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The Biology Department believes that an understanding of scientific methodology through direct observation and experimentation is fundamental to a strong biology education. Therefore, all students are required to take An Introduction to 
Biological Research followed by a one- or two-semester research course during which they complete a laboratory or library research project under the supervision of a faculty member. Students interested in research careers in the biological sciences are encouraged to choose a two-semester senior project or departmental honors project, either of which offers an opportunity for extended research.
An internship program in biology enables students to obtain practical work experience in various biological fields and to obtain course credit toward the major. Recent student internships have involved research in marine biology at the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences; physical therapy, occupational therapy, and orthopedic surgery internships at area hospitals; and research in fisheries biology with the Virginia Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries.
The pre-ecology emphasis involves several courses which combine on-campus study with on-site observation and study of ecosystems outside Virginia. These courses provide students with both theoretical knowledge of the discipline and firsthand application of theory in a variety of ecosystems. Weekly lectures on campus are combined with one to three weeks of intensive field study in such areas as Costa Rica (Tropical Biology); California (Marine Biology); Florida (Ecology of the Southeastern U.S.); and Texas, Arizona, New Mexico or the Northwestern United States (Ecology of Deserts and Mountains). These field courses may also 
be taken as electives by students who select other biology study emphases.
A cooperative arrangement with Duke University enables students interested in forestry or environmental management to attend Randolph-Macon for three years and then transfer to Duke for two years. Students completing this program receive a bachelor's degree from Randolph-Macon and a master's degree in forestry or environmental management from Duke.