Biology
Program overview
Take your biology studies beyond the classroom and experience the incredible natural environment of Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula. Through hands-on learning, fieldwork, and cultural exploration, students have the opportunity to earn academic credits while discovering Ireland’s unique ecosystems, history, and scientific heritage.
Semester Programs
Spend a fall or spring semester in Dingle while continuing to make progress toward your degree. Courses such as Anatomy & Physiology, Ecology & Evolution, Introduction to Coastal Ecology, and Nutrition combine academic learning with opportunities to explore Ireland’s natural environment and local community.
Short-Term Summer Programs
Looking for a shorter study abroad experience? Our summer programs offer immersive learning opportunities that connect biology with Ireland’s landscapes, history, and culture.
Explore the diverse marine ecosystems of the Dingle Peninsula in Experiences in Coastal Ecology of Ireland, or uncover the connections between genetics, ancestry, and Irish history in Finding Your Roots: Genetics & Genealogy.
Whether you join us for a full semester or a short-term program, SHU Dingle offers a unique opportunity to expand your scientific knowledge, experience a new culture, and make lasting memories along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way.
BI 104 – Intro to Coastal Ecology of Ireland
3 Credits
Liberal arts exploration
- Scientific Literacy
- Science/Natural Foundational core
Offered
Spring Semester
Faculty
Sharon Ni Shuilleabhain Ph.D.
Description
This course will introduce students to the varying marine environments surrounding the Dingle Peninsula and their importance, in terms of biodiversity and sustainability. Through multiple field trips and lecture, we will explore many coastal ecosystems, how they are shaped and the organisms that live in them.
Students are introduced to the abiotic and biotic processes that influence aquatic communities including coastal streams, rocky intertidal zones, sandy beaches, marshes, harbors, and the open ocean.
Throughout the course, we will also discuss how human activities affect these ecosystems, and other topical marine issues.
BI 104/258 – Experiences in Coastal Ecology of Ireland
3 Credits
Liberal arts exploration
- Scientific Literacy
- Science/Natural Foundational core
Offered
Summer 1 Short-term 2027
Faculty
LaTina Steele Ph.D.
Ashley Stoehr Ph.D.
Description
This course investigates the interrelationship between coastal environments and the organisms living in these environments, as well as the related societal implications. Field trips will survey the different aquatic environments of the Dingle Peninsula and provide a close-up study of the region’s varied flora and fauna.
BI 120/299/HI 199 – fINDING YOUR ROOTS: Genetics & Genealogy
3 Credits
Liberal arts exploration
- Humanistic Inquiry
- Scientific Literacy
- Science/Natural Foundational core
Offered
Summer 1 Short Term
Faculty
Mark Jareb Ph.D.
Ashley Morin Ph.D.
DESCRIPTION
Who are we and where do we come from? This course addresses that question both by understanding the genetics that underlie genetic ancestry tests and the genealogy of the students’ family trees and the historical context of their personal family’s ancestors. In addition, to exploring their own personal family genealogy and genetic history, the class in groups will research the family genealogy of a member of the Dingle community and compare the history impacting their family trees. Students will have access to numerous genealogical databases as well as the results of AncestryDNA tests for themselves and the local community members.
Students will learn about and help build local Dingle genealogy resources with trips to nearby historical societies and cemeteries. They will also interview selected individuals from the local Dingle community using this information and the genetic information from AncestryDNA results to help create a “Book of Life” for these community members. In doing so, students learn a more personal history about Dingle and the people who live there.
BI 202/204 – ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION, LECTURE & LAB
3 Credits
Offered
Fall Semester
Faculty
description
Ecology & Evolution is a sophomore level course in the core biology curriculum required for all majors administered through the Department of Biology.
Students will discover the unity and interdependence of the living and non-living components of the environment while exploring the limitless diversity of life on earth through the lens of ecological theory.
Topics include population dynamics, species interactions, abundance and diversity, nutrient cycling, succession, and stability.
The interactive laboratory course will concentrate on multi-week exercises that reinforce essential course concepts. Student-designed experiments, the process of science, and oral and written scientific communication are focal points of the course design.
BI 206/208 – Anatomy and Physiology I, Lecture & Lab
4 Credits
Offered
Fall Semester
Faculty
description
Lecture on the investigation of the tissues, skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems. This section is for students interested in athletic training, exercise science, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or physician assistant programs.
Laboratory involves the investigation of the tissues, skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems.
This course does not count as a Biology elective in the major or minor.
BI 299/HS 308/EX 255 – Nutritional Aspects of Human Health & Performance
3 Credits
Offered
Spring Semester
Faculty
John O’Connor M.Sc
Description
This course provides an examination of the six classes of nutrients with strong emphasis on chronic disease prevention and improving athletic performance. Issues concerning dietary supplements, functional foods, and the ethics of food choices are also explored.