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 College of LIFE SCIENCES AND AGRICULTURE

At the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, we seek to make a difference — from identifying the molecular pathway that leads to a new treatment for disease, to understanding the complex forces that impact our ecosystems and natural landscapes, to finding solutions for a global food system tasked with feeding billions.

Here, you will deepen your understanding of the world and learn to find sustainable responses to the planet’s biggest challenges. Leading edge research and hands-on experiences, combined with practical skill building in the lab and in the field, will create a firm foundation for your future.

When you graduate, you will join thousands of Wildcats who are forging their own paths to success, from here in New Hampshire to every corner of the world. 


Programs of Study

Departments

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Explore Undergraduate Scholarships


We offer many scholarships just for COLSA students that reward your achievements and help make college more affordable.

Undergraduate Scholarships

Owen Kanter '20 conducts moose research in New Hampshire.

Discover Research
Opportunities


Unique, hands-on research projects lead to challenges and achievements that extend far beyond the classroom.

Research Opportunities

olivia heghmann and amber ganley examine cayas teeth

Set Your
Course


Discuss goals and design your career plan with help from the professionals at our St. Martin Career Exploration Office.

Career Office 

UNH Diversity Statement

The University of New Hampshire is committed to building and nurturing an environment of inclusive excellence where all students, faculty and staff can thrive. We also are committed to providing open and inclusive access for all alumni, volunteers, learners, employees and visitors seeking to participate in our programs and activities. We venture to sustain a campus environment that fosters mutual respect and understanding. We believe diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion are foundational values inextricably linked to achieving our core educational mission and embrace the many characteristics of our community members that make them uniquely themselves. Here, you belong and all are welcome.

UNH Land, Water and Life Acknowledgement

As we all journey on the trail of life, we wish to acknowledge the spiritual and physical connection the Pennacook, Abenaki and Wabanaki Peoples have maintained to N’dakinna (homeland) and the aki (land), nebi (water), olakwika (flora) and awaasak (fauna) that the University of New Hampshire community is honored to steward today. We also acknowledge the hardships they continue to endure after the loss of unceded homelands and champion the university’s responsibility to foster relationships and opportunities that strengthen the well-being of the Indigenous People who carry forward the traditions of their ancestors.

Listen to the acknowledgement read by Denise Pouliot, the Sag8moskwa (Head Female Speaker) of the Cowasuk Band of Pennacook Abenaki People from Alton, New Hampshire and a member of the Indigenous New Hampshire Collaborative Collective (INHCC), which includes her husband Paul Pouliot, several UNH faculty members and students, local grassroots organizers and community members and several members of other New England tribes.

  • UNH undergraduate Alexzandria Sheppard with her research poster at UNH's Undergraduate Research Conference
    Researching an additive that could improve long-term storage of protein drugs
    Alexzandria Sheppard ’25 is a biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology major who is studying whether a particular protein could help improve the long-term storage of certain drugs.
    Learn More
  • UNH graduate student Nicholas Zylinski at work identifying abnormalities as part of the pharmaceutical manufacturing process
    Returning to UNH, fulfilling a dream
    Nicholas Zylinski is currently pursuing his master’s degree in molecular and cellular biotechnology at UNH.
    Learn More
  • UNH undergraduate Kaley Dupont poses outside with a black cat
    Preparing for a career in zoo medicine
    Kaley Dupont ’25, ’26 is pursuing both her associate degree in veterinary technology and her bachelor’s degree in animal science. COLSA: Why did you choose UNH? Kaley Dupont: I was enrolled in another college in Boston majoring in…
    Learn More
  • UNH alumni Christopher Martinez poses in his medical school white coat
    Choosing UNH for the incredible resources
    Christopher Martinez graduated from UNH in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences: medical laboratory sciences and a minor in sociology. He is now in medical school.
    Learn More
  • UNH alumna and medical school student Samantha Ansart in her white coat
    UNH education was strong foundation for medical school
    Samantha Ansart graduated from UNH in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology and a minor in sociology. She is now attending medical school.
    Learn More

Get the Facts

92%
of COLSA alumni are employed
or in graduate school

2023 First Destination Survey

73%
of students participate
in internships and/or research
prior to graduation

2023 First Destination Survey

77%
Average acceptance rate of
current students and recent grads
who applied to veterinary school
— well above the national average

 

Recent Stories

An image of microscopic organisms taken using a FlowCam device

Phytoplankton Monitoring in Gulf of Maine as a Signal of Climate Change Impacts

Phytoplankton Monitoring in Gulf of Maine as a Signal of Climate Change Impacts

UNH research tracks the role of microscopic algae in sustaining marine biodiversity and ecosystems

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 A white man in a blue shirt leans over a pool of water, gesturing to the water’s surface.

COLSA Faculty Spotlight: David Plachetzki

COLSA Faculty Spotlight: David Plachetzki

The associate professor combines genomics and fieldwork to study evolution and shares how SCUBA diving shapes his research

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A school of alewives swimming in the water.

How Migratory Marine Life Connects Ecosystems from New England to Florida

How Migratory Marine Life Connects Ecosystems from New England to Florida

UNH study highlights the importance of estuarine and coastal habitats for Atlantic fish and invertebrate populations

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