Welcome to Biology at Waterloo

Biology is the study of living organisms: their structure, function, organization, origin, and evolution.

As a biologist, you’ll have career options that span a wide range of professions, including laboratory and field research, environmental assessment, the health professions, education, and industry. By choosing one of our areas of specialization (no longer available after Fall 2020), such as Animal Physiology, Ecology and Environmental Biology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, or Plant Biology, you can better prepare yourself for these exciting career opportunities.

Our Biology program is versatile, allowing you to complement your Genetics, Cell Biology, Physiology, Ecology, Plant Biology, and Human Anatomy courses with studies from the arts, humanities, languages, and mathematics areas. Related labs, tutorial sessions, and field trips provide hands-on experience in a wide range of biological disciplines.

The Department of Biology offers undergraduate degrees in Bioinformatics, Biomedical Sciences (formerly Pre-Optometry/Pre-Health), Honours Biochemistry, Honours Biochemistry/Biotechnology (Regular and Co-op), Honours Environmental Sciences (Ecology Specialization) and Honours Biology (Regular and Co-op). View the degrees and programs. More information about our graduate programs is available on our graduate program site.

Learn more about the Department of Biology's vision/strategic plan.