Interdisciplinary Programs

The Department of Biology is heavily involved in all of the science-related Interdisciplinary Programs at Kenyon. The Biochemistry and Molecular Program is designed to allow majors to concentrate on either the biological or chemical aspects of molecular life processes. For students seeking a broadly-based curriculum in the study of the environment, the Environmental Studies Program will expose students to the biological, chemical, economic and political aspects of man's relationship to the environment. Many of the questions that arise could be tested directly at the Brown Family Environmental Center at Kenyon , which is our open-air laboratory. The Neuroscience Program offers majors and minors courses that integrate the biological, chemical, psychological and philosophical approaches to the study of the brain and behavior.

Students interested in other interdisciplinary subjects can design their own Synoptic Major, which incorporates existing courses with independent study and research. Some recent topics for synoptic majors include: Ethnobotany and Homeopathic Medicine; Women's Health and Community; Cultural Anthropology and Ecology; and the Economics of Forestry and its Interaction with the Environment.