Michigan State University College of Natural Science

MSU College of Natural Science
Dean	Eric L. Hegg
Academic staff	400+
Undergraduates	6500
Postgraduates	1000
Location	East Lansing, Michigan
Website	www.natsci.msu.edu

The College of Natural Science (NatSci) at Michigan State University is home to 27 departments and programs in the biological, physical and mathematical sciences.^[1]

The college averages $83M in research expenditures annually and claims to have more than 6,500 undergraduate majors and nearly 1,000 graduate students. There are 730 faculty and academic staff associated with NatSci and more than 47,000 living alumni worldwide.^[1]

Departments and programs

Departments

Additional Units

Undergraduate studies

The college offers both Bachelor of Science (BS) and Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees.

The BS requires more science and mathematics credits and less non-science, humanities and social science coursework in the 120-credit program. The BS is intended for individuals preparing for professional work in the sciences or for graduate/professional school.
The BA is designed for individuals pursuing K-12 teaching careers or scientific application areas such as public policy, technical sales, law, and communications. The BA requires more humanities and social science credits, thus providing greater balance between science and non-science credits in the 120 credit program.

Majors in the college include:^[2]

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Biological Science (Interdepartmental; For teaching majors only)
Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics (formerly titled Medical Technology Program)
Clinical Laboratory Science
Diagnostic Molecular Science
Medical Technology
Chemical Physics
Chemistry
Computational Chemistry
Earth Science
Environmental Studies
Environmental Biology/Plant Biology
Environmental Biology/Microbiology
Environmental Biology/Zoology
Specialization in Environmental Studies
Geological Sciences
Environmental Geosciences
Geological Sciences
Geophysics
Human Biology
Mathematics
Actuarial Science Specialization
Computational Mathematics
Mathematics
Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
Genomics and Molecular Genetics
Nutritional Science
Physical Science (Interdepartmental; For teaching majors only)
Physics and Astronomy
Astrophysics
Physics
Physics and Geophysics
Physiology
Plant Biology
Environmental Biology/Plant Biology
Preprofessional Coursework (Pre-med, etc.)
Statistics
Zoology

Dean's Research Scholars

The Dean's Research Scholars are a group of outstanding undergraduate students who represent the nearly 5,000 hard-working science and mathematics majors in the College of Natural Science.^[3]

Scholars are named for a 12-month term from May through the following May. During that time, scholars will participate in the following:

2-4 College of Natural Science events or speaking engagements;
Attend an orientation meeting on being a Dean's Research Scholar in August (usually the Monday or Tuesday before classes begin);
Attend the NatSci Alumni Awards program;
Participate in a panel discussion during Classes Without Quizzes;
Write a student point-of-view during the school year for posting in MSU Today.

Criteria for becoming a Dean's Research Scholar

Scholars must be enrolled full-time (12 or more credits/semester) in a major in the College of Natural Science (Lyman Briggs majors are not eligible). Students may have additional majors in other colleges, but their primary major must be in Natural Science.
Scholars must have completed at least one semester of research with an MSU faculty mentor (the faculty mentor can be from any college, not just Natural Science) prior to application.

RISE and Drew Scholars

Two special undergraduate programs are in place for students: RISE or Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment is for MSU students interested in stewardship of the environment.

Charles Drew Science Scholars is a program providing academic and social support for high achieving students pursuing science and math degrees, including individuals interested in professional health and science careers, such as, medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, research, pharmacology, optometry, physical therapy, and public health.

Study Abroad, Study Away

NatSci also offers a Study Abroad and Study Away off-campus programs in:

Africa – Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda,
Americas – Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica, Virgin Islands
Antarctica
Asia – India, Borneo
Europe – Germany, United Kingdom, Switzerland
Oceania – Australia, New Zealand
Florida – Orlando, Gainesville
Hawaii
Alaska
Michigan – Upper Peninsula, Isle Royale, Battle Creek

Graduate studies

Advanced study is available through the following degree programs and specializations:

Astrophysics and Astronomy
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics
Cell and Molecular Biology
Cell, Molecular, and Structural Biology
Chemistry
Cognitive Science
Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
Entomology
Environmental Science and Policy
Environmental Toxicology
Food Science
Genetics
Geological Sciences
Human Nutrition
Mathematics
Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
Neuroscience
Pharmacology and Toxicology
Physics
Physiology
Plant Biology
Quantitative Biology and Modeling
Science and Mathematics Education
Statistics and Probability
Certification in Teaching College Science and Mathematics
Zoology

^[4]

Professional Science Masters (PSM) programs

The College of Natural Science offers several PSM degrees to prepare and train students in technical areas for positions in industry. The PSM is a professional M.S. degree in science or mathematics for students interested in a wider variety of career options than provided by current graduate programs in the sciences and mathematics.

The three areas of program development include:

In-depth technical training in a science discipline,
College certification of training in basic business practice including communication and presentation skills,
Industrial internship or industrial case studies, developed in cooperation with industrial affiliates.

PSM Programs:^[5]

Biomedical Laboratory Operations
Food Safety
Industrial Mathematics
Integrative Pharmacology
Zoo & Aquarium Science

Science and mathematics teachers

NatSci offers master's degrees and certificates for science and mathematics teachers. These programs are coordinated with MSU's College of Education. For Mathematics Education, the program is administered by Program for Mathematics Education, or PRIME. For Science Education, the program is administered by the Center for Integrative Studies in General Science, or CISGS, under the "Integrated Science Education" area.

Research centers, institutes and facilities

The college has a variety of resources available to researchers.

BEACON: Biocomputational Evolution in Action Consortium
Institute for Research on Mathematics and Science Education
Center for Microbial Ecology
Center for Statistical Training and Consulting
Center for the Study of Cosmic Evolution
Composite Materials and Structure Center
Institute for Quantum Sciences
Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics
National Food Safety and Toxicology Center
Albert J. Cook Arthropod Research Collection
Center for Advanced Microscopy
Herbarium
High Performance Computing Center
Kellogg Biological Station
Max T. Rogers NMR Facility
MSU/DoE Plant Research Laboratory
National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory
Protein Expression Laboratory
Research Technology Support Facility
SOAR Telescope

Administration

Eric L. Hegg began serving as dean of Michigan State University’s College of Natural Science on September 6, 2024. Hegg brings a wealth of experience and a dynamic vision with the college’s commitment to STEM education, research, and community engagement. His leadership style is inclusive and forward-thinking and promises to build on our strong foundation while exploring new opportunities for innovation and growth.

Hegg joined the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology in 2006. His previous role was as the Associate Dean for Budget, Planning, Research, and Administration in the College of Natural Science, a position he held since January 2020. In his role as Associate Dean, Hegg helped oversee the college’s general fund operating budget, helped develop funding requests to the MSU administration, managed the College of Natural Science space and research infrastructures, worked with college chairs and directors in the recruitment and retention of faculty, and helped managed day-to-day operations of the dean’s office budget. In addition, Hegg was part of the team that developed the college strategic plan, and he represented NatSci on numerous internal advisory boards at the university.

Prior to accepting the role of Associate Dean for the college, Dean Hegg served for approximately seven years as the Director of Business Operations for the MSU component of the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center. In this capacity he helped manage the subcontract and oversaw the MSU business and human resource activities of the center.

Dean Hegg’s research is at the interface between chemistry and biochemistry where he focuses on environmentally important processes, including biofuel production and enzymes involved in the global nitrogen cycle. He has authored nearly 80 manuscripts and book chapters, holds 4 patents with another 3 patents pending, and his lab has been supported by funding from a variety of different organizations including the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, U.S. Department of Energy, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Agriculture. He has mentored nearly 100 students and postdoctoral researchers in his lab, including over 50 undergraduate students.

Dean Hegg was elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He also received the Cottrell Scholar Award which recognizes outstanding teacher-scholars.

Prior to MSU, Dean Hegg was on the faculty at the University of Utah in the Department of Chemistry. Hegg earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin and was an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Minnesota prior to joining the faculty at the University of Utah.

References

^ ^a ^b "NatSci About Page". natsci.msu.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
^ Undergraduate Degree Programs, Graduate Degree Programs
^ "Dean's Research Scholars". natsci.msu.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-08.
^ Masters and PhD Programs
^ PSM Programs

[:0-1] "NatSci About Page". natsci.msu.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-07.

[2] Undergraduate Degree Programs, Graduate Degree Programs

[3] "Dean's Research Scholars". natsci.msu.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-08.

[4] Masters and PhD Programs

[5] PSM Programs

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