SAN ANTONIO – Monday was back to school for UTSA students.
An estimated 35,000 students are enrolled for the fall 2024 semester.
One of the most popular degree programs at UTSA is biology. Roughly 2,300 students have entered the program.
Mariah Hopkins, UTSA assistant chair of integrative biology, said the program prepares students for jobs that can make a big difference in our communities.
“One of our goals is to graduate career-ready scientists that can go into the workforce, that can strengthen our communities. They can strengthen the industries here in Texas,” Hopkins said. “One end, you can have biologists that are working in a lab and they’re working on cells or genes or proteins. And at the other end, you can have biologists that are working in nature and they’re working with animals or ecosystems.”
Hopkins said UTSA has a partnership with local industries, health care agencies and research labs to create a streamline of teaching, training and hiring, which she said ensures that San Antonio retains local talent.
“Ninety percent of our graduates are going to graduate and work here in Texas close to home,” she said.
Hopkins has also noticed a steady increase of interest in the biology degree partly due to the pandemic and the push by local public schools to gear students towards STEM- related fields.