Why Biology at SDSU?

The Department of Biology at San Diego State University has excellent degree programs with courses taught by over 50 full-time, research-active faculty members. We serve and mentor approximately 1,300 undergraduate majors in Biology and Microbiology, 80 minors, 150 graduate students, and thousands of students from other departments. SDSU offers various coursework in cellular and molecular biology, ecology, evolution, and related fields. In a typical semester, undergraduates have access to over 50 courses. Nearly all of these classes are small, with fewer than 30 students, or have associated laboratory sections with fewer than 25 students.

1,415
Enrollment: Spring 2025

1,255
Bachelor's

85
Master's

75
Doctoral

311
Degrees Awarded: 2023-2024

281
Bachelor's

21
Master's

9
Doctoral

Major Areas of Study

Bacteriophages under electron microscope

Cell & Molecular Biology

Investigate how cells and microorganisms interact.

Cactus flower blooming in desert

Ecology

Protect ecosystems and their inhabitants.

Students examine a collection of beetles at the Biodiversity Museum Open House

Evolutionary Biology

Identify when new species diverged from their relatives.

Bioinformatics

Analyze big data to pinpoint important genetic variation.

Scott snorkeling in Indonesia

Marine Biology

Explore aquatic environments and their role in climate change.

Night lizard head

Zoology

Observe animal behaviors and spatial distributions.

Thesis Defenses

Announcements

Celebrate Darwin Day with the College of Sciences!

Darwin Day is an international celebration held annually on February 12 that honors the life and legacy of Charles Darwin, the British naturalist best known for his groundbreaking work on the theory of evolution by natural selection. The day aims to promote scientific thought, curiosity, and intellectual courage, as well […]

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