There is no one perspective shared by all of our faculty but we do agree on several basic principles about education in general and biology in specific. Here we present these views as questions and answers:

• Should I do an A.B. or an Sc.B.?
• Should I do a double concentration?
• What credentials should I leave Brown with?
• What if I do not plan to go on to professional school?
• How do I start with planning a Biology Concentration?
• EEB Summer school -- field and marine stations

Should I do an AB, or an Sc.B.?

    You probably have heard much hype about which of these degrees you should pursue. Many students feel it is essential to obtain an Sc. B. (Bachelor of Science) -- that it is a more rigorous degree and that it is necessarily more valuable and desirable. But not so fast. Why did you think of coming to Brown in the first place? For many of you it was, no doubt, the opportunity to include intellectual experiences in the arts and humanities as well as the sciences. It is no secret that the arts and humanities are very, very strong at Brown. And, they provide the opportunity to broaden yourself Ð to find out more about some subject that has always fascinated you, or to explore a subject that you feel you know nothing about; in short, to pursue a liberal arts education. Be assured the chances are very good that you will never again have such an opportunity to explore. Certainly if you go on to an advanced program, be it a Ph. D. program in Ecology, or an MD or VMD program, you simply will not have that opportunity. They are narrowly focused, and you have to proceed in "overdrive" to succeed in them.

    So, what you may give up in tight disciplinary focus by pursuing the A. B., you are likely to gain in "schooling for life". As many are fond of saying today, " it's a zero-sum game" (8 semesters, 4 courses/semester = 32 courses). You may well wish to pursue a curriculum that will automatically lead to fulfilling the requirements of a Sc. B.; if so, fine. However, if fulfilling these requirements is to the detriment of your best interests, an c. B. is not a wise option. And let's face it Ð when your credentials are being evaluated in the world after Brown, the focus will be on the relevance of your curriculum, AND that it is a Brown degree.

Here is another view of this question.

top

Should I do a double concentration?

    There is a sense among some students and their parents that two degrees are better than one and thus that having two concentrations on your concentration shows you are better educated or better suited for life beyond Brown. In general, we disagree and feel obliged to explain why. Let's start by saying that we are not absolutely opposed to double concentrations -- some of us majored and minored in college and will always be glad we did. However, we feel that the focus of your decision is on how best to combine or integrate two interests you might have and how best to present those interests to the outside world. On one thing we are in agreement: your transcripts is not the best way to show others what you have accomplished at Brown!

top

What credentials should I leave Brown with?

    There is more, much more, to your education than a transcript. Although Brown does not have distribution requirements, it does offer advise on what might constitute a good education at Brown. A great place to start is with The Guide to Liberal Learning that you got when you entered Brown.

Perhaps the greatest credential you can take with you is confidence in your own ability. That includes your ability to explore and master new areas. Think about how you can convey that ability to others and you will realize that a transcript with grades is a relatively poor way to do it. Letters of recommendation from those who have witnessed your ability and can speak to it with solid examples are one effective kind of credential. So too are examples of your own creative work (papers, research proposals, theses).

Communication skills rank high on the list of valued credentials. You ability to connect verbally and in writing with others across a range of disciplines and levels is clearly crucial to your ability to convey your strengths and deliver your messages.

A good balance of breadth and depth in your area of concentration is also important. It is possible to fulfill the biology concentration requirements (including 100 level courses) without ever taking courses that encourage or require you to use what you were taught at the introductory level. Look for groups and sequences of courses that build a solid base from which you can move to a higher level of exploration. For example, EEB courses include basic concepts and organismal courses ("40" numbered courses). These serve as prerequisites for our 100 level seminars. Those seminars are largely taught at the graduate level. They allow you to try out your skills and give you a view of what the next level of studying biology is all about.

back to top

What if I don't want to be a doctor, vet or biologist?

That's fine! As academics, we naturally have an orientation toward training future academics and the structure of our curriculum emphasizes that, However, we realize that the subjects we teach have relevance and utility in a wide range of contexts from building a scientifically literate public to teaching critical thinking and and evaluation skills useful in a wide variety of endeavors.

Some of you will become teachers, others will enter the business world, and others will pursue the arts. Our goal is to provide you with a look at the nature of life on Earth and the ways in which it can be appreciated and studied from an ecological and evolutionary perspective.

Do not hesitate to talk with us about your education and plans if you are not "pre-professional". We would always like to learn from you about ways in which our program can enhance your education.

top

How do I start with planning a Biology Concentration?

Brown is unique in that it asks you to write and then sign a contract about your educational goals. That is what the Concentration forms and the process of filing a concentration are all about. These are not hurdles to cross to get on with your education -- they are the planning of your education. We take them very seriously and assume you do as well. What you declare on your concentration forms is not cast in stone. It will probably be reworked as you go along. However it is essential that your fist version is a well though out and solid plan.

The first step is to visit the undergraduate biology education web site. There you will find all the relevant information about various concentration options in biology as well as other useful links and advice. While you are browsing, have a look through the Dean of the College web site. There you will find useful information about academic requirements, programs that will support your education (e.g., the UTRA program for summer research) and access to the useful resources in the academic deans offices.

Any faculty member in EEB can help you get started. If you are a sophomore, you will eventually see Dean Thompson to get the official processing going and to be assigned a concentration advisor. Not all EEB faculty are concentration advisors, but we are all eager to work with you on your concentration and broader aspects of your educational plans at Brown and beyond. The official concentration advisor is partly for bookkeeping and not a restriction on who can and will give you advice.

Remember two things about concentrations at Brown. First, they are a key part but not the only part of your education here. Before you get too focused on what to do in biology, please read the following statement about liberal education and what that means for you at Brown.

'Second, remember that in order to encourage exploration, liberal education goals and flexibility for your curricular design, concentration requirements are often "minimum" requirements for going on to graduate work in the subject. For example, you may find that you can develop a better sense of where you are going and preparation for it by taking more than the 10 required concentration courses. Also remember that many graduate programs in EEB still require the following: a year of calculus, a year of physics, a year of organic chemistry. Talk to us about these "requirements" and explore graduate programs via their web pages to get a better feel for what they are looking for.

There is no conflict between the liberal education goals and the concentration "maximization" goals of your curriculum. It just takes some careful planning and thinking. We would be glad to act as sounding boards as you work through this.

EEB Summer school -- field and marine stations

    While we compile an annotated list, here is the key site for identifying various field and marine stations that are avilable.

top