Mission Statement

The purpose of the PLNU graduate program in biology is to provide an opportunity for working professionals to develop a deeper understanding of biological principles and methods, as well as to explore the relationship between science and faith.

Program Overview

PLNU offers California's only part-time master's degree in general biology specifically designed for working professionals. The intentionally broad curriculum allows you to see connections between various areas of biology often missed in typical graduate programs focused on one narrow area of biology. The flexible program offers a blend of hybrid and face-to-face courses, including lab courses taught in our state-of-the-art facilities, that allow you to keep your full-time job while earning your degree. The 34-unit program includes 10 units of required coursework in the history and philosophy of science, research design, and more. The other 24 units include a variety of biology courses with labs, as well as options for internships and electives in biology, business, leadership, or education.

Faculty

Program Director - Dianne Anderson, Ph.D.

Dianne Anderson, Ph.D.
University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University

Walter Cho, Ph.D.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Yoojin Choi, Ph.D.
Harvard University

David Cummings, Ph.D.
University of Idaho

Michael Dorrell, Ph.D.
The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California

Rebecca Flietstra, Ph.D.
University of Kansas Medical Center

Kristopher Koudelka, Ph.D.
The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California

Jennifer Lineback, Ph.D.
University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University

Michael Mooring, Ph.D.
University of California, Davis

Andrew Nosal, Ph.D.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego

Dawne Page, Ph.D.
Biology Department Chair
University of California, San Francisco

Brandon Sawyer, Ph.D.
Arizona State University

Heidi Woelbern, Ph.D.
University of California, Los Angeles