Why Study Biology?

What Makes Biology at UTM Distinctive?

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Globally recognized, award-winning research.

  • November 2024: Prof. Baohua Liu wins Fighting Blindness Canada's 2024 Research Grant. This project will test a gene therapy for Congenital stationary night blindness type 2A (CSNB2A) and ask if the gene therapy can restore vision both a short and long time after vision loss occurs.
  • Bridget Kathleen Murphy, PhD student, Ensminger Lab won the The Canadian Society of Plant Biologists CSPB/SCBV award for outstanding oral presentation at the 2021 CSPB/SCBV Annual General Meeting. Bridget's work focuses on the impact of climate change, specifically warming and drought, on the timing of cold acclimation in different white spruce genotypes.

A lush campus and strong sense of community.

  • In addition to the program and department, as a Biology student at UTM, you'll be immersed in a truly extraordinary campus experience.
  • You'll be participating in labs and research opportunities, led by the world-class educators, scientists and researchers that you'd expect from Canada's largest and most acclaimed university.
  • At the same time, you'll also enjoy the down-to-earth sense of community that a campus – situated on 225 acres of lush, protected greenbelt – can provide.
  • This lush natural setting is coupled with modern architecture, award-winning buildings and state-of-the art technology — providing students with a distinctive learning experience. 
  • Our students also benefit from the safety and inclusiveness of a tight knit campus which offers a wide variety of student groups, clubs, and activities for all interests.

Biology, global: the worldwide impact of this discipline

As noted in McKinsey Global Institute's recent research: "Advances in biological science could transform economies and societies, helping to tackle global challenges from climate change to pandemics."

From tackling overpopulation to developing life-saving vaccine trials and engineering carbon-reduced biofuels for the aviation and marine industries — biology is a discipline with far-reaching global impact.


Skills You'll Develop

  • Communication and interpersonal: write scientific reports; present research findings; interact professionally with a multidisciplinary team of researchers, technicians, students and professors; and literacy writing.
  • Research: collect and preserve field organisms; dissect preserved or euthanized specimen; inspect specimens; and analyze and evaluate information.
  • Technicaluse specialized computer programs; perform laboratory procedures; maintain laboratory equipment and instrumentation; and comply with quality control procedures.
  • Quantitativeanalyze data for trends and apply statistical tests to data.
  • Critical thinking and problem-solving: analyze and logically interpret trends and results.

Career Opportunities

A background in Biology can propel you into a range of fulfilling career paths, particularly in medicine.

Other career paths include pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, forensics and more. While not exhaustive, here's a list of career options that are available to you as a Biology graduate (some require further education and experience):

Biotechnology

  • Quality Assurance Auditor
  • Pharmaceutical Financial Analyst
  • Product Marketing Manager
  • Health Care Administrator
  • Business Development Research Analyst

 Bioinformatics               

  • Operations Research Analyst
  • Bioinformatics Programmer
  • Bioinformatics Specialist
  • Logistics Specialist
  • Computer Scientist
  • Web Developer
  • Business Systems Analyst

Comparative Physiology

  • Physiotherapist
  • Ornithologist
  • Exercise Physiologist
  • Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
  • Recreation Director
  • Audiologist

 Molecular Biology

  • Cytotechnologist
  • Bacteriologist
  • Forensic Laboratory Analyst
  • Microbiologist
  • Medical Geneticist

Ecology & Evolution

  • Environmental Health Officer
  • Conservation Biologist
  • Restoration Biologist
  • Conservation Officer
  • Agronomist*

Other

  • Toxicologist
  • Pharmacologist
  • Marine Biologist
  • Food Scientist
  • Environmental Lawyer

For a full list of career opportunities, visit the Careers by Major - Biology page.