Why don’t the young tiger pythons at the zoo have a father? Can’t we produce genes ourselves? Why is the mammoth extinct? Can bacteria suffer from stress? The latest developments in biology bring answers to questions like these within our reach. Questions about the origins, distribution and function of living organisms on earth play a central role in the Bachelor’s programme in Biology. Students gain insight into how genes and DNA work, what the effects are of genetic manipulation, what is best for the environment we live in, and what causes changes in the climate. If you are curious and want to know more about nature, a Bachelor’s programme in Biology would be a good choice. First-year students doing a Bachelor’s programme in Biology take quite a few of their courses with students in Biomedical Sciences and Psychobiology. During the course of the year, a final choice is made about which of these three Bachelor’s to focus on. In the first year, there are courses in genetics, anatomy, ethics, molecular biology, ecology and so forth. Ample time is spent on practical work such as conducting experiments. A great deal of attention is also devoted to field work in the Netherlands and abroad. After the first year, you can choose from the following four majors: · General biology major · Ecology and biodiversity · Ecology and earth sciences · Molecular cell biology and bio-informatics. The general biology major covers a very wide range of subjects. Ecology and biodiversity covers a great deal of knowledge on diseases and infestation and environmental pollution as well as ecology and biodiversity. Ecology and earth sciences combines biological knowledge with information on soil, the climate, hydrology and geographic information systems. Lastly Molecular cell biology and bio-informatics goes deeper into biophysics and biotechnology as well as molecular biology and bio-informatics. The Bachelor’s programme is completed with a final project and a final thesis, after which graduates are given a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree.

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