Natural Sciences at EMU
With a degree in one of our science majors from EMU, you will gain the knowledge and skills to make meaningful, scientific contributions for a better world and be able to articulate the important role of science in our society.
At EMU you’ll join a team of students and professors who share your interests. You’ll develop transferable skills for many careers, as you conduct novel experiments with tangible impacts. You’ll have the privilege of working with faculty on research projects and/or gaining career experiences through practicums or internships.
As you analyze data, debate issues, and engage in field work in the Shenandoah Valley and surrounding regions, you’ll develop skills in scientific interpretation and an awareness of the ethical issues that surround science. Our school’s small size means ready access to equipment and we have newly renovated facilities that reflect current trends in laboratory design.
You’ll receive individual instruction, from professors who will mentor you. We have an excellent reputation; our graduates are sought both by graduate schools and employers – they know EMU science grads are well-prepared critical thinkers with real-world experience.
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Distinctives
- Faculty/Student collaboration on research
- Practical internships to develop career skills
- Financial support for student- driven research projects; see the Kauffman & Miller Research Awards
- State-of-the-art facilities
- Reflective integration of your values with your disciplinary activities
- Suter Science Seminars provide opportunity for engagement with leaders in the field.
- Cross-cultural study (required for all EMU students); Pre-health and Environmental Sustainability students have benefited particularly from the internships available at our Washington Community Scholars’ Center in D.C.
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Animal Care and UseEMU maintains an active Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The purpose of this committee is to ensure the humane treatment of live vertebrate animals used in teaching and research as defined by policy from the Public Health Service (PHS). Regular reviews of animal use protocols and animal facilities are performed and approved prior to the start of experiments. More information on IACUC’s membership and function can be found on the website of the National Institutes of Health Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW).
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Student Experiences, Internships and Research
Internships
- The Smithsonian
- SRI International Center for Advanced Drug Research
- the National Institutes of Health
- a private contractor for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA
- Secure Futures
- Shenandoah Valley Soil and Water Conservation District
- Va Department of Environmental Quality
- the Shenandoah National Park
- the Mid-Atlantic Center for Herpetology and Conservation
Research
- Students participate with faculty in research such as the biology of aging, the impacts of high salt, high sugar diet on hypertension in rats, the development and use of attractants to manage pests, and stream restoration and water quality analysis.
- Students have opportunities for presenting research each semester, at the STEM Student Research Symposium in the fall or the Academic & Creative Excellence Festival in the spring.
- Students may compete for Kauffman-Miller Research Awards, up to for $2500 for summer research supervised by EMU faculty.
Clubs and Tutoring
- Earthkeepers club
- Sustainable Food Initiative
- Coalition for Climate Justice
- Pre-Professional Health Sciences club
- Students can work as peer tutors in the Academic Success Center which develops their own scientific understanding as well as other skills
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Outcomes
Careers
- Environmental consultant
- Wildlife consultant
- Agricultural or forestry work
- Science teacher, middle or high school
- Professor
- Small business owner
- Physician
- Physical therapist
- Dentist
- Physician Assistant
- Veterinarian
- Pharmacist
- Immunologist
- Epidemiologist
- Pathologist
- Medical or Clinical Technologist
- Radiology Technician
- Paramedic
- Neurochemistry research
- Teaching college science
- Opening a medical practice
- Community health worker in Central America
- Pharmaceutical manufacturing
- Environmental quality control
- Malaria research in Tanzania
- Biotechnology
Graduate Schools
- Carnegie Mellon
- Cornell
- Dartmouth
- Evergreen University
- George Mason
- George Washington
- Goucher College
- Iowa
- James Madison University
- Ohio State School of Public Health
- Ohio State University
- Penn State
- Simon Fraser University
- University of Florida
- University of Idaho
- University of Illinois in Chicago
- University of Minnesota
- University of Hew Hampshire
- University of Oregon
- UVa
- University of Wisconsin
- Virginia Commonwealth University
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Yale
Students have also been accepted into top-level medical schools
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Affordability
- 99% of undergrads receive financial aid
- The average assistance package is over $37,000
- Over $21 million in aid is awarded each year
Financial aid packages often include:
Learn more by contacting EMU's Financial Assistance Office or checking out our net price calculator.