"Conducting research allowed me to apply the skills I have learned in my courses and gain valuable real-world experience. Research helped me discover what career path I want to pursue and will continue to give me an advantage as I work toward that career."
— Alyssa Knudson ’19
The best educational experiences happen when students and faculty interact closely and often. In the Biology Department at Coe, those interactions start in the very first term and continue for all four years. Our program provides an early introduction to experimental design and hands-on experience with state-of-the-art instrumentation to investigate properties of cells and organisms.
Faculty in the department have gone through post-doctoral training and bring this broad research experience to the classroom. The faculty will know you by name, be aware of your strengths and weaknesses and provide the kind of mentoring and encouragement you need to fully develop your skills and career interests. This provides a higher quality academic experience. You’ll have the opportunity to work one on one with faculty, in honors and independent study work or in research participation.
All but one course in the Biology Department includes laboratory work where you gain practical experience. Laboratory sections in all our courses are limited to no more than 18 students and are taught by biology faculty — not teaching assistants. During May Term and the summer, you will be able to engage in research projects or participate in intensive courses on or off campus.
Coe's well-established Health and Science Internship program offers an opportunity to spend May Term working in a medical setting or industrial laboratory. The Cedar Rapids/Iowa City corridor offers many additional opportunities to use your laboratory training to gain valuable work experience.
Coe’s biology program has been ranked as a “Best Value for the Money” by College Factual. This places Coe’s biology program in the TOP 10% of all programs reviewed.
“Coe stands out because of the research opportunities on campus. From physics to psychology there's plenty of opportunities to get experience with Coe professors!”
A biology and neuroscience major and a communications minor, Jade learned microbiology research techniques during May Term that helped her score a research internship with the FDA.
