<p>Hey everyone! Does anyone know how good the Biology program is, at Chapman? Thank you.</p>
<p>I’m curious about this as well. Can anyone speak to the quality of the sciences (esp. Biology) at Chapman?</p>
<p>Since no one has responded to the Chapman U and Biology Major questions asked over recent months I thought I might at least give a reply. I hope it is of some help to you.</p>
<p>At the Chapman U Biology Science website is stated “The Biological Sciences degree at Chapman builds in enough flexibility to ensure that students are well prepared for the job market and for PhD programs in Biology and for graduate professional programs in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, physician assistant, and physical therapy. Students who pursue jobs after graduation are employed by private and public bioscience firms. A remarkable 65% of our students are enrolled in graduate and professional graduate programs within three years of graduation.”</p>
<p>When I graduated in Biological Sciences from UC Berkley I did not feel they prepared me for any job that was available upon graduating. That is why I am a proponent of going to a California State University instead of a University of California campus if you want to go to work right after receiving a BS degree in any major. The UCs prepares you for research and grad school while the CSUs prepare you for a job. As is stated above the Chapman statement you will most probably have to go to graduate school if you want to work in the field and related fields. There are very few positions to teach Biology in a High School. In my case after deciding not to peruse becoming a Medical Doctor I applied to be a wildlife biologist for the government and after waiting 2 months without success I ended up getting a Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering which is in the Civil Engineering Department which required taking Civil engineering classes as well as hydraulics. I ended up working in a number of areas Science & Engineering over 35 years including Water & Wastwater consulting, Structural building engineering, Helicopters designing, Aerospace Design, Aerospace structural testing, Bridge Design Engineering and Bridge Construction & Highway Engineer ALL BECAUSE I got a BS in Biology. Engineers & Scientists seem to end up working where society decides to speed their money.</p>
<p>What I feel is great about Chapman U is that you have small student size classes and you learn from caring professors/real mentors as opposed to large universities where professors don’t care about you because there are just so many students with many classes being taught by teaching assistants not professors. I think in this environment you will learn as much as possible while getting weekly feedback from your professor. The facilities at Chapman are up do date an beautiful as well.</p>
<p>A search I made today found the following info for you:</p>
<pre><code> Presentation on work and further education tied to a Biology Degree:
</code></pre>
<p><a href=“http://biology.ucsd.edu/_files/education/undergrad/101thingsPresentApr2013.pdf”>http://biology.ucsd.edu/_files/education/undergrad/101thingsPresentApr2013.pdf</a></p>
<pre><code> Many, many posts regarding what to do with a Biology Degree from those whom have one now:
</code></pre>
<p><a href=“http://www.indeed.com/forum/gen/Career-Advice/Bachelors-degree-Biology-can-you-do-it/t132436”>http://www.indeed.com/forum/gen/Career-Advice/Bachelors-degree-Biology-can-you-do-it/t132436</a></p>
<p>I did find the following two (2) posts on College Confidential regarding Chapman U & Biology: </p>
<p>Posted by andi0527
November 2013<br>
My daughter is a Freshman Biochem major at Chapman. She said there is a sequence of courses you do have to follow and they do build upon each other. You will be there longer if you don’t start it your Freshman year. The professors in the science program are really good and she has been extremely happy. She gets a lot of individual attention which is why she chose Chapman.</p>
<p>Posted by OCELITE
March 2011<br>
To get an idea about the current strength of Chapman’s pre-med program, here is what one of the students for Chapman '13 had to say about their program from College Prowler:
“I have only experienced one year at Chapman, but as biology major, it’s a very difficult major. Some of the coursework can be a bit overwhelming, but the professors provide excellent access for when you need help or discuss options for tutoring or study sessions. You can’t be upset right away if you don’t get an A on your first test, especially if you are unfamiliar with the expectations of the professor. It is really important to look at undergraduate research with our professors especially since you will need to do a capstone project your senior year before you receive your degree and they can guide you to that. At Chapman, our biology (or chemistry) majors lean toward pre-med, because the major is designed to fulfill requirements for most medical schools in the U.S. However, if you don’t want to pursue medicine, the degree is well-rounded for if you want to teach biology or follow another route. It is really important that you understand your professor and learn from your mistakes and work with other students via tutoring or study sessions to succeed and pass. Most of the workload is primarily labs, quizzes and tests. There isn’t a whole lot of extra credit opportunities or extra work to boost your grade, so be aware of your study habits early on and do your best. So essentially it comes down to if you can handle the expectations of your professors and if you are willing to challenge yourself.”</p>
<p>FYI: Today on the Chapman U Office of Admission’s Tumblr website the following question was asked and answered:</p>
<p>Q: How strong is Chapman’s biology program? </p>
<p>A: It’s a very competitive program with an amazing faculty. The best part is as an undergraduate you’ll be working hands-on with a professor not a TA, so you’ll have the invaluable experience or working in the lab and on research directly with biology professors. Also noteworthy, 65% of the students are enrolled in graduate programs within three years of graduation. The best way to describe the strength of the program is:</p>
<p>Undergraduate students are not only students in the classroom but also partners in research and in the advancement of scientific knowledge.</p>
<p>If you would like to speak with a biology student or professor let us know and we can help you get in touch.</p>
<p>Regarding the rigor of the program, my D is a junior at Chapman with two very good friends who were biology majors. The program is very rigorous. Both friends changed majors in the middle of their second year. So do talk to faculty and current students to get a realistic picture and then decide if that is a picture you can handle. And even if you are unsure, you can still give the program your best shot knowing that you always have the option of switching majors.</p>
<p>I saw this new article from today about a 2012 Chapman U biology major graduate whom has had no problems getting As at USC on her way to a Masters of Public Health (MPH) with emphasis in Epidemiology and Biostatistics this May:</p>
<p><a href=“Alumna Profile: Rachael Gordon ’12 - Schmid College of Science and Technology”>http://blogs.chapman.edu/scst/2014/04/29/alumna-profile-rachael-gordon-12/</a></p>