Biological Sciences
Biological sciences are the basic foundation for many professions. Upper-division requirements at the transfer institution will determine the area of specialization. Students should work with a faculty advisor to develop a specific program.
Professional Opportunities
Following completion of a Bachelor of Arts or Science Degree at a four-year institution of the student's choice, several avenues of employment or advancement are open. A few of these are:
Professional Opportunities
Following completion of a Bachelor of Arts or Science Degree at a four-year institution of the student's choice, several avenues of employment or advancement are open. A few of these are:
- Food Processing
- Commercial Fisheries
- Graduate School
- State and Federal Wildlife agencies
- Science teaching at elementary or secondary level
- Environmental Sciences
- Transfer into professional health programs (medical, dental, pharmacy, physical therapy or optometry)
- Veterinary/Animal Science
Biological Sciences (AST1)
This is a suggested program for the first two years of major study in Biological Sciences. Lower-division course requirements will vary depending on the transfer institution. Contact an advisor at the transfer institution to determine required coursework as early as possible.
General Education Requirements
Communication Skills (5 credits required)
ENGL&101
5 cr.
Quantitative Skills (10 credits required)
MATH&151
5 cr.
MATH&152
5 cr.
Health & Physical Education (3 credits required)
Humanities & Social Sciences (15 credits required)
CMST&220
5 cr.
or CMST&230
5 cr.
or CMST&210
5 cr.
Humanities and Social Sciences Requirements**
10 cr.
Pre-Major Program Requirements
BIOL&221
5 cr.
BIOL&222
5 cr.
BIOL&223
5 cr.
CHEM&141
4 cr.
CHEM&142
4 cr.
CHEM&143
4 cr.
CHEM&151
1 cr.
CHEM&152
1 cr.
CHEM&153
2 cr.
MATH&153
5 cr.
or MATH 203
3 cr.
and MATH 204
3 cr.
PHYS&121
5 cr.
PHYS&122
5 cr.
PHYS&123
5 cr.
Recommended Science and Composition Electives
CHEM&241
4 cr.
CHEM&242
4 cr.
CHEM&243
4 cr.
CHEM&251
1 cr.
CHEM&252
1 cr.
CHEM&253
2 cr.
ENGL&102
5 cr.
or ENGL 109
5 cr.
Science Electives (10-15 credits required)
BIOL 101
5 cr.
BIOL 208
1-10 cr.
or BIOL 224
5 cr.
BIOL 139
3 cr.
BIOL 140
3 cr.
or BIOL 141
3 cr.
or BIOL 143
3 cr.
BIOL 145
3 cr.
BIOL 146
2 cr.
Total Required Credits: 90
* Check with chosen 4-year school.
**Minimum of five (5) credits of coursework in both Humanities and Social Sciences with the additional five (5) credits from either Humanities or Social Sciences.
**Minimum of five (5) credits of coursework in both Humanities and Social Sciences with the additional five (5) credits from either Humanities or Social Sciences.
General Education Outcomes
- Information Literacy: Obtain, evaluate, and ethically use information.
- Communications: Communicate with various audiences using a variety of methods.
- Health & Physical Education: Demonstrate progress toward healthier behaviors.
- Humanities: Analyze, interpret, and evaluate works and ideas in the Humanities within appropriate global and historical contexts.
- Social Science: Evaluate, analyze and explain events, behaviors, and institutions using perspectives and methods in the Social Sciences.
- Power, Privilege, and Inequality: Analyze patterns of power, privilege and inequality.
Biology Education (AST1)
The following is a degree program designed by a consortium of two-year and four-year colleges in Washington. Students should be aware that baccalaureate institutions may have slightly different requirements for these degrees, and students should consult the transfer institution for exact questions.
Students should complete the entirety of any science sequence at the same school for best transferability. These degrees are not DTA degrees, and there are some general education requirements that students will need to finish upon transfer.
Though this degree does not require such, Clark College students should know that the standard Clark AS degree path has this difference from the Articulated Degree defined below:
Students completing this Associate of Science will receive the same priority consideration for admission to the baccalaureate institution as they would for completing the direct transfer associate degree and will be given junior status by the receiving institution.
Students are responsible for researching and preparing for specific major requirements of baccalaureate institutions as early as possible prior to transferring.
Please visit the Major Related Programs section of this catalog to view a printable PDF of this document.
Students should complete the entirety of any science sequence at the same school for best transferability. These degrees are not DTA degrees, and there are some general education requirements that students will need to finish upon transfer.
Though this degree does not require such, Clark College students should know that the standard Clark AS degree path has this difference from the Articulated Degree defined below:
- Clark requires 3 credits of Health-Physical Education coursework.
Students completing this Associate of Science will receive the same priority consideration for admission to the baccalaureate institution as they would for completing the direct transfer associate degree and will be given junior status by the receiving institution.
Students are responsible for researching and preparing for specific major requirements of baccalaureate institutions as early as possible prior to transferring.
Please visit the Major Related Programs section of this catalog to view a printable PDF of this document.
Generic Requirements
A. Basic Requirements
1. Communication Skills
5 cr.
2. Quantitative/Symbolic Reasoning Requirement
5 cr.
Intermediate algebra proficiency is required.
B. Distribution Requirements
1. Humanities/Fine Arts/English & Social Sciences
15 cr.
15 credits of humanities and social science with at least five credits taken from each. Three different subjects required. No more than 5 credits of performance classes are allowed.
2. Science Pre-major Requirement
- Chemistry for science majors sequence (15 quarter credits)
- Third quarter calculus or approved statistics course (5 quarter credits)
- Biology for science majors or physics (calculus or non-calculus based) (15 quarter credits)
- Additional requirements: 10 - 15 quarter credits in physics, geology, organic chemistry, biology, or mathematics, consisting of courses normally taken for science majors (not general education), preferably in a 2- or 3-quarter sequence.
C. Electives
Additional college-level courses so that total earned is at least 90 credits. May include prerequisites for major courses (e.g. pre-calculus), additional major coursework, or specific general education or other university requirements, as approved by the advisor.
Articulated Degree Requirements
A. Basic Requirements
1. English Composition
5 cr.
2. Calculus
10 cr.
Intermediate algebra proficiency is required.
B. Distribution Requirements
1. Humanities/Fine Arts/English & Social Sciences
15 cr.
5 quarter credits Introductory Speech
5 quarter credits General Psychology
5 quarter credits General Psychology
2. Science Pre-major Requirement
- 15 quarter credits General Chemistry
- 15 quarter credits Organic Chemistry
- 15 quarter credits of majors level biology
- 5 quarter credits statistics
C. Electives
10-15 credits, depending on pathways above.
5 additional quarter credits of English composition.
Field Experience or Intro to Education recommended
15 quarter credits of Physics recommended.
5 additional quarter credits of English composition.
Field Experience or Intro to Education recommended
15 quarter credits of Physics recommended.
Clark College Equivalents
A. Basic Requirements
1. Communication Skills
ENGL&101
5 cr.
2. Quantitative/Symbolic Reasoning
MATH&151
5 cr.
MATH&152
5 cr.
B. Distribution Requirements
1. Humanities/Fine Arts/English & Social Sciences
CMST&220
5 cr.
PSYC&100
5 cr.
Plus 5 additional HUM or SS credits
5 cr.
2. Science Pre-major Requirement
CHEM&141
4 cr.
CHEM&141
4 cr.
CHEM&143
4 cr.
CHEM&151
1 cr.
CHEM&152
1 cr.
CHEM&153
2 cr.
CHEM&241
4 cr.
CHEM&242
4 cr.
CHEM&243
4 cr.
CHEM&251
1 cr.
CHEM&252
1 cr.
CHEM&253
2 cr.
BIOL&221
5 cr.
BIOL&222
5 cr.
BIOL&223
5 cr.
MATH 203
3 cr.
and MATH 204
3 cr.
C. Electives
1. Elective Courses
EDUC&201
3 cr.
and EDUC 210
3 cr.
PHYS&221
5 cr.
and PHYS&222
5 cr.
and PHYS&223
5 cr.
Plus additional credits to reach 90 minimum quarter credits. These may include needed college-level calculus prerequisites.
Notes
A. Basic Requirements
2. Quantitative/Symbolic Reasoning
Pre-Calculus courses do not meet this requirement.
B. Distribution Requirements
1. Humanities/Fine Arts/English & Social Sciences
Courses in Humanities/Social Science must come from the current ICRC distribution list in order to count as General Education or General University Requirements (GERs/GURs) at the receiving institution. Additional general educational requirements, cultural diversity requirements, and foreign language requirements, as required by the transfer institution, must be met prior to the completion of a baccalaureate degree.
2. Science Pre-major Requirement
Students should be advised that some baccalaureate institutions require physics with calculus to meet this requirement. This would cause the degree to be 105 credits.
C. Electives
1. Elective Courses
A maximum of five (5) quarter credits of "gray area" courses will be accepted in the remaining credits category.
Students should consult with baccalaureate institutions on the Physics courses--the addition of these courses may bring the degree total to 105 credits.
Students should consult with baccalaureate institutions on the Physics courses--the addition of these courses may bring the degree total to 105 credits.
Total Required Credits: 105
General Education Outcomes
- Information Literacy: Obtain, evaluate, and ethically use information.
- Communications: Communicate with various audiences using a variety of methods.
- Health & Physical Education: Demonstrate progress toward healthier behaviors.
- Humanities: Analyze, interpret, and evaluate works and ideas in the Humanities within appropriate global and historical contexts.
- Social Science: Evaluate, analyze and explain events, behaviors, and institutions using perspectives and methods in the Social Sciences.
- Power, Privilege, and Inequality: Analyze patterns of power, privilege and inequality.
Biology DTA/MRP (AA)
This pathway is applicable to students planning to prepare for upper-division bachelor's degree majors in Biology. Many students transfer to baccalaureate institutions after completing the Associate Degree Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA); this pathway does not alter that agreement or the possibility that students may continue to follow this path. This Biology MRP streamlines and facilitates preparation for upper-division coursework in Biology across the state.
This document represents an agreement between the following baccalaureate institutions offering bachelor's degrees in Biology or a related field and the community and technical college system. Baccalaureate institutions party to this agreement include: Central Washington University; Eastern Washington University; The Evergreen State College; University of Washington Seattle; Washington State University Pullman; Western Washington University; Saint Martin's University; Seattle University; and Whitworth University.
Where the degree below allows for choice in courses, students are urged to contact potential transfer institutions to ensure that the courses chosen are best for the pathway.
Though this degree does not require such, Clark College students should know that the standard Clark AA degree path has these differences from the MRP defined below:
Students are responsible for researching and preparing for specific major requirements of baccalaureate institutions as early as possible prior to transferring.
Please visit the Major Related Programs section of this catalog to view a printable PDF of this document.
This document represents an agreement between the following baccalaureate institutions offering bachelor's degrees in Biology or a related field and the community and technical college system. Baccalaureate institutions party to this agreement include: Central Washington University; Eastern Washington University; The Evergreen State College; University of Washington Seattle; Washington State University Pullman; Western Washington University; Saint Martin's University; Seattle University; and Whitworth University.
Where the degree below allows for choice in courses, students are urged to contact potential transfer institutions to ensure that the courses chosen are best for the pathway.
Though this degree does not require such, Clark College students should know that the standard Clark AA degree path has these differences from the MRP defined below:
- Clark requires 3 credits of Health-Physical Education coursework, and
- As of Fall 2011, Clark requires a course in Oral Communication, and
- Clark's Social Science distribution requirement stipulates that students take courses from at least three different departments.
Students are responsible for researching and preparing for specific major requirements of baccalaureate institutions as early as possible prior to transferring.
Please visit the Major Related Programs section of this catalog to view a printable PDF of this document.
Generic DTA Requirement
A. Basic Requirements
1. Communications Skills
10 cr.
2. Quantitative/Symbolic Reasoning Requirement
5 cr.
Intermediate algebra proficiency is required.
B. Distribution Requirements
1. Humanities
15 cr.
2. Social Sciences
15 cr.
3. Natural Sciences (minimum of 15 cr.)
15 cr.
MRP Requirements
A. Basic Requirements
1. English Composition
10 cr.
2. Mathematics
5 cr.
Calculus I
B. Distribution Requirements
1. Humanities
15 cr.
Consistent with the requirements in all DTA degrees - no more than 10 credits per discipline area, 5 credits maximum in world languages or ASL. No more than 5 credits of performance/skills classes are allowed.
2. Social Sciences
15 cr.
Consistent with the requirements in all DTA degrees - no more than 10 credits per discipline area.
3. 30 quarter credits, including:
30 cr.
15 credits general biology (majors level)
15 credits general chemistry (majors level)
15 credits general chemistry (majors level)
C. Electives
1. 15 additional quarter credits
15 cr.
Clark College Equivalents
A. Basic Requirements
1. Communication Skills
ENGL&101
5 cr.
ENGL&102
5 cr.
2. Quantitative/Symbolic Reasoning Requirement
MATH&151
5 cr.
B. Distribution Requirements
1. Humanities as defined in the Clark College catalog
15 cr.
2. Social Sciences as defined in the Clark College catalog
15 cr.
3. Natural Sciences
BIOL&221
5 cr.
BIOL&222
5 cr.
BIOL&223
5 cr.
CHEM&141
4 cr.
CHEM&142
4 cr.
CHEM&143
4 cr.
CHEM&151
1 cr.
CHEM&152
1 cr.
CHEM&153
2 cr.
C. Electives
1. 14 additional quarter credits (note: Clark's chemistry sequence has 16 credits)
14 cr.
Notes
A. Basic Requirements
1. May be individualized based on baccalaureate college of choice.
2. Statistics (a course that includes descriptive and inferential statistics) may substitute for Calculus I at some institutions; students are encouraged to check with the transfer institution early in their decision process to confirm requirements.
3. Intermediate Algebra proficiency may be demonstrated by successful completion of a Calculus and/or Statistics course for which Intermediate Algebra is a prerequisite.
2. Statistics (a course that includes descriptive and inferential statistics) may substitute for Calculus I at some institutions; students are encouraged to check with the transfer institution early in their decision process to confirm requirements.
3. Intermediate Algebra proficiency may be demonstrated by successful completion of a Calculus and/or Statistics course for which Intermediate Algebra is a prerequisite.
B. Distribution Requirements
1. In order to better prepare for successful transfer, students are encouraged to consult with the institution(s) to which they wish to transfer regarding the humanities courses that best support or may be required as prerequisites to their Biology curriculum.
2. In order to better prepare for successful transfer, students are encouraged to consult with the institution(s) to which they wish to transfer regarding the social science courses that best support or may be required as prerequisites to their Biology curriculum.
3. A full year sequence at a single college is the best preparation for the baccalaureate biology degree.
2. In order to better prepare for successful transfer, students are encouraged to consult with the institution(s) to which they wish to transfer regarding the social science courses that best support or may be required as prerequisites to their Biology curriculum.
3. A full year sequence at a single college is the best preparation for the baccalaureate biology degree.
C. Electives
1. Electives allow students to include additional courses to prepare for the biology major based on college selection. Examples include a full year sequence of organic chemistry for majors; a full year sequence of physics for science majors; or further math at the pre-calculus level or above or statistics.
Students should check with the transfer institution prior to taking any further biology courses beyond the one-year sequence. Some colleges require all continuing biology courses be taken at the 300 level.
Students should check with the transfer institution prior to taking any further biology courses beyond the one-year sequence. Some colleges require all continuing biology courses be taken at the 300 level.
Total Required Credits: 90 minimum
General Education Outcomes
- Information Literacy: Obtain, evaluate, and ethically use information.
- Communications: Communicate with various audiences using a variety of methods.
- Quantitative: Perform mathematical calculations without the aid of a calculator and solve quantitative problems and interpret the solutions.
- Health & Physical Education: Demonstrate progress toward healthier behaviors.
- Humanities: Analyze, interpret, and evaluate works and ideas in the Humanities within appropriate global and historical contexts.
- Social Science: Evaluate, analyze and explain events, behaviors, and institutions using perspectives and methods in the Social Sciences.
- Power, Privilege, and Inequality: Analyze patterns of power, privilege and inequality.
- Natural Science: Apply fundamental principles and relationships from the Natural Sciences to solve problems, and evaluate claims about the natural world using scientific methodology.