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Department of Biology

Research Areas

Research in the Department of Biology

The Department of Biology provides expertise in many areas of the biological sciences ranging from the molecular to the ecosystem. Although individual faculty members differ in their areas of interest, all recognize the constant changes occurring in the understanding of biological processes and the increasingly integrative nature of the sciences. The Master's degree program at Fresno State seeks to capture the dynamic character of the biological sciences through a combination of courses and a research-based thesis. Graduate students in the Master's program select a thesis adviser primarily based on common interests. The thesis, however, represents the unique research interests of each student as guided by the research adviser and thesis committee.

Faculty within the Biology Department address a wide range of questions spanning from the cellular/molecular level to the organismal/ecosystem level. Please contact individual faculty members directly for more information about their research programs. Our faculty have collaborated with researchers at a broad array of national and international universities and receive funding a range of federal (e.g., National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Defense, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Environmental Protection Agency) and state agencies (e.g., California Fish and Game Department, California Agriculture and Technology Institute, California Department of Water Resources ) along with a range of industry groups.

Student completing the M.S. degree are prepared to a diverse array of career opportunities in the biological sciences including continuation to a Ph.D. degree. Training in the biological sciences provides opportunities in a range of employment sectors including government, industry, and education. Specific employment areas may include laboratory management, quality control, environmental management and conservation, the biotechnology industry, health care research, ecology, agricultural production and inspection, pest control, and marine sciences among others.