The mission of the Department of Biological Sciences is to provide students with a broad education in biology. To this end, students are offered a range of lecture courses that span the molecular, physiological, and ecological levels of organization. Students also complete laboratory courses that help them learn how to design and test hypotheses, use cutting edge equipment, and interpret data. Finally, students learn scientific communication skills by critiquing research articles, writing laboratory reports and research papers, and participating in oral presentations and debates. The department encourages students to become involved in a research project under the guidance of a faculty member at Barnard or elsewhere in New York City.<br><br>There are five possible ways to complete a major within Biology, referred to as tracks. A student can obtain a General Biology Major or may complete one of the four tracks to specialize in a level of biological organization: Cellular & Molecular, Physiological & Organismal, Ecological & Evolutionary, or Computational Biology. All tracks within the major must fulfill common foundational and senior capstone requirements outlined below.