The mission of the Department of Biology is to prepare its graduates to participate in scientific endeavors in a productive and ethical manner. Faculty are committed to providing a strong education in the fundamental principles of biology and training in basic field and laboratory research methods and analytical techniques. The Department of Biology presents its students with a coherent perspective of the living world they inhabit in a learning environment founded on a broad-based curriculum fostered by a supportive and collaborative faculty and staff. Collectively we engender and nourish life-long learning and encourage service to the university and the broader community.
The Dalquest Desert Research Station (DDRS) is a pristine example of the Northern Chihuahuan Desert. It is managed by Midwestern State University as a natural area and a year-round research station available to scientists from MSU and elsewhere.
The Biology Department supports both undergraduate and graduate student research. Visit the Biology directory webpage for more information about each faculty member's research program and interests.
- UGROW is a 5-week, interdisciplinary summer program of collaborative research between undergraduates and faculty mentors.
- The EURECA program supports student-faculty collaborative efforts during fall and spring semesters.
Field courses at MSU Texas let you understand ecological and evolutionary processes through first-hand experience in outdoor environments. These courses provide a unique opportunity to learn about ecology in an intensive outdoor classroom, and the Biology Field Courses flyer provides more details.
- Tropical Rainforest Ecology
This course provides classroom instruction on the ecology, plant life, animal life, and indigenous peoples of the neotropics, focusing on Central America. It consists of an intensive two week classroom portion followed by an exciting two week stint at research stations operated by ANCON Expeditions in Panama. This course is available in the second summer semester of even-numbered years. For further details contact Dr. Jon Scales.
- Ecology and Field Biology in the Chihuahuan Desert
This course provides field experience at MSU's Dalquest Desert Research Station in the Chihuauan desert of west Texas. Students begin by exlploring DDRS and its canyons to learn the fascinatng ecology of desert ecosystems, then the basics of performing research on desert-dwelling organisms through independent field projects. For further details contact Dr. Matt Watson or Dr. Ray Willis.