About the Biology Department

The Department of Biology is committed to the study of living organisms through teaching, research, and public service. The Department is staffed with 20 faculty members representing various subject areas in biology and three permanent support staff personnel. In addition, several research associates are supported with outside contracts and grants. Adjunct faculty members from state and federal agencies also teach courses in their areas of expertise. Approximately 300 undergraduate students and 50 graduate students are enrolled in programs within the Department.

The Department houses the federally- and state-funded Tennessee Cooperative Fishery Research Unit and interacts with the TTU Center for the Management, Utilization, and Protection of Water Resources housed in the College of Engineering. The Department also is affiliated with the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory at Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Personnel from these units provide additional expertise in a wide range of biological disciplines.

The Department of Biology offers several courses of study at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Undergraduate students can choose among four concentrations in the Biology B.S. degree (Biology, Biochemistry, Environmental Biology, or Health Sciences) or three concentrations in Wildlife and Fisheries Science B.S. degree (Conservation Biology, Fisheries Science, or Wildlife Science).

The Department also offers an M.S. degree in Biology and a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences with a concentration in Biology. The coursework in these advanced degrees is variable and highly dependent upon the interests and career goals of individual students.

A diversity of opportunities outside traditional coursework is available to students within the Department. Students are encouraged to participate in one or more of the five student organizations sponsored or co-sponsored by the Department - the Student Chapter of the Wildlife Society, the Student Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, the Marine Biology Club, Beta Beta Beta Biological Society, and the Biochemical Association of Tennessee Tech. Students also are encouraged to attend scientific meetings, and many classes have associated field trips. Undergraduate research and internship opportunities are being developed within the Department, and recent graduates have emphasized how their active participation in these programs enhanced career development and job placement.

In summary, the Department of Biology at TTU provides all the tools and opportunities needed for the academic development of a professional in a wide range of careers within the biological sciences. Our programs are administered by and courses are taught by a caring faculty whose primary mission is to teach students a diversity of topics in the fascinating area of biological sciences.