COSAM Major/Minors and Departments

Biology is the science of life. Biologists study every facet of life from the molecular structure of neurotransmitters to the population health of whales worldwide. Our knowledge of biological principles allows us to create new drugs and therapies, maintain safe packaging processes for food, monitor the health of an ecosystem, plan for potential disease outbreaks, predict the best treatment plan based on a tumor’s specific genetics, and protect endangered animals. Biology is an evolving field, continually creating new jobs and opportunities that do not exist today.

Chemistry is known as “The Central Science” because it is vitally important to other fields, such as biology, physics, materials science, engineering, geology, astronomy, medicine, and more. A degree in chemistry can open the door to a wide variety of career options, both traditional and non-traditional. You could work on research that has an impact around the world such as developing a cure for cancer, helping characterize compounds to fight the opioid crisis, adjusting enzymes to end red tides in our oceans, or paving the way to ground-breaking research to prevent diabetes.

Geoscientists are stewards of the earth and its biosphere, helping to protect the environment and Earth’s populations. Theyidentify and remediate harmful surface and groundwater contaminants. They identify areas prone to flooding, earthquakes, tsunamis,landslides, and volcanic eruptions. Theystudy climate extremes (drought, hurricanes, heatwaves, storms) and learn about climatic and environmental changes

Mathematics majors develop the critical thinking, reasoning, and analytical skills that are always in high demand in the job market. As technology becomes more complex and our access to data increases, people with the ability to understand, synthesize, interpret, and create mathematical solutions are increasingly valuable. Mathematics is integral to the work in streaming services, airlines, pension funds, animation studios, cybersecurity firms, stock markets, casinos, meteorology, and countless other industries. COSAM math graduates work for companies as varied as Facebook and the Missile Defense Agency.

Physics, the most fundamental science, tries to explain how the physical universe behaves. Physicists study the nature of the universe at every level--from sub-atomic to cosmological. Physics provides a versatile degree and essential problem-solving skills for a broad spectrum of rewarding careers in scientific research, academics,business, medicine, law, education, engineering, and computer science.