Environmental & Field Biology

Environmental & Field Biology Degree

Conservation biology. Water resources. Climate change. Habitat restoration. Invasive species. Become an expert on the most defining environmental issues of our times. The Environmental & Field Biology major is targeted toward students interested in the environment and especially a focus on environmental issues facing �ֲ��ý and the world. It’s a fast-growing field with tremendous opportunity.

Type of Offering

Major

College

Arts & Sciences School of Health, Life Sciences, and Education

Opportunities Abound

Our Environmental and Field Biology majors have so many opportunities for practical experience. Scroll through the images and click on the links to learn more.

Jonathan Stechschulte, Project Designer, PGAV Destinations

Students learn and research in the cloud forest

Joseph (Ozzie) Miller

Abigail Buzdon

Inspiring Awe

Students and professors share their thoughts on Metzger Nature Center's many attributes.

The natural sciences form the backbone of the environmental and field biology program. You’ll take courses including biology, natural history, chemistry, botany, geology and ecology. You'll engage with the natural world while being immersed in field-based lab adventures from your first semester to your last. These experiences will provide you with the background to lead, innovate, and find solutions to difficult problems.

From the time you arrive on campus until you graduate, you’ll be guided by a faculty advisor. You’ll enjoy small class sizes and amazing friendships. Our dedicated professors will get to know you. They will support you in your coursework, research, internships, co-ops, and post-graduate or career preparations. They will become personally invested in your success – in college and beyond.

As a freshman, you’ll be in the lab or field working directly with your professors ( not graduate assistants ) investigating some of the most important environmental issues. Throughout your four years, you’ll design and conduct your own experiments, engage in mentored field research, and job-shadow environmental professionals.

From interning at a government agency to spending a semester studying abroad, from presenting your research at a national conference to heading up a student organization – the opportunities open to you are truly incredible!

Upon graduation, you’ll be ready to help preserve our planet for future generations. Your knowledge and skills will be in demand – no matter where your path leads you.

Solid Outcomes

100% Environmental and field biology majors found full-time employment or were enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduating
90% Many �ֲ��ý biology seniors consistently score above 90% of students nationally on the ETS Major Field Test in Biology
Top Spot Our students consistently obtain competitive and coveted National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) for the summer
Top 12 �ֲ��ý is ranked top 12 small colleges in the Midwest by the Wall Street Journal

Environmental Biology Courses, Curriculum, & Resources

Environmental and field biology students take a set of core courses and choose electives in areas of interest. Elective courses include: Entomology, Herpetology, Invertebrate Biology, Mammalogy, and Ornithology.

Ignite your Passion

Find an internship you’ll love

We help you land an internship that will expand your career possibilities and provide hands-on experience. Our students intern all over the country.

Get your hands dirty

Discover world class labs, learning facilities and equipment all designed for hands-on learning.

environmental and field biology greenhouse

environmental and field biology field study

student and professor out in the wetlands

Get involved in a field biology research project working side-by-side with your professors. These experiences are rare for undergraduate students, but they are available here. Your research in collaboration with �ֲ��ý professors routinely leads to published papers and presentations at regional and national conferences.
Apply for a summer undergraduate research experience. Our students have an excellent track record of getting accepted for these highly-competitive, paid positions that only consider top science students. These experiences take place at large academic, industrial or government research institutions across the country. Recent students have completed REUs at University of Kentucky, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Bosie State University, and the New England Aquarium.
The Polar Research Experience Program in Molecular Biology gives selective students the chance to spend five weeks in the summer conducting research with an �ֲ��ý professor for a $1,600 stipend. Research techniques acquired during this experience can be applied to all areas of biology and prepares students for participation in REUs as well as graduate and professional studies.
Our study abroad program gives you the opportunity to live and learn abroad. We have affiliations with the in the United Kingdom, and the in addition to many other worldwide connections.
Immersive education at its best! Field semester consists of four 3-week modules (courses) on field botany, field entomology, ichthyology and marine biology. You spend six weeks at the Metzger Nature Center and two weeks at the Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory learning in the field. At the end of the semester, you turn your research into a paper, poster and presentation.
Learn from nationally-recognized scholars in the life sciences. Each year the Keiser Distinguished Lectureship in Life Sciences brings a distinguished scholar to campus to lecture and interact with students. Learn more here.
Get involved and join a student organization. Possible options include Beta Beta Beta (BBB) Biology Honorary, the Biology Student Association (BSA), the Professional Association of Women in Science (PAWS)

Explore a 70-acre field station

Spend time studying, observing and conducting research at the Metzger Nature Center in Tuscarawas County.

environmental and field biology metzger center

environmental and field biology student at the metzger center

End game: a fulfilling Environmental and Field Biology career

Our graduates are doing what they love every day! Check out where they’ve ended up and where they’ve attended graduate school.

Careers in Environmental and Field Biology:
- Conservation biologist
- Climate researcher
- Environmental policymaker
- Environmental impact analyst
- Environmental consultant
- Soil or water technician
- Wildland firefighter
- Naturalist
- Fish and game officer or warden
- Natural resource manager
- Ecologist
- Wildlife biologist
- Restoration director
- Zoo or arboretum curator

The Sound of Science

Listen to the sounds you can make in a science-related field of study at �ֲ��ý.

Frequently Asked Questions

While a general biology major explores broad cellular or medical pathways, our Bachelor of Science in Environmental & Field Biology specifically zeros in on ecology, conservation biology, climate change, habitat restoration, and organismal biology. You will study natural history, botany, geology, and chemistry, and combine them with practical field skills. Best of all, we don't just lecture about the environment—our students are immersed in hands-on, field-based lab adventures starting their very first semester.
- Actionable Step: Download our program curriculum guide to see how field-based classes and ecology labs fit beautifully into your four-year schedule.
Our students don’t spend all their time inside a concrete building; we utilize incredible living classrooms. You will study biodiversity on campus and at the nearby Wetlands Restoration Project, an expansive 300-acre site just 12 miles away that is actively being restored to its original habitat. Additionally, you will travel to the Metzger Nature Center, which features 70 acres of pristine fields, woodlands, and streams nestled in the scenic Allegheny Plateau.
- Actionable Step: When scheduling your in-person campus visit, ask an admissions counselor about visiting our local wetlands or natural habitats to see where you'll be learning.
The Field Semester is the absolute pinnacle of immersive education at �ֲ��ý! It is broken down into four intensive, three-week modules covering field botany, field entomology, ichthyology (the study of fish), and marine biology. Students spend six weeks researching at the Metzger Nature Center, followed by two weeks on the coast at the Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory.
- Actionable Step: Check out the "Field Semester" details on our department page to see how this incredible travel and research block prepares you for real-world environmental employment.
Absolutely. While massive state schools often save research roles for graduate students, �ֲ��ý undergraduates work side-by-side with faculty mentors. High-achieving students can apply for highly competitive Summer Undergraduate Research Experiences (REUs) at premier national labs.
- Actionable Step: Talk to biology faculty members during your freshman year to express interest in upcoming field studies, which routinely lead to published papers and national conference presentations.
Yes! We believe global perspectives are crucial to solving today's environmental challenges. Our students can easily spend a summer or a full semester studying overseas while still graduating exactly on time. �ֲ��ý maintains active global partnerships with premier international institutions, including the University of Ulster in the United Kingdom, Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland, and the University of Eastern Finland.
- Actionable Step: Stop by the Office of Global Initiatives inside the Mifsud Center for Student Success during your freshman year to map out international travel tracks that align with your major.
The return on investment is stellar. Our program boasts a 100% placement rate, meaning every single one of our recent graduates was employed full-time or enrolled in a premier graduate school within six months of graduation. Armed with extensive fieldwork and analytical lab skills, our alumni successfully launch careers as:
- Conservation Biologists & Ecologists
- Wildlife Management Officers
- Environmental Policy Advisors or Compliance Specialists
- Water Resource Managers & Habitat Restoration Experts
- Actionable Step: Activate your Handshake profile through the Polar Career Center during orientation week to start connecting with state parks, regional conservancies, and federal environmental agencies.

Take the first step toward living the Polar Bear life

We would love to meet you and show you around!
Your health, safety and future are in good hands at Northern. We offer a host of services to keep you informed and meet your needs while you are on campus.

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