Natural Sciences area of concentration

The Natural Sciences faculty have agreed that a student who earns “Natural Sciences” as an Area of Concentration should have a diverse enough background to be reasonably called a natural scientist and, at the same time, should have attained some level of mastery in one of the following disciplines: biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics or physics.

More than any of the more specialized programs we offer in the sciences, our Natural Sciences AOC allows you the flexibility to work with your faculty advisor in designing a course of study that matches your specific interests and goals. You won’t explore areas as deeply as you would in say, Chemistry, but you will enjoy unparalleled breadth, which is one of the reasons this program is so popular with pre-med and pre-dentistry students, as well as with students interested in environmental law and other professional areas where a broad-based familiarity and understanding of the sciences is needed.

An additional benefit to our Natural Sciences AOC is that it allows students to take classes with our expert faculty from a wide variety of disciplines. For example, one of our physics professors was recently awarded a $1.7 million grant from the United States government to fund her research on nanoparticles, while a professor in physical chemistry received a large grant from the U.S. Navy for his research on microwave spectroscopy. A biology professor received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) as part of a research team exploring gene networks and endosperm development in maize, and a professor in biochemistry received NSF funding for her research on animal development and gene expression. As a major in Natural Sciences, you have an opportunity to take classes, as available, with each of these faculty members, as well as others who are widely published and regarded in their fields.

In addition to medicine, dentistry and law, popular career paths chosen by our students who pursue a Natural Sciences AOC are lab work, quality control, and environmental and conservation work.