College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Biological Sciences

Biology students outdoors

Humboldt State’s Biological Sciences majors constitute one of the best undergraduate biology programs in the nation. According to a National Science Foundation survey, Humboldt ranks #1 among non-Ph.D. granting institutions for the proportion of its graduates that go on to earn doctorates. Graduates of HSU in biological sciences experience a hands-on education in the mountains, forests, rivers, salt marshes, tide pools, and other marine habitats of northwestern California.

The curriculum offers a broad background in science, while allowing students to focus on a particular biological discipline and to pursue independent research. We offer Bachelor of Science degrees in biology, botany, and zoology, and our graduates compete well for placement in graduate programs at top schools and in the job market in a variety of careers.

Biology students sampling water.

The Biology major has emphases in biodiversity, cellular/ molecular biology, environmental biology, general biology, life science teaching, marine biology, microbiology, and natural history. Careers including medicine, biotechnology, marine biology, and environmental consulting are supported. The life-science, single-subject credential prepares students to teach biology at the secondary school level. Botany majors learn biological processes unique to plant life, including taxonomy, physiology, morphology, anatomy, and ecology. With this preparation a student may earn a job as a field botanist, plant physiologist, or greenhouse manager. Zoology majors examine these same processes in animals, preparing students for careers in veterinary medicine or in invertebrate or vertebrate zoology.

Biology students in a lab.

Our faculty members have earned national and international reputations in their fields. Small class sizes offer students opportunities to work closely with faculty. Six faculty members have won Outstanding Professor” awards and two have received “Scholar of the Year” awards at HSU.
Humboldt State University