Uniquely Queen's Biology

The Department of Biology is committed to providing an environment that fosters equal rights and opportunities for all, in an environment of mutual respect and dignity. Our mission is to produce engaged, independent, reflective, critically thinking graduates who will be inspired and able to actively contribute to the improvement of society. One way we encourage this is by creating a true sense of community among faculty, staff and students. We are proud of the collegial atmosphere in our Department that extends not just among the faculty, but also support staff and most importantly, the graduate and undergraduate students. As an undergraduate, you would have many opportunities to chat, discuss, participate and work alongside with professors and the other specialist instructional staff. We all work together to learn together.

Our program is designed to provide multiple experiential learning opportunities. For example, students can gain experience in our labs and doing field work through paid positions supported by the Queen’s Summer Work Experience Program or lab research assistantships (see Awards and Opportunities for more information). In addition, many students take on volunteer positions in our labs for a few hours a term. These are all great learning experiences for the students, are the basis for meaningful letters of reference for the next career steps after graduation, and contribute to Biological research. These experiences complement lecture and seminar material, and are win-win opportunities that greatly enhance student learning and competitiveness for graduate programs and employers after leaving Queen's.