Explore the complex and interconnected nature of life from multiple lenses with a major or minor in biology. You’ll have the opportunity to work closely with research-focused professors in small classrooms. Then, you’ll apply that knowledge through hands-on laboratory and field-based coursework and research collaborations with department faculty. Your biology faculty advisers will work with you to best plan your educational path, which might include conducting summer research with faculty and studying biology abroad. You’ll leave HWS with a proficiency in biology, well-prepared for graduate school or the professional world.
Wanting to explore the field of mental health awareness and follow a passion of helping others, Jamachukwunma created mindfulness programs to support Geneva teenagers.
“I was able to work with a group of inspiring women who have made an impact in people’s lives in one way or another and are passionate about bridging connections among individuals in Geneva.”
Biology students looking to engage more in their work can study and complete Honors and research projects in their chosen topic with the guidance of a faculty mentor.
Past examples of Honors projects include:
Perform water quality research on Seneca Lake with the Finger Lakes Institute, attend guest lectures on water access hosted by the Fisher Center for Gender and Justice or complete a medical internship with Finger Lakes Health.
At Hobart and William Smith, learning goes beyond textbooks and classrooms. You’ll gain high-impact practical experience that deepens learning and opens doors.
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Study aquatic life around the Great Barrier Reef in Australia or cell growth in the Netherlands.
Wherever you go, our nationally-ranked global education program will allow you to apply classroom knowledge, develop cultural understanding and build global connections that expand your personal capacity and sense of purpose.
The Biology department is committed to fostering diversity, inclusion and belonging at all levels. Faculty are always available for extra help and some courses include collaborative components with Haudenosaunee and indigenous centers to explore Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Courses also include readings and perspectives from underrepresented minorities in the sciences, shaping discussion about contributions to scientific knowledge and historical biases.
The Colleges also support and recognize racially and ethnically underrepresented students in the sciences with the STEM Scholars awards.
Gain the basics and then go deeper into subfields in human, animal and plant biology.
Learn the fundamentals of studying biology, including distinguishing between the scientific inquiry and other modes of inquiry along with concepts of biology, the central role of DNA and RNA and the inheritance of genetic information.
Develop a working knowledge of the general biology and ecology of aquatic systems and of the organisms that make up aquatic communities.
Examine concepts and experimental models in cellular and systems neurobiology to gain a better understanding of how the nervous system is integrated to produce simple and complex behaviors.
At HWS, you’ll study biology with some of the best equipment available, and that’s not just our word. Rosenberg Hall, where the biology department is located, was called “among the best –if not the best-designed undergraduate science teaching-learning, research facilities we have ever seen” by The Council on Undergraduate Research.
This includes 15 instructional laboratories, 12 student-faculty research laboratories, 3 instrument rooms, a sterile culture room, chemical storage rooms, greenhouse, and computer labs that are light-filled and neatly appointed with soft woods, glass and polished steel.
Off-campus study can be completed in the Henry Hanley Biological Field Preserve, aboard The William Scandling research vessel on Seneca Lake or in cooperation with Cornell AgriTech. The Colleges also provide a perfect, central location to nearby natural resources for study including the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge and the Finger Lakes National Forest.
Banan didn’t just study biology at HWS. She participated in the full liberal arts experience - serving as a teaching assistant, completing a research project with a professor, completing an Honors project and serving as the chief of the Colleges’ Emergency Medical Service, just to name a few activities - which helped shape her path to medical school.
Thinking about a career in healthcare? HWS offers a specialty advising program to guide you on the road to medical, dental, veterinary or professional school. Minoring in Health Professions is also an option.
