Arizona State University Reviews of Bachelor's in Biology

"Arizona State University has a wonderful biology program. They give you the ability to choose the classes that interest you. I was able to take marine biology type classes in the middle of the desert! The professors are amazing and truly do care about each and every student. It is hard to find a university that not only has a wide variety of course but that houses staff that truly make an overall difference in your life."

"I loved attending ASU! I transferred to ASU from Northern Arizona University (NAU) due to personal reasons and I am thankful that I received the last two years of my education at this university. I had wonderful, attentive, and caring advisors who helped me to make sure that I would succeed. While I had a difficult time with one or two professors, most of the professors that I worked with were fantastic! They were eager to work with any student that was putting effort into their education and made an effort to cater the lessons to their students. The prerequisite classes are quite large, but once you've had the opportunity to specify what major your working on the upper division classes are much smaller and allow for a much more personal atmosphere. My professors helped me to realize what aspects of Ecology I enjoyed and assisted me in finding the right opportunities for gaining experience in that field. ASU is also a large research university that has significant funding for all kinds of projects. Within a week of starting at the university, I was able to find a laboratory that needed volunteers. My lab manager helped me develop new projects and allowed me to explore as much as possible in the lab. He ended up writing me a letter of recommendation and helped me get into graduate school! The resources that ASU has to offer are extensive. They have three campuses and in my experience they really do try to make it as easy as possible to get your education. My experience at ASU was fantastic, but there are a few things that I will encourage those looking into their undergraduate programs and schools to look into: 1.) Don't be scared to ask questions. The advisors and the registrar office are there to help you. This is a large university with a ton of resources, but it ay not be the school for everyone. I had skype meetings and long email chats with many of those in these offices before deciding to enroll. Do your research because you are going to be spending a lot of time and money on your education and you want to make sure that you are confident in your choices. 2.) Not every teacher that you are going to have should be allowed to teach. One of the downfalls of going to a research university is that anyone doing research at this university is also required to teach. Unfortunately, it means that some of the professors suck. These were few and far between at my time at ASU, but they were still there. At first I found this extremely discouraging and thought that it reflected on the university poorly, but as I encountered more and more of the amazing professors that ASU had employed, I realized that it's simply impossible to have the best of the best in everything. If you have a terrible professor for one or two of your classes, I would recommend that you look into the other sections that this class is being offered in, keep your head down and just push through the semester, or go into office hours and make an attempt to develop a relationship with that professor. 3.) Don't limit yourself based on first impressions. ASU has tens of thousands of students, which means they offer a massive variety of classes. Go exploring! Take a humanities class that you would never have imagined would be a class, join a club that will teach you something new. ASU has a lot to offer and going in tunnel visioned or brushing an opportunity off because you didn't like what you saw the first time can put a damper on the experience. I am aware that not every university has the right environment for every student, but I think that ASU is large enough, diverse enough, and dedicated enough to give their students a great education. I loved my time there and I think that it deserves consideration from any student looking for their next step in life."

"I sought this degree as a pre-med student because of the complex nature of microbiology. After completing two years of medical school I was grateful for the vast amount of knowledge I had gained from this undergraduate program in microbiology. Microbiology is one of the most difficult subjects for medical students to master and with this undergraduate degree from Arizona State University I was prepared for the extensive amount of microbiology presented during the basic science years of medical school."

"Arizona State University was an amazing and very welcoming university. I was able to gain a vast knowledge of sciences and worked with many brilliant and talented professionals. While this university has the record of being the biggest university in the country, I was able to receive quality one on one time with professors at any appropriate time that worked with that professor. ASU had been a great experience that I will forever remember and cherish!"

"I received a B.S. in Applied Biological Sciences at Arizona State University, Polytechnic campus. I thoroughly enjoyed the Polytechnic campus because it was much more intimate and accessible than the Tempe campus. The Applied Biological Sciences department within the College of Integrative Sciences was an incredible department with the best professors I have ever had the pleasure to work with. Each professor is open to discussion about their specialty and more than willing to help students further their academic career and prepare them for their future career. My major involved a lot of hands-on classes that allowed me to sculpt my skills with real-life examples and activities. I worked closely with software that will be extremely valuable to my research career, including R and GIS. I had been to many schools before the ASU Polytechnic campus, and this campus and degree has been the best experience, so far."

"Attending Arizona State University was the best decision I have ever made in pursuing a career in science. I have been received so many opportunities since I began my journey at ASU. As a transfer student I was accepted into the LEAP scholars program where I am learning about biology education research. Recently our manuscript was sent for review and will lead to my first publication. Being a part of the LEAP program provided me with the opportunity to become a part of a neurovirology lab where I am studying the alphaherpes virus. Midway into my first semester at ASU I was informed of the opportunity to obtain a Master's in an accelerated program. As I am finishing my Bachelor's in Microbiology, I will be starting my Master's in Molecular and Cellular Biology. I have been provided with so many opportunities in only the 1 academic year I have attended ASU and feel glad to have chosen this school to guide me in becoming a great scientist."

"Really awesome degree programs, but ASU only cares about money! I am in triple digit debt, and for what? I had to ask 5 different teachers for letters of recommendations for graduate school because most said no. It is like.. they do not really care. I would email professors about meeting to discuss "next-steps" for after graduation and most did not answer me. I simply wanted to know how they got into the field they were in, I was interested in it for myself, and 3 separate professors ignored me. They go on and on about mentor-ship and opportunities but for the amount of money I paid them in tuition and fees, all I truly got was a headache. I learned really interesting material in class, but most of it was self-driven. I had to make my own schedules and independently study topics. I had to make my own class schedules, advising has no idea what they are doing. It is a lot of YOU doing for yourself, and that is fine and it prepares you for the real-world. But why am I in so much debt for a school that really did not do much for me?"

"ASU Polytechnic is a great study school with plenty of science programs to choose from, advisers to talk to, and a small campus feel that allows for easy formations of relationships with everyone you interact with. I really enjoyed gaining lasting mentors and connections."

"Arizona State University is a great school with many amazing professors and research facilities. It is surrounded by the entirety of the greater Phoenix area, so there are so many opportunities for jobs and internships. ASU opens the door to so many possibilities."

"I enjoyed my time at Arizona State University. I do believe I attended the school for a different reason than my peers. At the time, ASU was a known party school and had a reputation for drinking and partying, not its education. The only reason I attended was because I received a scholarship from the school and it was close to home. Although this was the case, I do not regret my decision the least bit. I actually learned a lot in my major and met some really awesome people."

"Their classes only present information. This school does not help you in anyway to get a job in the field you studied. Also their Forensics program is nothing more then a joke. In one class the instructor gave the class material to read about Topac, including all the sexual street language and I thought it was very inappropriate and a very bad choice of material that didn't belong in an educational environment. Also, their Reach-trio program is worthless and needs to be trashed all together. This is just for starters."

"I am in the online biochemistry degree because I work full time in a doctors office. I found it extremely difficult to be able to attend school full time as a ground student and still work because most of the classes and labs are right in the middle of my day. Arizona State University had come up with a full time online degree so I am able to continue to work full time and go to school at the same time. The advisors set up a schedule with classes to take during each semester so I can graduate in less than 2 years. It is very doable since I am an older person and have less energy than the typical college student."

"Arizona State University was a great experience. Studying biology here from 2009-2013 was very useful in learning how to write, study, and promote myself to employers showing them that I put in the effort to obtain a college degree. With my biology degree, I was able to teach biology at the high school and university levels in schools in Colombia, South America for over 2 years. Without this degree, I'm certain that I would not have gotten the job. Some of my favorite courses were microbiology, evolution, vertebrate zoology, and the many electives that lead me to being able to studying abroad in Madrid, Spain. Their laboratories have lots of expensive and on the frontier of science equipment, especially once you are in the upper division labs. The only thing I wish my program would have done better was to require me to have some kind of internship or biology work outside of the classroom. Graduating with no work experience can be difficult and the degree alone will not guarantee you a job."

"The biochemistry program at Arizona State University is a rigorous and time-consuming degree. Because ASU is the number one in innovation, there is a large focus on research. As such, many of the professors have laboratories that you may be able to work in as an undergraduate student. This step is critical to the process of getting a job in industry after graduation. The coursework is difficult, but the upper level professors really do seem to care about the success of their students, especially those that seek help when they are in need. I would recommend this program to anyone who likes a challenge and has a lot of initiative when it comes to their academics."

"Based on my own knowledge and the knowledge of other college students at different institutions, I can proudly say that ASU is the most diverse and welcoming university that I know of. The University represents a community of innovators, and future leaders of the world and it is a constant learning experience being around so many great minds. Another great aspect of the school is the fact that it can be accessed at many different locations making it easier for those that cannot always get to a campus. Overall, my degree program gave me such a wide variety of biological science material to work with and learn from anything to genetics to adaptations of plants and animals. The instructors were always welcoming and made the classes enjoyable for anyone in the degree program. I definitely got my moneys worth and Arizona State University Polytechnic!"

"Arizona State University exceeded my expectations. I received my BS degree in Biological Sciences in 2014. ASU is a large university with over 70,000 students most of which are from out of state or out of country leading to a diverse student body. The faculty and staff is also made up of individuals with impressive backgrounds. Even with the large student body, finding a seat in a class is never an issue - professors are always happy to add students to class, this leads to reduced stress and on time graduation dates. The ease of advising is wonderful as well. There are plenty of resources to ensure you are on the right path and stay on the right path. Sun Devil pride is a real thing. Not only are you receiving a great education but there is also a sense of pride in attending football, basketball, baseball etc. games. I highly recommend ASU to any students considering it - it is a decision you will not regret."

"During my undergraduate degree as an Applied Biological Sciences student at ASU I have had the pleasure of spending the majority of my time throughout my studies at the Polytechnic campus and in the field performing research. Attending the Polytechnic campus has been an incredible experience as I have had the opportunity to network with others who had similar interests to my career goals including both students and professionals in the field. Along with this, I have also been granted the opportunity to perform field work and research alongside esteemed wildlife biologists, who have also been instructors for my required courses through my degree, and have been able practice and learn invaluable skills related to my interests in wildlife biology. Also, due to the small size of this campus, professors and resources have consistently been helpful and accessible, allowing more opportunities for success as a student. However, many issues lie within the university as it has been apparent that the majority of support awarded to students is clearly directed towards those involved in the engineering programs with little or no support for biological sciences. Another issue that I have dealt with on multiple occasions has been with the advising department as my I have been given incorrect or no assistance applied towards my educational career. Additionally, I have been unimpressed with the lack of options for a focus on wildlife biology at this university as most of my course options have been directed more towards veterinary majors. With all that being said however, I am now on track to begin graduate school and am working closely with a professor who has proven to be an invaluable resource in assisting to improve my abilities as a student and professional. I am confident in saying that the knowledge I have gained towards my field of interest and that the opportunities that have been presented to me would not have been achieved elsewhere and because of this I feel great pride in the education I have received at Arizona State University."

"Arizona State University is a very well-rounded university, it recently has won many awards including #1 in innovation. I feel ASU has provided me with an excellent education thanks to the professional faculty. There is an astounding amount of research opportunity which prepares you professionally and academically for any field post-graduation. As an alumni, ASU has kept in touch and continuously invites me to networking opportunities, so as you can see this school truly cares about its students and alumni."

"There are many young people who work there. Not many seem to know the reality of life. Every aspect of attending ASU is all done online in the beginning. There will be computer glitches between ASU's system and FASFA's. There is no way to deal with any of it person to person. I tried and thought it was resolved, nope, it still did not accept my taxes from 2015. The first person lead me to believe it was all taken care of. I could not find help to find a three credit class that would fit in my schedule to be full time. I asked for help and was shown online the classes I could choose from. Nothing was a fit except a lab for biology that I was already taking on Fridays. Horrible that companies who take our money for what we are seeking have bad customer service. Worse is the education system is flipping people in taking their money and not communicating with clarity. I think all education systems need a few classes in communication and the value of communicating that leads to long-term relationships to sustain business. DON'T BE SCAMMED! I have already attended colleges in TN, TX, AZ, and CA. I was able to attain an education that has aided me. ASU is not for me. Especially since my interest is genetics, AZ is not the place for education in genetics."

"I attended Arizona State University after I received a scholarship for being a National Hispanic Scholar. This made it so that it was actually less expensive to attend here than in my home state. While in school I lived on campus and met several people with whom I still keep in touch. I was able to participate in several clubs, intramural sports, volunteer and have an internship. The school's proximity to Phoenix made it so that many opportunities were near by, it also made it so that I could attend all kinds events in the city just by taking the light rail. There are tons of sporting events to attend and if you're not into sports there is loads of other things going on all the time on campus. The weather is beautiful and you do get used to the heat plus there is air conditioning everywhere. The campus is relatively sustainable too which is really cool there are actually tons of solar panels on buildings around campus providing solar power. Housing is relatively inexpensive in Tempe even if you aren't living in the dorms. The academics were always top notch with instructors who are prominent members of their field in just about every subject. All the classes are taught by the professors themselves not by teaching assistants. The school offers many classes online and hybrid as well which makes it nice if you want more control over your own schedule. Also even though ASU is the biggest school in the country it never felt like it was too big, I would run into people I knew everywhere. I even feel like the fact that it is such a big school was helpful in making sure there was a variety of people for me to interact with and get to know."