Our Commitment to Student Success
Our highly dedicated faculty represent diverse professional backgrounds and research interests. We are deeply committed to helping students build a strong foundation in science, technology, and mathematics that will prepare them for a range of careers, including but not limited to medicine and health care, conservation and resource management, biomedical research, computer sciences, and software engineering. Through our Professional Health Sciences major, many of our students also go on to master’s and doctoral programs to become:
- physicians,
- dentists,
- physical therapists,
- occupational therapists,
- chiropractors,
- pharmacists,
- veterinarians,
- physician assistants,
- optometrists,
- podiatrists,
- anesthesiologist assistants, or
- other comparable healthcare professionals
In addition to our robust majors, the School of Natural and Applied Sciences offers several minors that complement academic majors across several disciplines. Please contact us if you are interested in any of our programs and would like more information. We look forward to hearing from you!
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
One of the greatest strengths of Avila University’s School of STEM is the opportunity for undergraduate students to participate in hands-on research. O’Reilly Hall is a state-of-the-art science and teaching facility that includes four biology laboratories, three dedicated research laboratories, a shared core research facility, chemistry and physics laboratories, and modern lecture classrooms.
At Avila, we believe that every science student should have the opportunity to engage in meaningful research beyond the classroom and laboratory. As a result, undergraduate research is a cornerstone of our STEM programs. Eligible students may participate in Honors Research or pursue internship opportunities aligned with their academic and career interests.
Students present the results of their research through the BI 499 Research Colloquium and Seminar course and during Avila’s Student Scholar Day, a university-wide celebration of student scholarship, creativity, and achievement.
Some of the Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) offered at Avila University include:
- BI 319 – Applied Genetics (2 credits)
- BI 345 – Molecular Cell Biology with Laboratory (4 credits)
- BI 352 – Microbiology (4 credits)
- BI 360 – Ecology (4 credits)
- CH 311 – Food & Drug Analysis (4 credits)
- CH 314 – Environmental Chemistry (4 credits)
- CH 321 – Analytical Techniques and Laboratory Tools (4 credits)
This strong commitment to undergraduate research provides students with valuable hands-on experience, strengthens critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and prepares them for graduate study, professional programs, and careers in STEM-related fields.
