Our Program's Strengths

Our top priority is the delivery of high quality biology instruction for students seeking Bachelor of Science degrees. Small class sizes and accessible professors allow for abundant individual interaction between faculty and students. Beyond the classroom, one-on-one mentorship of students is at the heart of our scientific research program.

A broad array of courses, individual research, and internship opportunities help prepare students for careers ranging from medicine to wildlife management. A Bachelor of Science degree in biology from UMW paves the way to graduate study such as physical therapy school, veterinary school, and Ph.D. programs in many fields.  Our students achieve careers in private industry, healthcare, and with public institutions such as the National Institutes of Health and the United States Department of Defense.

Our laboratories, housed in Jepson Science Center, are equipped with the latest scientific technology. We have not one electron microscope, but two. You can be trained to use a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine, spectrophotometer, or transmission electron microscope.

Jepson Science Center is within easy walking distance from the Fredericksburg region’s largest medical complex. Anchored by Mary Washington Hospital, this complex also includes the Moss Free Clinic and Medical Imaging of Fredericksburg. Convenient, abundant volunteer and internship opportunities help produce highly competitive medical, dental, and allied health program applicants.