Majors and Minors

Biology and Earth Science Majors and Minors

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• Biology Major and Minor

  Otterbein offers an exciting biology program that provides students with a strong foundation and prepares them for a wide variety of endeavors after graduation. Recent graduates have pursued careers in environmental science, field biology, genetic counseling, forensics, or in the biotechnology industry. Many of our students also go on to earn advanced degrees from graduate or professional schools (medical, dental, veterinary). Our department also supports course offerings in the new Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major.

  As a Biology major at Otterbein, you will receive broad training in the foundations of biology followed by the opportunity to take specialized courses in more advanced fields. You will take classes from dedicated, enthusiastic professors who have either a Ph.D. or an M.D. They are gifted teachers, and many have received grants from the National Science Foundation to support their innovative teaching initiatives. You will work closely with your professors in small classes and have access to state of the art equipment in our new laboratories inside our recently opened Science Building. There is no doubt you will come to love our new modern science facility. Your biology education at Otterbein will also be strongly shaped by your experiences outside the classroom. Perhaps it will be with one of our professors in a field course to local streams or on one of the international trips that the faculty regularly lead to more exotic locations such as Belize, Costa Rica, and Africa.

  You will also be encouraged to pursue internship and research projects while at Otterbein. Students have conducted internships with park naturalists, genetic counselors, physical therapists, veterinarians, and the Columbus Zoo. Students may also collaborate with professors out of the traditional classroom on an advanced research project. Recent student research projects have investigated sea turtle nesting ecology, arsenic accumulation in ferns, equine diseases and genetics, coral reef bioerosion, endangered mussels, and extremophile bacteria, just to name a few. These experiences are often pivotal in transforming our students into scientists and sets the Otterbein graduate apart from the rest.

  Detailed curriculum information: Biology B.A. major (PDF), Biology B.S. major (PDF)., and Biology and Earth Science minors.

• Environmental Science Major

  The Environmental Science major is designed to prepare students for work in environmental fields by providing a solid foundation in the natural sciences, expertise in physical environment, and the interdisciplinary scope needed by environmental professionals today. This major is recommended for students preparing for graduate studies and positions with government agencies and private environmental firms. The major includes a core of courses in life and earth sciences as well as courses in other fields such as chemistry, statistics and economics.

  This exciting program provides you with a strong foundation in the Environmental Sciences and prepares them for a wide variety of endeavors after graduation. Recent graduates have taken jobs as biological and geological environmental professionals, worked for governmental agencies, and have gone on for further studies in graduate and professional schools.

  As an Environmental Science major at Otterbein, you will have a broad training in the foundations of the geological and biological sciences, and then you will have the chance to take specialized courses in more advanced fields. You will take classes from dedicated, enthusiastic professors that are gifted teachers, and you will use equipment funded by grants from the National Science Foundation to support our innovative teaching initiatives. You will work closely with your professors in small classes and have access to state of the art equipment in our new laboratories inside our newly opened Science Center. There is no doubt you will come to love our new modern science facility.

  Otterbein's location also allows us to teach using the local nature as our lab. The Otterbein campus is adjacent to Alum Creek and it won't be long before you will be in the creek with Dr. Hoggarth calculating an index of stream health based on the fish and invertebrates that you identify. Otterbein has also drilled an array of groundwater wells adjacent to the stream and Otterbein Lake, and here you will learn from Dr. Svitana how to monitor ground water flow and how it is possible to model and track the movement of underground pollutants. See Dr. Svitana's latest research in the video below:

  Otterbein's location near Columbus also allows us to have close relationships with governmental agencies located in the capital. You are often able to get internships with agencies like the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio EPA, the Metropolitan Park System, and the Ohio Geological Survey, as well as several private sector companies.

  Our department believes undergraduate research is a cornerstone to our Environmental Science Program. Many of our students do independent research projects of their own choosing or as part of ongoing faculty directed research. Recent student projects in Environmental Science at Otterbein include: The effect of lamprey poison on native freshwater mussels, Mangrove deforestation rates in Belize, Arsenic bioaccumulation by ferns, and Trace element concentration in Alum Creek sediments. We also encourage you to take a field courses such as the trips that the we regularly lead to Belize, Costa Rica, Africa, and Death Valley, or to participate during the summer at the Stone Lab in the western basin of Lake Erie.

  Detailed curriculum information: Environmental Science B.A. major (PDF), Environmental Science B.S. major (PDF).

• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Major

  Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is the branch of science that examines life at the molecular level. You will use the basic tools of chemistry and biology to dissect how organisms, cells, and molecules function. This major is rigorous, but provides flexibility to adapt to your individual interests.

  Small class sizes (generally under 14 students) mean that you will have plenty of individualized attention from your professors. Classes are held in the new state-of-the-art Science Center.

  Research and internships will prepare you for any opportunity you encounter. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology majors are required to complete a research requirement for graduation. This requirement can be fulfilled by a research based laboratory course, independent research studies at Otterbein or in nationally recognized summer research programs.

  We also work with students to help match them with area hospitals, veterinarians, dentists, and pharmacists to provide the relevant internship and volunteer experience that is so crucial for future success.

  Following graduation, many of our students enter graduate programs in the sciences, medicine, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, physician’s assistant school, genetic counseling, or optometry. Others enter work directly for biotech companies, area research facilities, and hospitals. This degree also provides a solid foundation for other careers in education, business, marketing, law, and public policy.

  Detailed curriculum information about this major (PDF).

• Sustainability Studies Major

  This major focuses on the evolving "green economy." Graduates will have exciting new career options as the country transitions from a fossil fuel based energy and economy infrastructure to one that integrates more sustainable and renewable energy sources. Students in the Sustainability Studies major will explore concepts such as benefits and limitations of various renewable/sustainable energies, changes in energy infrastructure related to new sources of energy, and societal issues related to these changes.

  Sustainability Studies students choose between two tracks:

  Science track (Bachelor of Science degree): The Science track focuses on developing the skills and tools necessary to use the new technologies associated with management of resources and development of alternative energies and distribution systems. This track stresses a broad training in chemistry, physical sciences and mathematics.

  Humanities/Social Sciences track (Bachelor of Arts degree): The Humanities/Social Sciences track is designed for a student whose interests are related to the economic and social changes that are likely to occur as our fossil fuel based economy evolves to include more sustainable forms of energy and resources.

  Learn more about Sustainability Studies.

• Earth Science Minor

  Earth Science examines all aspects of the planet earth including rocks and minerals, natural resources, landforms, oceanography, and the history of the planet and its forms. The minor helps prepare students for graduate programs in ecology, environmental sciences, and environmental studies.

  Detailed curriculum information about the Earth Sciences minor.

• Environmental Studies Minor

  Environmental Studies is the study of human interaction with the environment, which includes the natural and built environments and the relationships between them. The Otterbein Environmental Studies program uses a multidisciplinary approach to explore environments, to understand environmental issues, and to work toward developing realistic solutions that promote the sustainability of our planet.

  Not all environmental problem-solving skills are founded in the science and engineering disciplines, and the Otterbein Environmental Studies program curriculum emphasizes the holistic approach to environmental understanding. To earn an Environmental Studies minor, students can take a mixture of classes from the environmental studies, humanities, social sciences, earth sciences and life sciences curricula.

  Learn more about Environmental Studies.