<p>My D (rising senior) enjoys science. She’s thinking something like private sector research, maybe institutes of health, that kind of thing - biology, neuroscience. Maybe explore pre-med (although currently not as keen on that). What is the strength of the sciences at Barnard? I’ve been on the website and know that they offer the major(s), but how good is the department, and would there be any research possibilities for Barnard students? Are the sciences fairly integrated w/Columbia, and therefore maybe there are more resources? If anybody with the major would respond, it would surely be appreciated.</p>
<p>She’s particularly interested in exploring Barnard because she enjoys diversity, a larger city environment, activism and engagement, and she fences, so there aren’t too many options. Thanks in advance to some replies.</p>
<p>investorscooter,
This is the site that lists Barnard and Columbia classes:
<a href="http://www.columbia.edu/cu/bulletin/uwb/home.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.columbia.edu/cu/bulletin/uwb/home.html</a>
You can see that there is duplication (on both sides of Broadway) of the more popular classes like intro to biology and calculus. The more esoteric classes are on only one side or the other. As you suggested, this offers the students a larger array of classes and research opportunities.</p>
<p>part of the awesomeness of being a women's college means that barnard is sensitive to issues like women in science... so they are very good at encouraging women to take science classes (the two-semester lab requirement is a source of woe for humanities majors like me, but i'm glad they're making me do it), and at encouraging women to research, find their passions, etc. barnard professors do research, too - it's not just at columbia, although certainly more so. in fact i'm currently living with two pre-med students who say that columbia science classes are a bit of a joke (in terms of a large curve) compared to barnard ones. so, if your daughter chooses to come to barnard, she will be surrounded by people with all kinds of interesting passions, including many in the sciences; she will be able to involve herself in research; she'll get personal attention; and she'll have available to her all the equipment and resources that come with a large research university.</p>
<p>My d started Barnard last year wanting to just "get by" taking Psych as her science requirement (she thought she was NOT a math/science person; more of a literature/humanities lover and is, in fact, a dancer!). As a result of that class she now plans on majoring in neuroscience! So, yes! Barnard is GREAT for encouragement in the sciences and their science dept is wonderful, in my never-to-be-humble opinion :)</p>
<p>Seconded on the psych thing! I was doing so much math heavy stuff, I thought I'd "take it easy" with psych. And now it's INCREDIBLY helpful, since one of the cutting edges of economics is behavioral, experimental, and psychological type models. So yay for the science requirement!</p>