Biological Sciences

What is Biological Sciences?

Biologists ask questions such as: How does an ecosystem remain productive? In what ways do fungi adapt to their environments? How do single-celled organisms lead their lives?

From biomolecules to the biosphere, the Biological Sciences consider life in all forms. Biologists study everything from the evolutionary effects of climate change to how microbes can be used to clean up oil spills, as well as designing and carrying out their own research. As the most broadly based Biological Sciences program, this degree will provide you with a strong foundation in biology and many transferable skills upon graduation.

Why choose Biological Sciences?

In the Biological Sciences major at UCalgary, you have the flexibility to design and customize your degree with access to many diverse courses across the discipline of biology. The program has a strong focus on experiential learning, particularly building research skills through hands-on experiences throughout your program. You will also develop strong quantitative skills, including programming and modelling, required for biologists in a data-driven world.

Work-integrated learning

The Science Internship Program provides you with the opportunity to build workplace skills. Students have taken on roles such as laboratory analyst, emissions management co-op student and infrastructure & cloud services co-op student.

Internationalize your degree

Take your learning off campus by exploring one of our 200+ international opportunities. For example, in Biological Sciences, you can participate in the Tropical Biodiversity and Conservation program in Belize . We encourage you to check out UCalgary’s selection of programs.

Program highlights

• Collaborative team work - Interact with your peers while learning to collaborate on projects.
• Lab work - Learn how to use tools and develop techniques within a supervised laboratory setting.
• Three choices of concentration - Biodiversity & Conservation, Biotechnology, and Genetics & Evolution.

Career opportunities

Biologists have career opportunities in areas such as environmental management and conservation, scientific research, biotechnology and more. A degree in Biological Sciences can also be used as a stepping-stone to graduate studies or to another professional degree such as dentistry, medicine, veterinary medicine or education.