Bachelor of Science in Biology

The School of Natural Science offers the BS in Biology degree for students interested in strong, comprehensive biological studies. As a student in our biology program, you will gain a solid foundational understanding of biology and can explore further fields such as molecular biology, ecology, physiology, and organismal biology. You’ll go deeper in your understanding of biological concepts with supportive studies in mathematics, chemistry, and physics and gain the communication and critical thinking skills, essential to meeting the needs of the times, through general liberal arts study.

Our Natural Science program faculty are invested in your success. They serve as academic advisors who can guide you in scheduling your classes and applying to post-bachelor programs. In addition, as a biology major, you will enjoy small class sizes, innovative laboratories, student organizations, and research opportunities.

Program Details

Earn your biology degree in 120 credit hours

• 52 hours of general studies
• 59 hours of major course
• 9 hours of electives

Graduate in four years or less

• Face-to-face instruction
• Flexible 6-week block schedule
• 1-2 classes per block session

Other features of our Biology program

• Small class size allows a comfortable and familiar feel between students and faculty
• Lab space and equipment provide hands-on, quality time instrumentation and faculty instruction
• Assignment of a full-time biology faculty member as an academic advisor
• Tutoring offered outside of classroom learning
• Reimbursement for one entrance exam for graduate or professional school (GRE, MCAT)
• Hands-on learning, cadaver dissection, instrumentation facilities for chemistry and physics, as well as a dedicated tissue-culture lab

Mission-Focused Approach to Learning

At Spalding, we are a diverse community of learners out to change the world. Our graduates serve at every organizational level. We have health and service professionals on the ground changing lives, business leaders transforming teams, and social movers and shakers affecting change. Through our university mission, we’ve made a commitment to fixing what is broken. On the highest level, we work to create solutions and ignite conversations focused on peace, justice and compassion. On a small scale, we put compassion into action through service to individuals and communities. We hope that you will join our movement to make a difference in the lives of others.

Call Spalding Home

Spalding University is the home for students who want to earn a degree while engaging and serving the community. We put compassion into action every day with our mission-driven focus. We volunteer, teach, advocate, organize and give. Our students are active in the community, using their Spalding education to make the world better. We are a diverse community with a core commitment to inclusion, and we value our students, faculty, and staff from all walks of life. Begin your college journey with us and follow your passions.

An Inclusive Community

At Spalding, we are an inclusive community of people who are fundamentally different from one another. We humbly accept each other for who we are. We represent a cross-section of society. We have the most racially diverse student body of Kentucky’s private colleges. Thirty-one percent of students self-identify as people of color.

We are a community of learners made up of artists, veterans, activists, parents, religious leaders, LGBTQIA community members, and athletes. We are all of these people and more. We have different abilities, ideals, cultures, backgrounds, goals, and passions. We cultivate a supportive space for all of our students to learn and grow.

Since 1814, we have been serving our communities in the tradition of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth with a spirit of inclusiveness and compassion.

Join our tradition. Let us welcome you home.

Small Campus, Big City

Spalding University is a small campus located in the heart of the energetic city of Louisville, Kentucky. One of many institutions and organizations that make giving back a way of life, Spalding University is an active leader in the SoBro neighborhood. Spalding’s campus is surrounded by beautiful historic mansions and tree-lined streets to the south and the banks of the Ohio River to the north. Our city is recognized as one of America’s most livable cities. In fact, it’s been named a top city for new college grads by SmartAsset, which may explain why over 70 percent of our alums choose to live in Louisville.

Spalding & Louisville

Spalding University is a microcosm of the city in which we live. With a diverse community and a focus on compassion, Spalding reflects the racial, economic, cultural, and LGTBQIA diversity of the city that surrounds us. Students engage the Louisville community through internships and fieldwork, local outreach and volunteer service work, as well as countless partnerships with community businesses and organizations.

Live in the Center of It All

Boasting a thriving arts scene amidst renowned parks and natural surroundings, Louisville is also one of the best dining and cultural destinations in the Midwest. Our city offers more than 1,000 local restaurants and was named a Top 10 Food City by National Geographic. If it’s entertainment, arts, or shopping that you’re looking for, we have The Kentucky Derby Festival, Forecastle Music Festival, Gonzofest, World Fest, Nulu district, the historic Highlands, and more. Louisville is home to more than 120 park systems, including Waterfront Park. All this and so much more make Louisville a popular cultural destination. Travelers come to Louisville to experience art, outdoor adventure, the trendy food scene, and entertainment of all kinds. Hop in the car or bus, and you are within a half-day’s drive to Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Nashville, Asheville, and other exciting destinations.

Our Mission is Serving Others

Our mission is our driving force. It’s more than something you will find in our history or charter. We live it. We share it. We take pride in it. You’ll learn it from your first day on campus and engage with it every day in and out of the classroom. And when you graduate, you will take it with you into the world.