Biology B.S./B.A. with Integrative Organismal Biology Emphasis

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Utah

Program Overview

The University of Utah’s Biology B.S./B.A. with Integrative Organismal Biology Emphasis is designed for students who want to understand how organisms are structured, function, behave, evolve, and interact with their environments, bringing together perspectives from physiology, ecology, evolution, genetics, and related sciences. The program suits students interested in organismal biology, environmental and ecological science, research, conservation, or further study in the life sciences, with the B.S. providing additional quantitative and upper-division requirements compared with the B.A.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish their scientific foundation through the University of Utah’s introductory biology sequence, including BIOL 1610 Fundamental Principles of Biology I and BIOL 1620 Fundamental Principles of Biology II, together with their associated laboratory courses BIOL 1615 and BIOL 1625. Mathematics and general education coursework also begin the quantitative and broader academic preparation required for the degree.

Year 2: Students progress into the biology core with courses such as BIOL 2020 Principles of Cell Biology and BIOL 2030 Genetics, building knowledge of cellular processes and inheritance before moving into upper-division organismal study. The program also continues the science foundation through chemistry, physics, mathematics, and additional general education requirements.

Year 3: The curriculum becomes more specialized, with students completing courses from the major's biological areas and beginning upper-division electives. For the Integrative Organismal Biology emphasis, options include BIOL 3310 Comparative Vertebrate Morphology, BIOL 3320 Comparative Physiology, BIOL 3330 Behavioral Neurobiology, BIOL 3340 Introduction to Plant Biology, BIOL 3370 Microbial Biology, and BIOL 3430 Animal Behavior, allowing students to explore how organisms are built, function, and behave.

Year 4: Students complete advanced emphasis coursework, laboratory experience, and upper-division biology requirements, including an Integrative Organismal Biology elective and two BIOL 5000+ courses. Depending on course selection, students can study areas such as BIOL 5350 Ornithology, BIOL 5370 Mammalogy, BIOL 5425 Mycology, BIOL 5480 Entomology, BIOL 5510 Genes, Development, and Evolution, or BIOL 5455 Desert Field Ecology, providing opportunities to connect organismal biology with field, evolutionary, and ecological perspectives.

Focus areas: Organismal structures and functions, comparative biology, physiology, animal behavior, plant biology, microbial biology, ecology, evolution, biodiversity, and environmental interactions.

Learning outcomes: Demonstrate advanced literacy of organismal structures and functions, interpret, design and conduct biological experiments focused on organismal structures and functions, and effectively communicate biological concepts related to organismal biology.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The University of Utah's official program information identifies this as a Biological Sciences Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science with an Integrative Organismal Biology emphasis; the official program page does not state a separate professional accreditation specific to this biology degree.

Reputation (employability rankings): The University of Utah's official program and catalog pages reviewed for this program do not publish a program-specific QS, Guardian, or other employability ranking, so no ranking is stated here.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The University of Utah’s Biology B.S./B.A. with an Integrative Organismal Biology Emphasis gives students practical experience studying how organisms are structured, function, adapt, and interact with their environments. The emphasis requires advanced biology coursework and laboratory experience, with options spanning comparative vertebrate morphology, comparative physiology, animal behavior, plant biology, ornithology, mammalogy, entomology, and genetics, development, and evolution. Students can also move beyond coursework into faculty-led research, field-based investigation, and specialized biological facilities across the School of Biological Sciences.

Students can develop practical skills through these program-specific opportunities:

Organismal laboratories: Students can choose hands-on courses such as BIOL 3325 Comparative Physiology Laboratory, BIOL 3665 Form, Function & Adaptation of Animals, BIOL 2355 Field Botany, or BIOL 4955 Individual Research to satisfy the environmental and organismal biology laboratory component.
Field-based learning: BIOL 2355 Field Botany provides practical experience focused on plants and their identification and study, while the School's field-station resources provide additional environments for biological and environmental research.
Animal and organism studies: The emphasis allows students to select courses including Comparative Vertebrate Morphology, Comparative Physiology, Behavioral Neurobiology, Animal Behavior, Ornithology, Mammalogy, Mycology, and Entomology, giving students opportunities to examine organisms from structural, physiological, behavioral, and evolutionary perspectives.
Undergraduate research: Students can participate in approximately 50 research groups covering areas from laboratory-based biological research to ecology fieldwork. BIOL 4955 Individual Research can count toward biology electives and laboratory requirements.
Research collaboration: The School encourages students to work with faculty across research areas including Behavior & Neurobiology, Ecology & Conservation Biology, Ecosystem Science, Evolution & Biodiversity, Physiology & Functional Morphology, Plant Biology, and Genetics & Genomics.
Science Research Initiative: The Science Research Initiative (SRI) gives incoming students an opportunity to participate in discovery-based research, with freshmen, sophomores, and transfer students working on research problems through dedicated research streams.
DNA sequencing tools: The School's DNA Sequencing Facility includes an Illumina MiSeq high-throughput DNA sequencing system and an Agilent TapeStation for sequencing-library quality control, supporting advanced biological research and training.
Environmental research facility: The Stable Isotope Ratio Facility for Environmental Research (SIRFER) provides H, C, N, O, and S stable-isotope analysis and specifically supports undergraduate and graduate training, including one-on-one training for students conducting their own analyses.
Greenhouse facility: The School's approximately 6,400-square-foot greenhouse facility provides controlled environments ranging from desert to tropical conditions for plant research, teaching, and display.
Field research locations: The Bonderman Field Station at Rio Mesa serves as an outdoor laboratory for environmental research, while the nearby Red Butte Canyon Natural Research Area hosts research projects conducted by University of Utah scientists and researchers from other universities and government agencies.
Computational resources: Students involved in biological research can benefit from the University's Center for High Performance Computing, which provides research-computing resources, data analytics, advanced networking, and training to support computational and data-intensive research.
Honors research: Biology Honors students complete three semesters of research experience and can earn research credit through BIOL 4995 Biology Honors Research or BIOL 4955 Individual Research, followed by an honors thesis.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Biology B.S./B.A. with Integrative Organismal Biology Emphasis prepares students to study organisms from molecular and physiological levels through ecology, evolution, and interactions with their environments. This multidisciplinary foundation can support careers in biological research, environmental and conservation work, wildlife biology, and further professional or graduate education.

Career roles: Biologist, Wildlife Biologist, Environmental Scientist, Biological Researcher.

Career services: The University of Utah’s Career & Professional Development Center provides career coaching, internship and job-search support, resume and cover-letter reviews, interview preparation, salary-negotiation guidance, and access to Handshake for jobs and internships. The School of Biological Sciences also directs students toward College of Science career coaches and preprofessional advising for pathways such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and law.
Employment & salary figures: The University of Utah’s UGuide reports that Biologists had median annual earnings of about $93,000 in 2025, with 80% earning approximately $54,000–$162,000. For Molecular & Cellular Biologists, the reported 2025 median was also about $93,000, with an 80% salary range of $54,000–$162,000. These are occupation-level figures rather than guaranteed salaries for University of Utah graduates.
Industry and internship connections: The School of Biological Sciences maintains internship opportunities with organizations including The Nature Conservancy, T3S Technologies, Vironika LLC, Knudra Transgenics, and the U.S. Forest Service. T3S Technologies is a Salt Lake City biotechnology company founded by microbial geneticists and industry professionals, while Knudra Transgenics works in model-organism bioengineering for industry and academia.
Research opportunities: Students can participate in approximately 50 research groups spanning molecular laboratory research to ecological fieldwork. Biology 4955 Independent Research can contribute toward biology electives and laboratory requirements, while Biology 4995 supports honors research.
Professional exposure: The School’s BioLuminaries program connects students with alumni and biologists, giving students opportunities to learn about professional pathways and careers across biology.
Long-term accreditation value: The University of Utah has maintained institutional accreditation through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) continuously since 1933. NWCCU accreditation evaluates educational quality, effectiveness, institutional objectives, and the university’s capacity to continue achieving those objectives.
Graduation outcomes: The School of Biological Sciences reports alumni working across academia, health care, private industry, and other sectors, demonstrating the range of directions available after biology study.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into the University of Utah’s Biology M.S. or Biology Ph.D., with the Ph.D. offering focused graduate training through Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology (EEOB) or Molecular, Cellular and Evolutionary Biology (MCEB). The university also offers a Biology B.S./M.S. pathway, allowing qualified undergraduates to begin graduate-level coursework during their fourth year and complete the M.S. with advanced coursework and thesis research.