{"id":1164,"date":"2017-12-20T13:36:44","date_gmt":"2017-12-20T13:36:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biology-dev.mit.edu\/?page_id=1164"},"modified":"2023-12-07T13:08:26","modified_gmt":"2023-12-07T18:08:26","slug":"why-biology","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/undergraduate\/why-biology\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Biology"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-28045\" src=\"https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/why_biology_hero_picture_2023-11-28-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1062\" height=\"705\" srcset=\"https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/why_biology_hero_picture_2023-11-28-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/why_biology_hero_picture_2023-11-28-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/why_biology_hero_picture_2023-11-28-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/why_biology_hero_picture_2023-11-28-1536x1020.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/why_biology_hero_picture_2023-11-28-2048x1360.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/why_biology_hero_picture_2023-11-28-282x187.jpg 282w, https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/why_biology_hero_picture_2023-11-28-431x286.jpg 431w, https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/why_biology_hero_picture_2023-11-28-414x275.jpg 414w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1062px) 100vw, 1062px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Our students thrive in an atmosphere that promotes exploration and collaboration across all areas of research and study. Our professors have an infectious passion for instruction and strive to teach each course better than it\u2019s ever been taught before. \u00a0Undergraduates and teaching assistants enhance the quality of the department with their research, knowledge, and creativity. Rigorous standards and a supportive culture combine to foster a powerful environment for learning.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"cta-btn\" href=\"\/undergraduate\/why-biology\/undergraduate-testimonials\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Hear From Our Students<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cYou don\u2019t need to know exactly what you want to do coming in. If there are several areas of interest to you, MIT Biology will help you explore them.\u201d<br \/>\n<strong>Julia Ginder SB \u201919, Course 5-7<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>The Academic Experience<\/h2>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-28117\" src=\"https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Why_bio_1_2023-12-07-300x199.jpg\" alt=\"group photo\" width=\"1078\" height=\"716\" srcset=\"https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Why_bio_1_2023-12-07-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Why_bio_1_2023-12-07-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Why_bio_1_2023-12-07-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Why_bio_1_2023-12-07-1536x1020.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Why_bio_1_2023-12-07-2048x1360.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Why_bio_1_2023-12-07-282x187.jpg 282w, https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Why_bio_1_2023-12-07-431x286.jpg 431w, https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Why_bio_1_2023-12-07-414x275.jpg 414w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1078px) 100vw, 1078px\" \/><\/h2>\n<p>Our undergraduate curriculum is designed to give you a sophisticated understanding of the fundamental principles and prevailing and emerging approaches to biology with particular emphasis on molecular and cellular biology. Coursework emphasizes methods and logic rather than a particular set of facts.<\/p>\n<p>We offer four courses and minor options:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bachelor of Science in Biology | Course 7<\/li>\n<li>Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Biology | Course 5-7 (offered jointly by Biology and Chemistry)<\/li>\n<li>Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Molecular Biology | Course 6-7 (offered jointly by Biology and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science)<\/li>\n<li>Biology Minor<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a class=\"cta-btn\" href=\"\/undergraduate\/course-requirements\/\" rel=\"noopener\">View Course Requirements<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cBiology classes have a reputation for being memorization-heavy, but MIT Bio\u2019s approach is all about taking the information you\u2019ve learned and using it to solve interesting problems.\u201d<br \/>\n<strong>Leah McKinney SB \u201920, Course 7<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-4987 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/WhyBio-300x140.jpeg\" alt=\"Group of people in lab coats around whiteboard\" width=\"1078\" height=\"503\" srcset=\"https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/WhyBio-300x140.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/WhyBio-420x196.jpeg 420w, https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/WhyBio-768x358.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/WhyBio-1024x477.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/WhyBio-401x187.jpeg 401w, https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/WhyBio-610x284.jpeg 610w, https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/WhyBio.jpeg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1078px) 100vw, 1078px\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2>Research and Career Development<\/h2>\n<p>Undergraduate study in the department provides a strong foundation for research and a variety of career opportunities. Laboratory research allows you to gain a working knowledge of experimental design, data evaluation, and scientific presentation. Our affiliated labs and research centers afford unprecedented opportunities for undergraduates to participate in groundbreaking projects and interdisciplinary collaborations with clinical and therapeutic applications.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Learn about undergraduate <a href=\"\/undergraduate\/current-students\/research-opportunities\/\">research opportunities<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Find <a href=\"\/undergraduate\/current-students\/career-development\/\">career development resources<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a class=\"cta-btn\" href=\"\/faculty-and-research\/areas-of-research\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Explore Department Research<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cI\u2019ve worked in the same lab since my freshman fall, and I love how \u2014 in every class I take \u2014 something ties back to my research.\u201d<br \/>\n<strong>Muskaan Aggarwal SB \u201920, Course 7<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>Learn More from Your Peers<\/h2>\n<p>When undergrads swap stories with their counterparts at other schools, they quickly come to the conclusion that the MIT Biology experience is different. We encourage our students to think creatively as they define their own course roadmap.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Learn more about the <a href=\"\/undergraduate\/current-students\/\">student experience<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"mailto:bexec@mit.edu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Contact the Biology Undergraduate Student Association<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our students thrive in an atmosphere that promotes exploration and collaboration across all areas of research and study. Our professors have an infectious passion for instruction and strive to teach each course better than it\u2019s ever been taught before. \u00a0Undergraduates and teaching assistants enhance the quality of the department with their research, knowledge, and creativity. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"parent":75,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1164","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n<title>Why Biology - MIT Department of Biology<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/biology.mit.edu\/undergraduate\/why-biology\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why Biology\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Our students thrive in an atmosphere that promotes exploration and collaboration across all areas of research and study. 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