Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Biology

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Boston College

Program Overview

The B.A. in Biology at Boston College provides a flexible foundation in the biological sciences while allowing students to explore other academic areas through broader elective choices. It is well suited to students interested in life sciences, research, biotechnology, public health, law, management, or graduate study, with coursework spanning molecular and cellular biology, ecology, evolution, genetics, physiology, and other biological disciplines.

Curriculum Structure

First Year: Students begin with the two foundational biology courses BIOL2000: Molecules and Cells and BIOL2010: Ecology and Evolution, developing an understanding of cellular processes, biological organization, evolution, and ecological systems. The B.A. also requires CHEM1109–1110: General Chemistry I and II with Labs and MATH1100: Calculus I, establishing the chemistry and quantitative foundation for further biology study.

Second Year: Students progress into more specialized biology through courses such as BIOL2040: Investigations in Molecular Cell Biology, BIOL3050: Genetics, and BIOL3030: Introduction to Physiology. Students can begin shaping their degree around a particular biological subdiscipline while completing the B.A.'s flexible elective requirements.

Third Year: The curriculum moves toward upper-level biological study, with options including BIOL3040: Cell Biology, BIOL3090: Foundations of Microbiology, and BIOL4140: Microbiology. Students also complete an Advanced Experience course, which may involve undergraduate research, a research laboratory course, primary-literature analysis, or data analysis.

Fourth Year: Students use the flexibility of the B.A. to complete advanced biology electives and deepen their chosen area, with options such as BIOL4330: Human Physiology with Lab, BIOL4320: Developmental Biology, or BIOL4450: Behavioral Ecology. Qualified students can also pursue the Biology Thesis Program, which combines research with completion of a senior thesis.

Focus areas: Bioinformatics, Microbiology, Cell Biology and Development, Genetics and Genomics, Physiology and Organismal Biology, General Biology, ecology, evolution, molecular biology, and organismal biology.

Learning outcomes: Students develop knowledge of evolution, cellular structure and function, information transfer and gene expression, energy transformation, and systems and organismal biology; apply observation, experimentation, and hypothesis testing; use quantitative reasoning and bioinformatics databases; and understand ethical practices in scientific research.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation): The official Boston College Biology pages do not state a separate professional or disciplinary accreditation for the B.A. in Biology. The program instead emphasizes research and experimentation, advanced laboratory experiences, scientific analysis, and preparation for graduate and professional pathways.

Reputation (Employability Rankings): The official Boston College Biology pages do not publish a program-specific QS, Guardian, or other employability ranking for the B.A. in Biology, so no specific program ranking is stated here.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The B.A. in Biology at Boston College places strong emphasis on research and experimentation, allowing students to develop practical scientific skills through advanced laboratory courses and faculty-guided research. Students can work in dedicated research laboratories, use specialized imaging, flow-cytometry and computational facilities, and participate in small, team-based laboratory projects where they develop research proposals, design experiments, analyze data and present their findings.

Practical opportunities include:

Advanced Research Laboratories: Junior and senior students can take small-enrollment Advanced Experience Laboratory courses, typically capped at 12 students, where they work in teams to develop research proposals, design experiments, test hypotheses and communicate findings.
Research Courses: Recent options include BIOL4075 Research in Phylogenetics, BIOL4830 Research in Molecular Biology Lab, BIOL4870 Research in Molecular Genetics Lab, BIOL4890 Investigations in Cellular Re-Programming, and BIOL5450 Advanced Lab in Cell Imaging.
Faculty-Guided Research: Students can conduct independent research with a Boston College Biology faculty member and earn 3 credits per semester; approved off-campus laboratory research is also available.
Undergraduate Research Day: Students in research laboratory courses have dedicated laboratory space and can present their research data at the department's Undergraduate Research Day.
Imaging Facility: The Biology Department provides access to a shared Imaging Facility located in Higgins Hall for biological research and advanced imaging work.
Flow Cytometry: Students working within appropriate research settings can benefit from the department's Flow Cytometry resources for characterizing cells and particles using fluorescent probes.
Bioinformatics Resources: The Bioinformatics Server includes 26 Dell PowerEdge compute nodes, 136 aggregate CPU cores and 7 TB of usable cluster-file-server storage, supporting computational biology research.
Research Areas: Departmental research facilities support work in Cell & Developmental Biology, Computational Biology, and Microbiology & Infectious Disease, giving students opportunities to explore different areas of modern biology.
Off-Campus Research: Students may pursue approved research in laboratories throughout the Boston area, providing access to research environments beyond the Boston College campus.
Research Community: Boston College identifies itself as an R1 Carnegie-classified research institution, and its official undergraduate research page reports that 30% of BC students worked on a faculty member's research project.
Program-Specific Laboratory Courses: Current Biology laboratory offerings include Investigations in Molecular Cell Biology Laboratory, Research in Cell Biology Laboratory, Research in Molecular Biology Laboratory, Research in Biochemistry Laboratory, Research in Neuroscience Laboratory, and Methods in Community Ecology Laboratory.
Internships: The official Biology undergraduate pages emphasize faculty research, advanced laboratory courses and approved off-campus research rather than identifying a dedicated B.A. Biology internship requirement; therefore, a program-specific internship requirement is not stated.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The B.A. in Biology at Boston College gives graduates a flexible foundation for careers and further study across the life sciences, healthcare, biotechnology, education, public health, and related fields. The program can also support professional-school preparation, graduate research, and interdisciplinary pathways because the B.A. allows students to combine biology with areas such as law, ethics, history, sociology, computer science, and management.

Career roles: Scientific Research Assistant, Laboratory Technician, Clinical Research Coordinator, Quality Control Analyst.

Career Center support: Boston College's Career Center provides one-on-one coaching, career exploration resources, employer and alumni networking, Handshake job opportunities, career fairs, and industry-specific events; 67% of the Class of 2025 reported using a Career Center resource to secure employment.
Employment outcomes: 96.6% of the Boston College Class of 2025 were employed, enrolled in graduate school, participating in a fellowship, or involved in service/volunteering, while 81% completed an internship during their four years. These figures are university-wide outcomes and are not specific to B.A. Biology graduates.
Salary: Boston College reports a $74,000 median starting salary for the Class of 2025; this is a university-wide figure rather than a Biology-specific salary.
Industry connections: Boston College's Career Center identifies biotechnology and pharmaceuticals as career fields for students and lists BC graduates working at organizations including Biogen, Merck, Moderna Therapeutics, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi Genzyme, Takeda, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.
Research opportunities: Biology students can conduct faculty-supervised research on campus or approved research at laboratories elsewhere in the Boston area, including research hospitals associated with local medical schools. Students can earn academic credit through research, and Boston College reports that 30% of its students worked on a faculty member's research project.
Graduation outcomes: Biology graduates have progressed into health professions, science teaching, public health, business, law, graduate school, and scientific careers. Students interested in health careers can also work with Boston College's Pre-Health Office for planning and guidance.
Accreditation value: The official Boston College Biology pages do not state a separate professional accreditation specifically for the B.A. in Biology; therefore, no program-specific accreditation should be assumed.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the B.A., students can pursue graduate or professional programs in the life sciences, medicine and other health professions, while Boston College also offers a 5-year B.S./M.S. pathway in Biology for eligible undergraduate researchers who apply during their junior year. The Biology Department additionally offers a Ph.D. program for students seeking advanced research training.