Welcome to the Department of Biology at Texas State University - San Marcos. The Biology Department is a large, multidisciplinary department with many strong research programs that are well funded. We serve about 11,000 students each year in modern facilities with up to date instrumentation emphasizing inquiry-based hands-on instruction. This year Biology has about 1,200 undergraduate majors and 135 graduate (masters and Ph.D.) students.

Our goal is to attain national and international prominence through integrating undergraduate and graduate education with multidisciplinary research programs. Through our educational, scholarship, and outreach activities, the department will enhance the image of Texas State by using the life sciences to help meet the current and future needs of society in Texas, the United States, and the world.

601 University Dr,
San Marcos TX 78666
(512) 245-2178 (Main)
(512) 245-8713 (Fax)

• Shawn McCracken, Ph.D. candidate in the Biology Department and other scientists have identified Ecuadoran park as one of the most biodiverse places on Earth.  For more info, please click here.
• Students in Dr Yixin Zhang’s Aquatic Biology course won the Second Place prize at Texas State Undergraduate Research Conference and Thesis Forum.  For more info, please click here.

• Graduate student Tommy Erwin recently won the OB Williams Award for best student presentation in general microbiology at the annual meeting of the Texas Branch of the American Society for Microbiology. For more info, please click here.

• Professor of Biology Bob McLean was recently awarded the Distinguished Service Award for contributions to the advancement of microbiology in Texas at the annual meeting of the Texas Branch of the American Society for Microbiology. For more info, please click here.

• Congratulations to Sunni Taylor, a biology doctoral student whose paper describing the genetic architecture of reproductive isolation in Irises was recently featured on the cover of the journal “Evolution”.

• April 2 - Department of Biology Colloquium

• April 30 - Department of Biology Awards Day

• Registration for Spring 2010 starts October 19 - November 6

• Upcoming Events and Seminars

• NSF Project Flowing Waters

• List of Student and Faculty Awards

• Important Information Concerning Undergraduate Research

• Upcoming theses, dissertation proposals, defenses

• Degree Requirements
• Faculty Directory
• Job Opportunities