Welcome to the Web Page for Undergraduate Students in Integrative Biology!
This page and the orange menu links at left will provide you with helpful information about the IB major, such as course lists and course requirements. Be sure to check out the Advising Office as well for loads of useful information. If you are interested in doing research as an undergraduate, click here to get more information about getting involved.
If you are a prospective student, look around to see if you might like to join us. You can also check out the web pages specifically designed to answer your questions about biology at Illinois, the IB major, and about the University of Illinois (click here or select For Prospective Students in the blue menu at left).
Career Opportunities in Integrative Biology
Check out some of the exciting careers open to IB majors. You can find out more about IB careers on our career page.
Health Professions
Planning a career in one of the health professions, such as medicine, dentistry, or pharmacy? IB may be the place for you. Integrative Biology provides a solid educational foundation in all areas of biology. Learn about the incredible diversity of life on earth at the same time as you prepare yourself for your chosen career.
Environmental Sciences
Interested in the environment or conservation? An IB major may be what you're looking for to prepare you for careers in these areas. The solid grounding in subjects such as ecology and evolution you will receive in IB will prepare you for advanced study or directly for a career in the field.
Organismal Biology and Evolution
Interested in plants and animals and their evolution? A focus on a specific group of organisms can prepare you for careers in conservation biology, zoos, botanical gardens, museums, academia, or other appropriate fields.
Biological Research
Interested in biological research as a career? A major in IB will provide you with the perfect foundation for advanced study in biochemistry & genetics, physiology & development, behavior, ecology, or systematics & evolution.
Studying Integrative Biology
To prepare for any of these satisfying careers, study these subjects:
Genetics & Biochemistry
Many biological questions about how animals and plants interact can best be answered at the molecular level. In IB you will learn about the emerging discipline of genomics and how genes can influence everything from behavior to evolution.
Physiology & Development
How plants and animals function, how they adapt to their environments, and how they evolve, are central issues in integrative biology. IB majors not only learn about these topics, they gain an understanding of how physiology and development can shape the course of evolution.
Behavior
In many respects, behavior is the manifestation of an animal's physiology, and IB majors have plenty of opportunity to learn how behavior is an expression of an animal's physiology as well as being the basis for its adaptation to its environment.
Ecology
How do living organisms interact with one another? That's the subject of ecology, one of the core areas of study in Integrative Biology. Plenty of opportunity for field work means that your learning of concepts in the classroom will be enhanced by seeing principles in action out in nature.
Evolution & Systematics
The astonishing diversity of plant and animal life on earth now and in the past can best be understood in the context of the concept of evolution and Darwin's proposal of natural selection on population variation as a mechanism. IB majors learn not only the principles of evolution but study the astonishing ways in which animals and plants have adapted to various environments throughout geological time.