The undergraduate program in Biology emphasizes the fundamental importance of research in advancing knowledge in the life sciences. In addition to the laboratory co-requisite courses required for the biology major, the Department encourages students to become personally involved in original research activities.
Undergraduate students have multiple opportunities to become involved in research for either course credit or enrichment. The three options are highlighted below.
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Option # 1: |
Students may work directly with a faculty member in BC laboratories on a range of research projects, many of which are supported by grants from federal agencies or private research foundations. Undergraduate research projects require significant commitment from both students and faculty. Students can receive course credit for their research by enrolling in a series of 3-credit research courses.
In order to apply for one of these positions, students are urged to contact individual faculty members who are conducting research in their areas of interest. A full listing of faculty members may be found by clicking here. BEFORE applying, students are urged to investigate the research of faculty members by looking at the papers that faculty have recently published.
In almost all cases, students enroll in these research courses for at least two semesters. During their senior year, students are expected to write a thesis describing their research results.
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Option # 2: |
The Biology Department sponsors several advanced laboratory courses that provide a means by which students can become engaged in original research activities. These three courses include:
BI-480, Biochemistry Lab
BI-482, Cell Biology Lab
BI-483, Molecular Biology Lab
With the help of funding from the National Science Foundation, these classes have been designed to give students an experience similar to that of a research lab. Students work around a common research theme, but learn different techniques in each of the three courses. In each class, students develop a research proposal and design experiments to test their hypotheses. The classes are small with 12 students or less. The ultimate goal of these classes is to publish student results in a research publication.
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Option #3: |
Students are also encouraged to take advantage of the many research opportunities that are availabe off-campus in biomedical institutions around the Boston area.
Students conducting research off-campus may be eligible to receive course credit for their research by finding a BC faculty member to act as a co-mentor with the director of the off-campus laboratory. Further information about off-campus research opportunities is made available to biology majors by contacting the Undergraduate Program Administrator in the Biology Office (Higgins 355).
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