alongside their advanced coursework.

Fourth Year: Students complete their Evolutionary Biology requirement through courses such as BIO_SC 3400 Evolution and Ecology or BIO_SC 4600 Evolution, together with a biology capstone such as BIO_SC 4976 Molecular Biology, BIO_SC 4978 Cancer Biology, BIO_SC 4982 Human Inherited Diseases, or BIO_SC 4994 Senior Seminar. The flexible final year allows students to combine advanced biology, research, a second major, minor, certificate, or other electives according to their career or postgraduate goals.

Focus Areas

Genetics, cell biology, evolution, ecology, microbiology, molecular biology, cancer biology, human inherited diseases, neurobiology, conservation, plant biology, animal biology, quantitative and computational biology

Learning Outcomes

Students develop knowledge of biological systems, genetics, cellular processes, evolution, ecology and related sciences while building skills in laboratory research, scientific investigation, data analysis, critical thinking, mathematical and computational approaches, and scientific communication.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

The University of Missouri's B.A. in Biological Sciences is an academic biology degree rather than a professionally accredited engineering program; the official catalog does not identify a specialized external accreditation for this BA. The curriculum is designed to support graduate study, professional schools, and direct entry into a range of biological and life-science careers.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

Mizzou reports that 95.4% of its bachelor's degree graduates achieve a successful career outcome within six months of spring graduation. University-wide, more than 11,000 employers recruit from Mizzou each year and more than 170,000 jobs and internships are posted through Handshake annually.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The B.A. in Biological Sciences provides substantial opportunities to move beyond classroom learning through laboratory, field and computational research. Students can participate in faculty-led research from their first or second year, conduct independent projects for academic credit or pay, and use specialized research facilities covering areas such as genomics, microscopy, proteomics, bioinformatics, plant science and ecology.

Students can gain practical experience through:

BIO_SC 2950 Directed Independent Research: Freshmen and sophomores can receive credit for supervised theoretical, field, or laboratory research.
BIO_SC 4950/4952 Undergraduate Research in Biology: Upper-level students develop a research question, hypothesis and experimental design, conduct experiments, analyze data and publicly present their findings.
Paid research opportunities: Students may participate as paid interns, student workers, or through work-study and can sometimes receive both academic credit and payment for approved research.
BioResearch Canvas: Students undertaking undergraduate research use the BioResearch Canvas site for research-course materials, forms and assignments.
DNA Core: Students working in relevant research areas can benefit from DNA sequencing, genotyping, genomic variation analysis, gene-expression analysis, PCR/qPCR resources and robotic high-throughput instrumentation.
Advanced Light Microscopy Core: Research facilities include confocal microscopes, fluorescence microscopy, micro-injection systems, stereoscopes, microtomes and digital image-analysis capabilities.
Bioinformatics and Analytics Core: Students can engage with research involving high-throughput data analysis, genome-wide sequence assembly and annotation, and custom web-enabled software development.
Plant research facilities: The Sears Plant Growth Facility and East Campus Plant Growth Research Facility provide greenhouses, growth chambers, seed-storage facilities and plant research spaces.
Tucker Prairie Research Station: This 146-acre native tallgrass prairie is used for biological research involving plants, ecology and conservation.
Enns Entomology Museum: The museum houses approximately 6 million insect, arachnid and fossil specimens, supporting research and teaching in biodiversity and organismal biology.
Show Me Research Week and Undergraduate Research Days: Students have opportunities to present their research publicly at Mizzou research events.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The B.A. in Biological Sciences is designed to provide flexibility for students who want to enter the workforce or continue into graduate and professional education. The University of Missouri identifies career pathways spanning medicine and other health professions, biotechnology, industry, government service, conservation and ecology, and secondary or higher education.

Typical job roles include Biological Technician, Laboratory Technician, Research Assistant, Environmental Technician.

Students can strengthen their career prospects through:

Career support: The Mizzou Career Center helps students explore career options, develop resumes, practice interviews and search for employment, while Handshake provides access to jobs and internships.
Employment outcomes: 95.4% of Mizzou bachelor's graduates achieve a successful outcome within six months of spring graduation, including employment, continuing education, military and service programs.
Employer access: More than 11,000 employers recruit from Mizzou each year, with more than 170,000 jobs and internships posted through Handshake annually.
Research experience: Biological Sciences students can work with faculty researchers across biology and other life-science departments, gaining experience in experimental design, data analysis and scientific presentation.
Research and internship pathways: Opportunities include BioFlare, Cherng Summer Scholars, the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Freshman Research in Plant Sciences, MARC, McNair Scholars, Mizzou Forward Undergraduate Research Training Grants and the Translational Biomedicine Summer Research Program.
Professional preparation: The BA's flexible structure allows students to combine biology with a second major, minor, certificate or other electives, making it suitable for different postgraduate and career goals.
Graduate outcomes: The program specifically prepares students for graduate study and professional schools, while the department offers its own M.S. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into Mizzou's M.S. or Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, or pursue other graduate and professional programs in areas such as medicine, health professions, biotechnology, ecology, conservation and related life sciences. Undergraduate research, including the departmental honors research pathway, can provide valuable preparation for advanced study.