A.S. in Biological Sciences

The associate degree in biological science prepares students for a curriculum in a four-year institution leading to a baccalaureate degree in such areas as microbiology, organismal biology, cell and molecular biology, and teaching.

A.S. Degree Level Student Learning Outcomes

Students completing the Biological Sciences A.S. Degree will:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of biological concepts.
  2. Acquire scientific information from multiple sources including textbooks, the Internet, personal communication with professionals in the field, and educational computer software.
  3. Estimate and/or calculate the characteristics of biological systems and demonstrate an understanding of these calculations in order to better understand the natural processes that produce these characteristics.
  4. Formulate scientific hypotheses in order to distinguish between scientific and non-scientific questions and methods.
  5. Develop an understanding of relevant biological processes as well as processes from related sciences (e.g. physics, geology, chemistry) and apply these processes to predict the properties of biological systems.
  6. Examine how human activity has contributed to positive and negative changes in the environment to better understand and discuss past, current, and future environmental issues.

Some courses numbered “1000” or “1001” are temporarily showing in the catalog without a “C” in front of the number. Please use the official course number of “C1000” or “C1001” when searching the class schedule.

Students receiving this degree must meet the following requirements:

  1. Complete the District General Education Pattern or Cal-GETC.
    If transferring to a CSU or UC students are strongly recommended to complete the Cal-GETC General Education Pattern. Students looking to transfer to an out of state or private college should consult with a counselor for the appropriate GE pattern selection.
  2. Complete with a “C” or better each course as specified by the major.
  3. Maintain an overall GPA of a 2.0 or better in all degree applicable coursework.
  4. Meet the local area requirement of Kinesiology/Dance/Counseling.
  5. Meet the 12-unit residency requirement. 
Required courses:
BIOL 124Molecular and Cellular Biology5
BIOL 125Evolution, Ecology & Biodiversity5
CHEM 111General Chemistry I5
CHEM 112General Chemistry II5
MATH 190Calculus with Analytic Geometry l 15
STAT 1000Introduction to Statistics 24-5
or STAT 1000H Introduction to Statistics - Honors
or MATH 191 Calculus with Analytic Geometry ll
Total Units29-30
1

MATH 190 is degree applicable with or without MATH 090. If taken with MATH 090, only the units for MATH 190 will be counted towards the degree.

2

STAT C1000 is degree applicable with or without STAT S1000. If taken with STAT S1000, only the units for STAT C1000 will be counted towards the degree.

Career Opportunities

There are a variety of careers you can do with this major.

 

To explore more about this major, schedule an appointment with a career counselor.