Where Biology Meets Innovation

In the Bachelor of Science in Applied Biology, you'll develop a strong foundation in biological sciences, emphasizing human health and environmental systems. Small class sizes support close faculty mentorship. Graduates are prepared for direct workforce entry, as well as medical, professional, master’s and Ph.D. programs in health sciences, environmental analysis and aviation sustainability-related fields. Alumni of the program have gone on to medical school and physician assistant programs, as well as careers in laboratory science and state agencies, including Arizona Game and Fish.

State-of-the-art laboratories distinguish the Applied Biology program and provide hands-on training with professional analytical instrumentation, including Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence (TXRF) for trace-metal analysis, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) for chemical and environmental analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrophotometry (UV-Vis), microplate reader systems for biochemical assays and bench-top Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR, 80 MHz) for molecular structure analysis. This instrumentation-focused training develops practical laboratory skills alongside strong theoretical foundations.

Program Details

Offered at the Prescott Campus

Housed in the College of Arts and Sciences, the Applied Biology program is flexible, offering 20 hours of open electives that allow you to tailor upper-division coursework to your academic interests and career goals.

All students complete a capstone project, internship or research experience in biology or chemistry, tailored to individual interests. Projects may include biomedical or microbiological laboratory research, environmental monitoring and GIS-based analysis or aviation sustainability. Internship and experiential learning opportunities are available with partners such as KP Aviation, The Boeing Company, the Northern Arizona VA Health Care System and Yavapai Regional Medical Center, as well as with state and regional agencies.

You may pursue focused study through either the Health Sciences track or the Environmental Sciences track.

The Health Sciences track supports pathways into medical school, physician assistant programs and graduate study through advanced laboratory coursework and applied biomedical experience. The Environmental Sciences track emphasizes applied environmental analysis, GIS and remote sensing and aviation sustainability, equipping you to address biological challenges related to infrastructure, regulatory systems and environmental monitoring.



Explore This Campus

Career Opportunities

You can explore roles in healthcare and medicine, contributing to human health and medical research. 
Students wearing lab coats, safety glasses, and gloves prepare samples with pipettes and a benchtop centrifuge in a biomedical laboratory.Students wearing lab coats, safety glasses, and gloves prepare samples with pipettes and a benchtop centrifuge in a biomedical laboratory.

What You’ll Learn

What You’ll Learn

As a student in Applied Biology, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of biological principles and their practical applications in real-world scenarios.
Student wearing safety glasses and nitrile gloves uses a micropipette to transfer liquid into a laboratory sample container at a research bench.Student wearing safety glasses and nitrile gloves uses a micropipette to transfer liquid into a laboratory sample container at a research bench.

Example Careers and Employers

Example Careers and Employers

Example roles in this field include:

  • Lab Technician
  • Biochemist
  • Wildlife Biologist
  • Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
  • Public Health Specialist

Example employers in this field include:

  • Biotechnology Companies
  • Pharmaceutical Firms
  • NASA
  • U.S. Military
Student wearing a lab coat, safety goggles, and nitrile gloves examines a specimen through a compound microscope in a laboratory.Student wearing a lab coat, safety goggles, and nitrile gloves examines a specimen through a compound microscope in a laboratory.

Salary Information

Salary Information

The median salary for biochemists and biophysicists is $103,650.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024

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Spotlight

Applied Biology Student Uses Research to Propel into a Future in Medicine

By conducting applied biological research on bed bugs, Raelyn Yoshioka is learning fundamental skills that will aid her in her future career.

Read More About Raelyn

Related Degrees

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