University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
Biology BS
Johnstown, USA
BSc
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
USD 27,134 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* full-time, two terms | for out-of-state residents
Fast-track counseling
By contacting the school, you'll get access to free priority counselling for any study and application questions.
Key Summary
The Biology Department at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown ensures all students receive a broad-based biology education, with core classes in Biology, Ecology and Cell. Students choose upper-division courses from among three areas, including Cellular and Molecular Biology, Organismal Biology, and Ecology and Evolution. Our degree program allows students to specialize depending on their interests while ensuring all students receive the appropriate foundational courses for their post-graduation career, whether that be a health profession, graduate school, or immediate employment.
The Biology Department provides myriad opportunities for students to succeed. The program offers a contemporary biology curriculum emphasizing laboratory work and/or field experiences and allows students the opportunity to get real-world experience through an experiential capstone. The campus spans 655 acres, much of which is forest and field, thus providing rich opportunities for hands-on learning for classes in the Biology Department and other majors in the Division of Natural Sciences. In addition, Pitt-Johnstown is the first Pennsylvania campus to be certified as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, signifying our commitment to the environment.
In collaboration with the Education Division, the department offers courses toward a Bachelor of Science degree in secondary education -- biology, and certification to teach high school biology.
One of the many distinctive features of the biology program is the opportunity to gain real-world experience through our strong undergraduate research program. Faculty mentored research is varied, and includes topics such as disease, conservation, phylogenetics and animal communication. In addition to faculty-mentored research, students benefit from a collaboration with the Chan Soon-Shiong Institute of Molecular Medicine at Windber. At the Chan Soon-Shiong Institute, students are working alongside scientists to research topics including genetics and prostate cancer in African American men. Many students present their research projects at national conferences and publish their findings in professional journals. The annual Symposium for the Promotion of Academic and Creative Enquiry (SPACE), provides students with another opportunity to showcase their research findings. Students who participate in research have an advantage in employment and graduate school.
Students in the Biology Department also have the opportunity to join a National Honor Society, Beta Beta Beta, which is dedicated to students in the Biology field. Tri-Beta provides students with the option of getting involved in campus and community activities while learning about career opportunities in the field.
Pitt-Johnstown Financial Aid
Scholarship eligibility for incoming first-year or new students to Pitt-Johnstown will be assessed by the Admissions Office upon acceptance.
Process For Continuing Students
Each year, the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown’s Financial Aid Office awards numerous Gift and Endowed (G&E) scholarships, made available to deserving students through the generosity of many individuals, clubs, organizations, industries, businesses, and foundations.
The selection of scholarship recipients is based on specific criteria defined by the donor. A student’s academic performance and financial need may also be considered when deciding upon qualified candidates. Most G&E scholarships are geared toward continuing students; Pitt-Johnstown may require students to complete a scholarship application for consideration.
Completing the scholarship application does not guarantee selection, however, by completing the application, students are automatically considered for each scholarship that Pitt-Johnstown offers as well as several outside scholarships.
General Requirements
For consideration, students must:
- be enrolled for at least 6 credits in a degree-seeking program at Pitt-Johnstown.
- have successfully completed 12 credits as a degree-seeking student at Pitt-Johnstown.
- have earned a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
- complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by April 1 to be considered for need-based scholarships.
- be registered for the upcoming fall term by May 15.
- comply with Pitt-Johnstown's satisfactory academic progress standards for financial aid.
- not be in default on an educational loan or not owe repayment on a federal grant.
- not have earned a Bachelor’s Degree.
Scholarship Exclusions/Adjustments
Limited G&E funds are available to full scholarship recipients. Scholarship awards may be adjusted if Financial Aid determines a student is the recipient of a full tuition scholarship or tuition remission.
Any student who receives a scholarship and/or grant awards that total more than Pitt-Johnstown’s annual cost of attendance, as defined by the Financial Aid Office, will have one or more awards reduced or cancelled.
The Financial Aid Office awards G&E scholarships based upon the information available at the time of the award, including intended major or cumulative GPA, as well as any other possible variables. In the event that this information is inaccurate or changes, the Financial Aid Office has the right to reduce, change, or cancel the award.
Required Biology Courses
- BIOL 0130 - Freshman Seminar
- BIOL 0110 - General Biology 1
- BIOL 0111 - General Biology Laboratory 1
- BIOL 0120 - General Biology 2
- BIOL 0121 - General Biology Laboratory 2
- BIOL 0340 - General Ecology
- BIOL 0360 - Cell Biology
- BIOL 0361 - Cell Biology Laboratory
Required Chemistry Courses
- CHEM 0111 - General Chemistry 1
- CHEM 0113 - General Chemistry Laboratory 1
- CHEM 0112 - General Chemistry 2
- CHEM 0114 - General Chemistry Laboratory 2
Required Mathematics Course
- MATH 0221 - Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1
Required Upper-Level Chem Options
- CHEM 0231 - Organic Chemistry 1
- CHEM 0233 - Organic Chemistry Laboratory 1
- CHEM 0232 - Organic Chemistry 2
- CHEM 0234 - Organic Chemistry Laboratory 2
Or
- CHEM 0230 - Fundamentals Of Organic Chemistry
- CHEM 0235 - Fundamentals Of Organic Chemistry Lab
- CHEM 0325 - Analytical Chemistry
Required Physics Options
- PHYS 0140 - Introduction To Physics 1
- PHYS 0141 - Introduction To Physics 1 Lab
OR
- PHYS 0150 - Physics 1
- PHYS 0151 - Physics Laboratory 1
Cellular and Molecular Elective
Select one course from the following courses:
- BIOL 0352 - Genetics
- BIOL 1137 - Molecular Genetics
- BIOL 1140 - Cancer Biology
- BIOL 1186 - Immunology
- BIOL 1236 - Developmental Biology
- BIOL 1240 - Microbiology
- BIOL 1280 - Special Topics in Biology
Organismal Elective
Select one course from the following courses:
- BIOL 1122 - Human Anatomy
- BIOL 1130 - Biology of Plants
- BIOL 1144 - Invertebrate Biology
- BIOL 1224 - Human Physiology
- BIOL 1269 - Vertebrate Biology
- BIOL 1274 - Ornithology
- BIOL 1280 - Special Topics in Biology
Ecology and Evolution Elective
Select one course from the following courses:
- BIOL 1110 - Biodiversity Conservation
- BIOL 1162 - Plant Diversity & Local Flora
- BIOL 1165 - Evolution
- BIOL 1197 - Ecology of Infectious Disease
- BIOL 1220 - Wildlife Management
- BIOL 1232 - Animal Behavior
- BIOL 1280 - Special Topics in Biology
- BIOL 1520 - Aquatic Ecology
Capstone Experience
Minimum 1 credit, including as Biol Elective Credit
- BIOL 1111 - Biodiversity Conservation Lab
- BIOL 1137 - Molecular Genetics
- BIOL 1140 - Cancer Biology
- BIOL 1145 - Invertebrate Biology Laboratory
- BIOL 1161 - Internship
- BIOL 1186 - Immunology
- BIOL 1197 - Ecology of Infectious Disease
- BIOL 1200 - Independent Study
- BIOL 1221 - Wildlife Management Laboratory
- BIOL 1225 - Human Physiology Laboratory
- BIOL 1233 - Animal Behavior Laboratory
- BIOL 1237 - Developmental Biology Lab
- BIOL 1520 - Aquatic Ecology
Biology Lab Requirements
- Minimum 2 Labs
Additional Biology Electives
- You must complete a minimum of 17 Biology Elective credits
Upper Level Interdiscipline Science Elective
Select one course from the following courses.
(Pre-req’s must be fulfilled)
* Pre-req may be waived.
- CHEM 1321 - Biochemistry 1
- GEOL 1061 - Geomorphology *
- GEOL 1106 - Hydrogeology *
- GEOL 1139 - Geology of Soils *
- GEOL 1202 - Introduction to Paleontology *
- MATH 0231 - Analytic Geometry and Calculus 2
- PHYS 0142 - Introduction To Physics 2
- PHYS 0143 - Introduction To Physics 2 Lab
- PHYS 0152 - Physics 2
- PHYS 0153 - Physics Laboratory 2
- PSY 0211 - Comparative Psychology
- PSY 0351 - Psychopharmacology
- PSY 1141 - Psychopathology
- PSY 1216 - Health Psychology
- PSY 1440 - Psychology of Learning
- PSY 1500 - Physiological Psychology
- PSY 1650 - Advanced Seminars