The College of Sciences is investing its resources to:

achieve complementary teaching and research excellence

develop active, high-quality, well-equipped learning environments designed around unique departmental programs

be recognized for its unique undergraduate research programs

be regarded for its excellence, efficiency, and energy

• Several pre-professional programs are located in the College: pre-engineering, pre-medical, and pre-legal studies. The College is recognized for these programs across the region. Students who have taken the pre-engineering program and transferred to the top nationally ranked engineering program at the University of Illinois have a 99% success rate.

• Interdisciplinary programsinclude an Environmental Biology (EVB) program that now has 45 majors that take additional Chemistry courses. Chemistry offers a biochemistry concentration designed to prepare students for jobs or graduate study in this interdisciplinary area or for medical or other health-related professional schools.  A new Biotechnology Center is preparing students for a high-tech future in the Life Sciences. Students will be able to analyze DNA sequences and perform genetic, immunological and biological experiments.  Political Science and Economics participate in an international studies option. The MSNS program is an interdisciplinary program offered to Science teachers.

• Clinical Servicesare provided by students and faculty who are preparing professionals for careers as speech-language pathologists.  The clinical program provides speech, language and hearing services to the people of east central Illinois where over 100 patients are served each term.

• Summer field programs offered by the department of Geology-Geography provide practical experiences to students with excursions to Wyoming and South Dakota and the U.S. Southwest.

• Mathematics education and pure mathematics faculty working together have generated enthusiasm about mathematics, which extends to student groups. The Math Energy Club specifically for elementary education majors has a membership of 170, the largest in the nation, and was nationally recognized for its accomplishments.

• Internships are provided for students in Communication Disorders and Sciences, Economics, Geology-Geography, Sociology, Political Science, Psychology and Environmental Biology.

• Faculty-student research partnerships are supported by college grants and programs such as ScienceFest and an annual trip to Springfield to promote and share research.

The 10 departments in the College of Sciences include:

• Biological Sciences

• Mathematics & Computer Science

• Chemistry

• Physics

• Communications Disorders and Sciences

• Political Science

• Economics

• Psychology

• Geology/Geography

• Sociology-Anthropology

• Nursing- RN to BS

9 departments offer honors programs; 2 offer international studies options; 9 offer minors; and 2 offer interdisciplinary minors.

• Master of Arts degrees (5)

• Master of Science degrees (3)

• Master of Science in Education degrees (1)

• Specialists Degree in school psychology

• Participant in an interdisciplinary program in gerontology

• Bachelor of Arts degrees (5); a teacher certification option is offered in 2 areas.

• Bachelor of Sciences degrees (11); a teacher certification option is offered in 4 of these areas.

• Cooperative Bachelor of Science degrees in engineering and clinical laboratory science.