— Rachel Araiza '22
Learn about life processes by making original observations, asking biological questions and testing hypotheses through experimentation.
Students in the biology major at Pacific University learn to become biologists by working side-by-side with faculty doing biology. Pacific's biology major gives students relevant, authentic experiences that encourage their development as scientists, from introductory biology through the senior capstone project.
Biology majors broaden their experiences and explore different fields of biology through internships and outside research programs. Students work with local and national organizations such as the Oregon Zoo, Oregon Health Science University, state and federal wildlife agencies, and healthcare clinics.
“There’s a lot of opportunities for research, even if you’re just starting out. I like trying to figure out what’s going on and being the first to figure it out."
What Can You Do with a Biology Degree?
Pacific’s biology graduates are prepared to do anything or go anywhere. Our biology graduates work as lab technicians, environmental consultants, teachers, lawyers, microbiologists, geneticists, ecologists, veterinarians, zoologists and, of course, in a wide range of health and medical professions.
Our students are recruited by the top graduate programs, medical schools and professional schools in the country. Many recent graduates work in the high-tech industry because of their strong backgrounds in biology, chemistry, math, computer science and physics.
"Because it’s such a small campus, you’re able to form meaningful relationships with your professors. The research that I’ve been doing right here has been an amazing experience that I probably wouldn’t have gotten at a larger university.”
— Rylee Trendell '19
Pacific University is the No. 1 private research university in the Pacific Northwest — and No. 8 in the Far West, among peers like Stanford and USC. What does that mean for you, as an undergraduate student? At Pacific, undergraduate students conduct independent and guided research alongside their professors. You have the opportunity to publish and to attend national conferences. Learn more about the Pacific Undergraduate Research Program.
Headlines
Faculty member Kara Lanning '07 and student Brodie Buchert '25 are conducting research to identify water-based pathogens and their effective on native plants in reclaimed natural areas in Pacific's backyard.
Duncan Anderson's '24 senior capstone research project is helping a Hawaiʻi company improve its product in a quest to reduce methane emissions from livestock.
Pacific students participated in the Murdock College Science Research Conference, which provides students in the Northwest the opportunity to present research on topics across an entire spectrum of scientific subjects. This year's conference was co-hosted by Pacific University.