Biology is the disciplined study of living organisms.
It is also a vital part of liberal education, enabling students to develop an appreciation of their own biological nature as well as of the great variety of organisms and communities of organisms with which they come into contact and upon which they are dependent. The department offers instruction at each of these levels designed to meet the requirements for graduate study, for professional schools, and for a teaching career in biology or for working in industrial or governmental positions. Nearly all biology courses have a laboratory component and these field or laboratory classes are taught by professors or other experienced faculty. The department makes extensive field trips for its organismal biology laboratory courses to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, which ranks third of all National Parks in species diversity, and at other distinguished natural history institutions in the Chicago area. Biology majors are encouraged to conduct research under the supervision of a faculty member as a part of the graduation requirements.