Students have exciting opportunities for internships and research at world-class Chicago institutions like the Field Museum, Chicago Botanic Garden, Shedd Aquarium, and Rosalind Franklin University of Medical Sciences. Biology students are well-trained by hypothesis-driven coursework. While a major or minor in biology is great preparation for postgraduate training in academic research or the health professions, our students also become competitive graduates and professionals in industry and fields like environmental policy, education and museum administration.

Our approach to learning means giving students hands-on access to professional lab instruments early in their studies. Our trust in and respect for our students  means they regularly work with high-level scientific instruments early in their careers, providing a foundation of skills that will help them land successful placements after graduation. The cutting-edge instrumentation and techniques we familiarize our students with are not often available to undergraduates. These include techniques such as: PCR (polymerase chain reaction), western blot, molecular imaging, electrophysiology, field data collection, experimental design and data analysis, cell culture, DNA sequence analysis, and fluorescence microscopy. 

Students working in research labs have published their research in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Each year, students also publish their work in Lake Forest’s life sciences journal, Eukaryon. The student editorial board for Eukaryon is a great way to become involved in journal publishing by conducting peer reviews, editing submissions, and designing the layout for this award-winning student research journal.