Carnegie Mellon University

Welcome to Biological Sciences

Housed within the Mellon College of Science, the Biological Sciences department provides students with rigorous training in Biology, while building a strong foundation in all of the natural sciences. Our students study biology at the macro and micro scales, focusing on four core areas:

  • genetics and molecular biology
  • biochemistry and biophysics
  • cell and developmental biology
  • neuroscience

While gaining intellectual breadth and depth in these areas, students supplement their science training by incorporating several courses of their choosing available from other departments across campus.

We offer degree programs leading to a Bachelor of Science that can be specialized through several options, a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences and Psychology, as well as a Bachelor of Science and Art. Through this range of degree programs and options, students are offered the flexibility to design an educational plan that complements their learning style and curricular as well as professional interests. We strongly support students who wish to incorporate other educational options into their curriculum, including undergraduate research and Study Abroad experiences. More than 80% of our students participate in research at some point during their time at Carnegie Mellon, and the percentage of students participating in Study Abroad experiences continues to rise each year.

Our program offers the best of both worlds: the small size of a liberal arts program, and the educational opportunities of a large research institution. Students are integrated into the department early in their undergraduate careers through regular advising sessions, departmental colloquia, undergraduate research experiences, experiential internships, individualized faculty mentoring as well as activities and events sponsored by the Biological Sciences Student Advisory Council (BioSAC). Each of our students truly receives a personalized experience, and we are glad that you are interested in what we have to offer.  Please take some time to explore our department, and feel free to contact bio-ungrad@andrew.cmu.edu with any questions or comments that you may have.