Experiential Learning

The department offers excellent experiential learning opportunities through academic internships and undergraduate research and that are important for students planning to attend graduate programs, health profession programs, biology-related jobs, etc.

Academic Internships Internships are available and often serve as stepping-stones to employment and entry into professional careers. Although internships are not required for graduation, they are encouraged. Students can earn academic credit for interning through BIOL 461 and 463.

Undergraduate Research Students conduct undergraduate research with faculty mentors in well-equipped labs and/or field study sites, and they present their work at local, regional and national scientific meetings. Students are also encouraged to present their work at the department seminar series where they are awarded a lab coat from their faculty mentors. Students can earn academic credit for research through BIOL 471, 472, and 450H.

• Awarding of Lab Coats The Biology Department awards lab coats to students who conduct independent research with faculty members and present their findings at the department's seminar series.

• SEA-PHAGES/SEA-GENES project: A unique opportunity for freshmen to begin their Winthrop undergraduate career by participating in three semesters of a research project called the SEA Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science and the SEA-Gene function Elucidation by a Network of Emerging Scientists. The research courses are built around a national experiment in bacteriophage genomics and gene function.

• Undergraduate Research Support & Fellowships Information about the Luckett Davis Endowment, Undergraduate Summer Science Research Experience Fellowships.

• Houk Prize for Best Undergraduate Research Project.

The Finding Your Future Program at USC provides meaningful medical experience that will help strengthen your AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) and/or AACOMAS (American Association of Colleges of Osteopathis Medicaine Application Service) application. Click on this Finding Your Future Program at USC link for more information.