- You are interested in learning about aspects of the biology of organisms that live on Earth.
- You enjoy a dynamic field of study, with new discoveries being made every day.
- You are interested in hands-on experiences, including courses with integrated laboratories and conducting research with faculty.
- You plan to pursue a career in biology research, education or outreach, or attend professional school in areas including medicine and dentistry.
Bachelor of Biology at Pennsylvania State University
University Rank:#82
Bachelor of Biology at Pennsylvania State University
The Biology is a Bachelor degree offered by Pennsylvania State University across its Main Site, Any Penn State Campus, Abington, Altoona, Erie, Berks, University Park, Harrisburg, Schuylkill, Beaver, Brandywine, Scranton, and York campuses in United States of America. The program is delivered on campus as a Full Time course in English and requires approximately 4 years to complete. Students study across its Main Site, Any Penn State Campus, Abington, Altoona, Erie, Berks, University Park, Harrisburg, Schuylkill, Beaver, Brandywine, Scranton, and York campuses while gaining the knowledge and practical experience expected for this area of study. The next intake is available from June 1, 2027.
About Bachelor of Biology
Biology is the scientific study of life: the diversity and organization of organisms, from single-celled bacteria to multi-cellular plants and animals, including humans. These different levels of biological organization range from the molecules and cells that compose an organism, to the interacting organisms that make up an ecosystem. Hands-on experiences, from designing and conducting lab experiments to making field observations, using many different procedures and instruments, play an important role in gaining biological knowledge. Basic research in biology provides many benefits. Faculty in the Department of Biology at Penn State are exploring ways to cure neurological diseases, to conserve coral populations in tropical oceans, to discover more efficient ways to use plants for food and bioenergy, to develop vaccines for infectious diseases, and investigating many other facets of biology, all with the goal of positively impacting humans and the environment.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to describe how heritable changes can lead to differences in populations over time that might result in speciation; trace energy/matter transformation, storage, and mobilization; explain how information is exchanged and stored; recognize how changes in biological structures can have varying effects on function; and/or describe the interactions and interconnections among systems across biological scales and over evolutionary time scales.
- Students will be able to apply the elements of the process of science such as posing questions, generating novel hypotheses based on the scientific literature; developing appropriate technical skills for research; designing/conducting experiments to test hypotheses in laboratory and/or field settings; summarizing/interpreting data; integrating/evaluating findings in the broader scientific field to construct new knowledge; and/or participating in the peer review/revision process.
- Students will be able to discriminate among scientific claims presented in a variety of sources based on the strength of evidence; find appropriate published scientific literature; and/or analyze and critically evaluate data/conclusions from the scientific peer-reviewed literature.
- Students will be able to apply basic quantitative competencies such as algebra, probability, statistics, unit conversions, and fundamental biological equations; organize, summarize, and interpret quantitative data; use modeling/simulation to approach problems from across various scales; and/or find and analyze large databases using statistical methods and/or other approaches.
- Students will be able to integrate knowledge among biological subfields and between biology and other disciplines.
- Students will be able to engage with diverse communities and leverage the skills in the community to pose and solve biological questions; demonstrate the ability to work in teams to solve biological problems; and/or communicate in a variety of formal and informal ways in the discussion of biological research.
- Students will explore the impacts of scientific research on society and the environment and how society influences/relies on research to inform decision-making; evaluate the ethical implications of biological research; recognize ethical issues in a variety of settings; and/or describe how different perspectives and the resulting alternative approaches might be evaluated using ethical principles to identify a solution to an issue.
- Students will be able to communicate in a professional manner and learn/use professional behaviors in all aspects of college and career building activities, including participation in opportunities such as research, internships, cooperative education, teaching and tutoring, study abroad, and/or volunteer work.
Disciplines
Penn State Abington The Abington College
Requirements and Admission Criteria for Bachelor of Biology at Pennsylvania State University
Entry Requirements
Penn State requires the submission of specific academic credentials to complete your application. Review the secondary and post-secondary requirements for your country below.
If you are a first year student applying to Penn State:
Click Apply to start your Penn State application. Before starting, you can also review the Applying Online Worksheet for more details and helpful hints about the application.
Your application work can be saved at each step of the process by clicking the Save and Continue button at the bottom of the page. This feature will allow you to move back and forth within the application or log off and return to complete your application at a later time.
After completing your Academic History, you will need to provide your Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR). As you begin the SRAR process, a new window will open allowing you to complete your SRAR. SRAR will focus on your high school coursework. It is important that this step is a complete and accurate representation of your school record. Therefore, have a copy of your secondary school records available as you complete your SRAR. You will need to enter every class and every grade earned for the last three years, as well as those classes in progress.
After completing your SRAR, you will be directed back to the Penn State application in order to complete the Program of Study portion of the application. Here, you will indicate your desired starting semester, your intended program of study, and your starting and ending campus. For further details on how to complete this portion based on your applicant type, please see the steps to apply for first-year students.
After completing this section of the application, you will provide some additional information, an activities resume, and a personal statement. You will be able to paste in this information from other sources, but note that the formatting may not always paste in as intended.
If you are a transfer student applying to Penn State:
All international transfer students will be required to submit official high school transcripts in order to complete the application. International transfer students will not complete the Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR) for either their high school or college coursework.
If you have accepted your offer of admission to Penn State:
If you completed SRAR and are accepted to Penn State, please provide the following for grade verification:
- Official transcript from years 9, 10, 11, and 12. If the transcript is issued in a language other than English, it must be accompanied by a separate line-by-line English translation.
- Official copy of the Tawjihi, accompanied by a separate line-by-line English translation.
English Requirements
- IELTSMin 6.5
- TOEFLMin 80
Career Opportunities after Completing Bachelor of Biology
A Biology BS degree provides an excellent foundation and the skills required for a wide range of technical careers. While many majors use a Biology degree to prepare for entrance into health professional schools, others follow career paths in research, education, and business. Students also pursue graduate study at universities both across the U.S. and internationally.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES OF THE BIOLOGY PROGRAM
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDIES
Tuition and Fee Information for Bachelor of Biology at Pennsylvania State University
Application Fee 75
How to Apply for Bachelor of Biology at Pennsylvania State University
Step 1: Choose Your Application Method
Apply through MyPennState
The first step of the application process is to create a Penn State account, if you do not have one already. MyPennState is where future students can access the online application.
If you are new to MyPennState, you will need to establish a Penn State User ID and password, which you will access during the MyPennState profile creation process. Once you have your log in information, you can sign in to begin work on your application.
When creating the profile, please use the name that is on your passport. Because materials are filed alphabetically under the family name on the application, it is important that all correspondence and records consistently use the same name (family and given) and spelling. If this name does not match your academic records, please notify us of the difference. Please note: In the U.S., the family name is usually referred to as the last name, and the given name is referred to as the first name.
Additionally, Penn State requires a current, valid email address, as that is our primary means of communication with international students. To ensure deliverability, please make Penn State (psu.edu) an eligible sender to the account.
Applying through the Common App
Applying to Penn State via the Common App is available to first-year (freshman) international students. If applying through the Common App, Penn State will create a MyPennState profile when the application is submitted and you will receive instructions on how to access your profile. If you intend to apply with the Common App, you do not need create a MyPennState profile prior to submitting your application.
Step 2: Access the Application and Review Important Dates
While you can create a MyPennState profile at any time, the application for admission becomes available on the following dates:
Fall/Summer Admission: August 1
Spring Admission: June 1
The application submission dates vary by applicant type and intended program of study. Some programs have specific deadlines or admissions requirements. Please refer to our Dates & Deadlines for more information about application deadlines, as well as our Admissions Requirements to review information about any additional materials required for your intended program of study.
Step 3: Start Your Penn State Application
If applying through MyPennState:
Click Apply Online to start your Penn State application.
Your application work can be saved at each step of the process by clicking the "Save and Continue" button at the bottom of the page. This feature will allow you to move back and forth within the application or log off and return to complete your application at a later time.
After completing your Academic History, you will need to provide your Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR), unless otherwise directed. You will be directed to enter information about your secondary school coursework. Please have a copy of your secondary school records as you complete SRAR. It is important that this step is a complete and accurate representation of your school record. You will need to enter every grade for every course you have taken in the last three years, as well as your current schedule of classes.
Students educated in South Korea will not complete SRAR. The document requirements for South Korea can be found by reviewing our International Credential Requirements.
After this section, you will be directed back to the Penn State application to complete the Program of Study portion. Here, you will indicate your desired starting semester, your intended program of study, and your starting and ending campus. For further details on how to complete this portion based on your applicant type, please see the steps to apply for either first-year students or transfer students.
After this portion, you will provide some additional application information, an activities resume, and a personal statement. You will be able to paste in this information from other sources, but note that the formatting may not always paste in as intended.
If applying through the Common App:
Complete the Common App, which will then direct you to MyPennState to complete SRAR. Applicants using the Common App may feel that they provided their high school record via the Common App, but Penn State requires the completion of SRAR via MyPennState. We strongly encourage you to obtain an official copy of your high school transcript to ensure accurate entry of your coursework completed and grades earned. The SRAR will include all of your high school coursework from your last three years of work and your current year schedule. If your final year grades are available when you enter SRAR, you can enter them at that time.
Step 4: Submit Your Application
The application requires a nonrefundable application fee of $75 for international students. Be sure to complete the last step after Summary and Review, which finalizes payment of your fee, and be certain it is successfully submitted. Once the application is submitted, you can verify its completion by accessing your MyPennState profile.
Step 5: Submit Required Application Materials
In order to complete your Penn State application, we need the following materials:
- Application
- Secondary school record
- Post-secondary school records (if applicable)
- First-year applicants only: Official test scores: SAT (code #2660) or ACT (code #3656)
Writing Component and Subject Tests
Please note: The writing component of standardized tests (SAT or ACT) is not required. The writing component will not be used as part of our evaluation. If your test scores include the writing component, by all means, have those scores sent to Penn State. Additionally, we do not require SAT Subject Tests.
- English language proficiency, if your native language is not English
Please see the admissions requirements for international students to review the details about the required application materials. Some programs require additional items to complete your application. Please review our Admissions Requirements for those details.
Penn State does not require letters of recommendation, nor are they used in a student’s evaluation (unless required for a specific program).
Step 6: Check Your Application Status in MyPennState
You can always check the status of your application in MyPennState. We will communicate with you via MyPennState and through a series of emails regarding the missing items for your application. When everything has arrived, you will see a status in MyPennState confirming the completion of your application.
Please note: It is your responsibility to check on the status of your application and send us any missing materials.
Step 7: Receive Your Admission Decision
Once we have reached a decision regarding your application, we will update your status in MyPennState and provide a printable PDF of your decision letter. Review our Dates & Deadlines to see when you should expect your decision.
If accepted, you can accept your offer of admission in MyPennState to begin the process of becoming a Penn State student. Visit our Accepted Students section to review the next steps in this process. Once you accept your offer of admission to Penn State, those students completing SRAR will submit their official records for validation purposes as soon as possible.
Bachelor of Biology at Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
United States of America, University Park