The Department of Biology offers courses and research opportunities in the life sciences, with an emphasis on:

• evolution and development

• phylogenetics and systematics

• molecular biology, genetics & genomics

• microbiology

• cell biology

• ecology

• neurobiology

Biology master’s students conduct their own research projects and benefit from one-on-one faculty mentorship. The Department of Biology is a thriving group of young, dynamic faculty and students who work with a strong collaborative spirit on many diverse research projects.

Research and teaching laboratories are well-equipped and constantly updated. Students also have the opportunity to collaborate with investigators at some of the nation's most prestigious biological research centers, including the National Institutes of Health and the Smithsonian Institution.

More than 95% of American University biology graduate students have assistantships, stipends, or other financial aid and finish the program in less than two years.