Biology – Online Minor

Explore the science of life

When you earn a minor in Biology online with Oregon State, you’ll learn the fundamentals of biological principles and processes, and study life from the smallest cells to the largest ecosystems. Biology includes fields such as genetics, genomics, physiology, ecology and evolution. Study in this important discipline can help you better understand and address critical problems in our environment as well as human and animal health.

A minor in Biology can be extremely useful if you want to pursue a career in areas like public health or environmental management. It’s also a great complement for chemistry, mathematics or physics majors who want to pursue interdisciplinary careers in medicine, bioinformatics, biostatistics and biochemistry.

Taught by expert faculty 

Oregon State’s Department of Integrative Biology is nationally ranked. The department promotes research and teaching that integrates knowledge across all levels of biology and at every scale. When you pursue a minor in biology, you’ll learn from faculty who are expert teachers and innovative researchers in fields like organismal biology, ecology, genetics and marine biology.

Coursework

This 28-32 credit minor includes a required introductory biology sequence, including one term of organic chemistry. Additionally, you’ll explore elective areas such as cellular and molecular biology, ecology, physiology, and evolution.

Curriculum details and minor requirements are available on Oregon State’s academic catalog.

Sample course topics

• Principles of Biology
• Human ecology
• Biodiversity
• Genetics
• Principles of human anatomy and physiology
• Plant systematics
• Animal behavior
• Invertebrate biology

Benefits of learning online with Oregon State

• All classes are developed by OSU's world-class faculty, who are renowned for their expertise, research and innovation.
• Oregon State is institutionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
• As an Oregon State Ecampus student, you’ll receive the same certificate and transcript as OSU’s on-campus students.