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cancer cells

Pursue a biology degree and receive an excellent liberal arts education with experience in quantitative and analytical thought, along with preparation for related professions.

Learn in a lab-focused program with hands-on training from award-winning faculty.

Biology students work with a professor to examine plant defenses and plant-bacteria interactions in our on-campus greenhouse

Why the Department of Biology?

24

Average biology lab size: you're more than just a number.

1,300

The number of students majoring in Biology, making it the largest major in the College of Science and second largest at Mason. 

80,000

The Biology Department supports the third largest herbarium in Virginia that contains over 80,000 plants specimens from around the world

A comprehensive education in biological sciences for biologists, educators, or those on a health career path.

Our student-focused programs offer lab and field studies in plants, animals, and ecology, providing the background necessary for popular careers in biological science, such as environmental management, microbiology, molecular biology, biotechnology, bioinformatics, genetics, and medical laboratory sciences.

Students in biology lab class

Unparalleled experience-building with world-renowned organizations, laboratories and U.S. government agencies.

Our proximity to Washington, D.C., gives students unique opportunities to learn from and perform research for premier science institutes and companies within the health and biological science sectors including NIH, USDA, FDA, EPA, and the Smithsonian Institute.

student research in SSB

STEM careers are in demand, projected to grow 10% by 2026

Employment of life, physical, and social science occupations is projected to grow 10 percent from 2016 to 2026, faster than the average for all other occupations. Get there faster: undergraduates earn credits toward degrees through internships and lab-based projects, field research, apprenticeships, and internships.

Students learn about wood turtle sampling and conservation biology with Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation faculty.

Visit Us On Campus

Whether you're preparing for graduate studies, or diving into biological fundamentals, you'll find it here. Come explore our biology programs, visit a class, and meet our Mason Science community.

  • Biology Department Main Offices

    Room 1200, Exploratory Hall (Formerly Science & Tech II)

  • Campus Map
Exploratory Hall at George Mason University Fairfax Campus

Biology News & Events

Upcoming Events

More Events
Oct17

American Society for Intercellular Communication (ASIC)

Oct 17, 2024, 12:00 PM - Oct 19, 2024, 2:00 PM

Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center

The meeting is organized by a group of investigators seeking to create a platform for informal exchange of ideas on emerging questions and cutting-edge developments in the field of Extracellular Vesicles (EVs), Extracellular Particles (EPs), and particulate carriers of extracellular RNA (exRNA) as biological mediators, regulators and diagnostic analytes. Our
Dec10

Learning Assistant Poster Session Fall 2024

Dec 10, 2024, 1:00 - 3:00 PM

Exploratory Hall Atrium 

Please join us in celebrating the work of our Learning Assistants (LAs), who are working in over 40 courses across the College of Science to facilitate student learning. On Tuesday, December 10 , the LAs will be presenting posters reflecting on their teaching experiences, their students’ learning, and new instructional