Department of Biology

The Department of Biology offers both teaching and non-teaching degree programmes. Students interested in teaching biology can choose the BA Biology in Education degree programme, and can pursue their studies in two follow-up MA degrees Teaching Biology for Upper Levels of Primary Schools and for Secondary Schools. Within the teaching degree programmes students are prepared for the instruction of the subject Practical Activities that is included in the basic school curriculum. As for non-teaching programmes, the department realizes both BA and follow-up MA Systematic Biology and Ecology degree programmes. The Department of Biology also offers extension courses and lifelong study programmes for pedagogues that want to extend their qualification or obtain further qualification prerequisites.

The staff and students, who actively participate in the research from the beginning of their studies, are all engaged in various research projects exploring the ecological and biological issues of the region of Eastern Bohemia. Among the main research interests of the academic staff are botanical research, mainly in protected areas, physiology of plants, entomology, parasitology, zoology of chordates, cell and molecular biology, microbiology, agro-chemistry, geo-morphology and, last but not least, the didactics of biology.

Both research and teaching activities of the Department of Biology develop due to numerous contacts with similarly oriented departments of other Czech universities and research institutions. The department cooperates with medical faculties, faculties of science and agriculture, with natural reserves, etc.

The department consists of the section of didactics of biology and the section of primary and pre-school science instruction.