Choose Your Genetics Adventure

Why choose Genetics at Iowa State? The small program size and associated learning community provides students with support and a sense of community, while offering the benefits and opportunities of a major research university. At Iowa State, faculty in 3 different departments (BBMB, EEOB, and GDCB) administer the undergraduate Genetics major. These faculty provide undergraduates with a multidisciplinary perspective on genetics and a broad range of possibilities to become involved in cutting edge genetics research. Students can begin working in research labs as early as their freshman year! In addition, the Genetics Program offers freshmen the unique opportunity to participate in state-of-the-art research by enrolling in a developmental biology lab utilizing the CRISPR/Cas 9 system to perform gene editing in a model organism, the zebrafish. The program also offers internships for students to conduct semester or summer research projects in faculty labs. Looking for more research experience? Our Experiential Learning Coordinator will assist students with identifying research opportunities in faculty labs on campus and internships at local and regional companies. Finally, completion of the genetics degree meets the admissions requirements for most graduate and professional programs!

Whether you are interested in pursuing a career in a medical field (human medicine or pre-vet), genetic counseling, genetic engineering, or other genetics-related research fields, the Genetics Program at Iowa State will prepare you for the next step in your career.

Areas of Study