Welcome to the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Delaware! This is an exciting time to pursue an education and career in the life sciences, which focuses on the understanding of biological processes at the molecular, cellular and genomic levels. This knowledge provides the foundation to develop therapeutic interventions for various diseases and improve the overall well-being of humans and their environment.
Indeed, our students successfully find employment in a variety of
careers, including but not limited to medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physician assistant studies, optometry and graduate research, as well as biotechnology, business, science and public policy, teaching and higher education.
Our department offers robust undergraduate and graduate programs, being home to ~900 undergraduate majors and ~70 minors, and ~100 graduate students. For undergraduate education, we offer
five majors – a Bachelor of Arts (BA), a Bachelor of Science (BS), a BS with a concentration in cell, molecular biology and genetics, a BS with a concentration in pharmaceutical sciences, and a BA in Biological Sciences Education. For
graduate education, we offer Professional Masters, M.S. and Ph.D. degrees.
The University of Delaware has made multi-million-dollar investments in the
Interdisciplinary Science Learning Laboratories to provide our students with state-of-the art teaching and research facilities along with a friendly and enthusiastic environment for learning and science. This infrastructure, along with our award-winning, world-class faculty and staff, ensures excellence both in classroom instruction and hands-on investigative laboratory-based instruction. Numerous training opportunities are available, including
UD study abroad programs and our popular Biology
undergraduate research program where students work directly in our faculty's research laboratories, contributing to original research publications and attending scientific conferences.
Our department is engaged in cutting-edge research using the latest molecular, cellular, genome-level and interdisciplinary approaches to study cell and developmental biology, microbiology, microbiome and host-pathogen interaction, physiology, molecular biology and genetics, and science education. Research training is supported by
state-of-the-art facilities which include the BioImaging Center, Brain and Biomedical Imaging, Flow Cytometry/FACS, Sequencing and Genotyping, Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry, and Bioinformatics and Computational Biology. Our faculty's research programs attract ~$4.4M in annual funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and private foundations.
In addition to discovery of new biological principles, we are passionate about communicating our excitement and understanding of science to the broader community. Our faculty and students engage with the local community through outreach activities at elementary and middle schools as well as at the Delaware Children's Museum. Faculty also partner with the Upward Bound Math and Science Program to offer summer workshops that provide local high school students with authentic research experiences and participate in community-based health fairs and education in underrepresented minority communities in Delaware, in the region, and nationally.
Please explore our website to discover the many exciting opportunities that our department has to offer as well as the latest accomplishments of our students, faculty and staff. He​re you will find
detailed information on each faculty member and their teaching and research interests, our
laboratory and
administrative staff, and the variety of courses that we offer. If you are interested in learning more, please feel free to contact us directly or
schedule a campus visit. University of Delaware's beautiful campus is located in the small college town of Newark, DE, within a two-hour drive of many historic cities and beautiful beaches.
We welcome intellectually motivated, creative and diverse individuals to our undergraduate and graduate education and research programs. We are committed to providing you with an exceptional educational and research environment to launch your career in the life sciences.
I look forward to meeting you!
Velia M. Fowler, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair
