About us

About Us

The Department of Biology within the College of Natural Sciences of the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras was established in 1943 and is currently the premiere center for biological education and research in Puerto Rico. With its new curriculum leading to a bachelor’s in science it offers undergraduate students a broad, solid, cutting-edge education and a variety of research opportunities to help them strengthen their preparation and discover unseen avenues for career development. Our graduate program offers Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in four core areas: Molecular and Cellular Biology, Neuroscience, Ecology and Systematics, and Evolution and Genetics. Our undergraduate program is the largest in the College of Natural Sciences with a total of 1200 students. We maintain close ties with the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, the Institute of Neurobiology, the Department of Environmental Sciences at UPR-RP, the UPR Botanical Garden, and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry. The Department is member of the Organization for Tropical Studies.

Many of our undergraduate students seek a preparation to enter graduate or professional schools, including careers in medicine, pharmacy, nursing, and law. We encourage our students to learn early about existing opportunities, as well as requirements, to guarantee their success when applying to jobs and schools. The annual evaluations, as well as discussions with the undergraduate advisors can benefit students in important ways.

For information related to  courses, enrollment or Department services contact us via:  biology.uprrp@upr.edu