Biology

We offer an exceptional bachelor’s degree program in biology. Our close proximity to natural landscapes like the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Rio Mora and Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuges provide many opportunities for quality field research. Our strong undergraduate research program gives biology students intensive, hands-on lab expertise using cutting-edge technology that most undergraduates don’t experience. A non-thesis life science master’s degree option is available for science teachers to further their careers.

State-of-the-Art Laboratories
Our faculty has state-of-the-art research labs for microbiology, physiology, molecular ecology and conservation, cellular/molecular biology, animal biology, plant biology, and a greenhouse. The excellent student-faculty ratio helps our faculty provide individual mentoring for student success both in the classroom and the lab.

Highlands University’s numerous research grants and ongoing partnerships with scientific organizations like the National Science Foundation help fund valuable research and paid internship opportunities for biology students on and off campus.

At Highlands, we believe classroom instruction is just one part of a successful college experience. That’s why our students get to conduct real-world research in the real world!

Whether it’s a short drive to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains or halfway across the globe our students have some great adventures. Join us!

The department of biology values teaching and research as equal and essential components of the education of our students and seeks to integrate research with teaching at every possible opportunity in the curriculum.

Job Prospects
Our biology graduates have a strong track record of successful admission and completion of medical, dental and veterinary schools. Others choose career paths in a wide variety of bioscience careers like biotechnology researcher, wildlife biologist, medical researcher, microbiologist, bioinformatics researcher, science teacher, and lab technician.

Our graduates have landed jobs with diverse employers like the National Center for Genome Research, Los Alamos National Labs, Environmental Protection Agency, Genzyme Genetics, TriCore Reference Laboratories, and the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. Others go on to succeed at doctoral programs in biology.

Internships in Biology
Biology as a science is dynamic and the best way to ensure student success is through hands-on experience doing research or technical work in our small classes with peers and dedicated professors. To make our students competitive for the best biology jobs, we help them find paid summer internships at university research labs across the US including genomics and cell biology projects as well as conservation organizations like the Gallinas Watershed Alliance, and National Wildlife Refuges. We provide flexibility for students wanting to travel and those who want to stay on campus with local jobs and internships in Las Vegas.

Faculty
Our dedicated biology faculty is nationally and internationally known, with expertise in biomedical sciences, cellular physiology, genetics, evolutionary microbiology, host-microbe interactions, plant ecology, conservation genetics, landscape ecology, botany, wildlife biology, animal behavior, and more.