Owned by Goshen College in the Florida Keys, with a laboratory beside coral reefs, mudflats and seagrass beds. Home to the annual May term course and immersive marine biology semester.
Bachelor of Arts
Biology
Major
Turn curiosity into discovery
Track elephants in Kenya, analyze endangered coral reefs in Florida, and analyze viruses in a working lab on campus.
The biology major at Goshen College builds a strong foundation in the scientific method and natural sciences while sharpening your critical thinking, data analysis and problem-solving skills. Over the past five years, over 90% of biology students who applied to graduate programs were accepted.
A biology degree from Goshen College is a launchpad: into medical school, veterinary school, conservation work, biotech or teaching. You get there through hands-on learning that starts early, and continues throughout all four years.
What you’ll study
First, you’ll build core scientific skills through coursework in the genetic, cellular, molecular, vertebrate, aquatic and marine areas. In these classes, you’ll not only have weekly three-hour labs, but also engage with the world around you through field trips and outdoor classes.
As a junior, you will design, run and analyze an independent research project that becomes your senior thesis. You can conduct paid, faculty-mentored research through the Maple Scholars Summer Research Program, with field study available through the Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies. If you want to become an educator, a teacher certification in life sciences is available through the education department.
Where you’ll do the work
J.N. Roth Marine Biology Station
Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center
A 1,189-acre nature preserve near Wolf Lake, Indiana, 30 miles from campus, with peat bogs, prairie and savanna restorations, and the LEED Platinum-certified Rieth Village for residential research.
Schrock Science Labs & Witmer Woods
Modern genetic, cellular, molecular and marine research labs, plus Witmer Woods, an 18-acre native arboretum within walking distance of the Goshen College campus.
I will always remember how my biology professor, Jody Saylor, emphasized the importance of every tiny function within the world of living organisms. Without each step, nothing would work. I apply this mindset to my life, as each obstacle I come across has its place in sending me where I’m supposed to be.
ZOE BROWN ’23
Biology Major at Goshen College
Paying for Goshen College
Goshen College financial aid packages average almost $26,000 per student. Many biology students also earn paid research stipends through the Maple Scholars program.
To see your own price after aid, run the net price calculator or explore your options at the financial aid and scholarships pages.
Common questions about the biology major
Graduates work in human medicine, veterinary medicine, conservation biology, biotechnology, marine biology and science education.
Yes. As a junior you design, run and analyze your own research project, which becomes your senior thesis. You can earn paid, faculty-mentored research through the Maple Scholars, and do field work at Merry Lea, the J.N. Roth Marine Biology Station in the Florida Keys, or in Kenya.
91% of classes at Goshen College have fewer than 30 students, so you work directly with professors, not teaching assistants. You join faculty research, weekly three-hour labs, a biology coffee hour, and a science speaker series, and many students from nearby Indiana counties commute from home while staying part of that community.
Yes. Teacher certification in Life Sciences, or in Life Sciences and Chemistry, is available alongside the Biology major. See the education department’s website for licensure requirements.
Ready to get started?
Jonathon Schramm
Professor of Sustainability and Environmental Education
Department ChairRaquel Montanez Gonzalez
Associate Professor of Biology
Andy Ammons
Professor of Biology
Phil Allman
Professor of Marine Biology
