Biology
Description:
The Associate of Science (A.S.) in Biology degree program is for students who wish to pursue baccalaureate studies in the biological sciences or plan to fulfill prerequisite courses for pre-pharmacy school or for programs such as pre-veterinary, pre-medical, and pre-dental. To enable seamless transfer, this curriculum is designed to parallel the first two years of study offered in biology programs at other colleges and universities.
Program Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this program, graduates will be able to:
- Summarize the major physical and chemical concepts and processes essential to living things including the maintenance of homeostasis, the energy transformations occurring within and between organisms, and the interactions among living organisms and their environment.
- Describe the mechanisms of reproduction and heredity, from both classical (Mendelian) and molecular perspectives, and link genetic influences to evolutionary processes and adaptation.
- Appropriately use current scientific terminology and evaluate the merit of scientific data using critical thought.
- Explain the levels of organization in biology, including the chemical, cellular, histological, and organismal levels, and explain the dynamics of populations, ecosystems and the biosphere.
- Utilize the Scientific Method for the development of hypotheses, the proper design of experiments, the competent use of equipment, the collection and analysis of data, and the integration of scientific literature.
- Compare and contrast the major groups of microbes, protists, plants, and animals.
Program Entry Requirements:
This is a select program. In order to enter the program, students must be at the ENGL 101 and MATH 162 placement levels. It is highly recommended that students who enter the program should have completed one year of high school biology and chemistry within the last ten years and received a grade of C or better. In the absence of these requirements, to better prepare themselves for the program, students can take BIOL 106 and/or CHEM 110. Additional science and mathematics courses are desirable.
Program of Study and Graduation Requirements:
To qualify for the A.S. degree in Biology, students must successfully complete a minimum of 65 credit hours as prescribed and attain a grade point average of 2.0 (“C” average). Students must pass all biology courses with a grade of “C” or better.
To ensure appropriate course selections, students should consult an academic advisor. Students wishing to transfer this A.S. degree to a particular college or university should, with the help of an advisor, review that institution’s requirements and/or existing articulation agreements with the College so that program courses may be chosen appropriately. The recommended course sequence follows.
Course Sequence:
Semester 1
| Course Number and Name | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits | Gen Ed Req. |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHEM 121 - College Chemistry I | CHEM 110 or Department Head approval and FNMT 118 or MATH 118 | 4 credits | Scientific Reasoning |
| CIS 103 - Introduction to Information Technology | 3 credits | Technological Competency | |
| ENGL 101 - English Composition I or ENGL 101H - English Composition I (Honors) | 3 credits | Writing, Research, Info Lit 1 | |
| MATH 162 - Precalculus II | MATH 161 with a grade of "C" or better, or placement in MATH 162 or higher | 3 credits | Quantitative Reasoning |
| SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology or SOC 101H - Introduction to Sociology (Honors) | 3 credits | Cultural Analysis & Interpretation |
Semester 2
| Course Number and Name | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits | Gen Ed Req. |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOL 123 - Principles of Biology I | CHEM 121 or CHEM 110 with a grade of "C" or better and high school biology or permission of the dept. head | 4 credits | |
| CHEM 122 - College Chemistry II | CHEM 121 with a grade of "C" or better | 4 credits | |
| ENGL 102 - The Research Paper or ENGL 102H - The Research Paper (Honors) | ENGL 101 with a grade of "C" or better | 3 credits | Writing, Research, Info Lit 2 |
| FREN 101 - Elementary French or HUM 101 - Cultural Traditions: Ancient to the 13th Century or HUM 101H - Cultural Traditions: Ancient to the 13th Century (Honors)or SPAN 101 - Elementary Spanish | 3 credits | ||
PSYC 101 - Introduction to Psychology or | 3 credits |
Semester 3
| Course Number and Name | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits | Gen Ed Req. |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOL 124 - Principles of Biology II | BIOL 123 with a grade of "C" or better | 4 credits | |
| CHEM 221 - Organic Chemistry I | CHEM 122 with a grade of "C" or better | 5 credits | |
| MATH 171 - Calculus I | MATH 162 or higher with a grade of "C" or better, or placement in MATH 171 or higher | 4 credits | |
| BIOL 211 - Genetics or BIOL 225 - Ecology and Field Biology or BIOL 241 - Principles of Microbiology or BIOL 255 - Biotechnology I: Basic Laboratory Techniques in Biotechnology or BIOL 256 - Fermentation, Bioprocessing and Biomanufacturing or BIOL 281 - Biochemistry I or BTT 101 - Biomedical Technician Training Practicum | For BIOL 241: BIOL 106, BIOL 107, BIOL 109, or BIOL 123 with a grade of "C" or better. For BIOL 255: FNMT 118 or higher with a "C" or better, or MATH 161 placement; CHEM 110 or CHEM 121; BIOL 123 or BIOL 241 with a "C" or better For BIOL 256: BIOL 255 with a grade of "C" or better For BIOL 281: BIOL 123 with a grade of "C" or better and CHEM 221 which may be taken concurrently. For BIOL 225: BIOL 107 or BIOL 124 with a grade of "C" or better For BTT 101: Permission of the Biomedical Technician Training Academic Coordinator and completion of the Orientation to Biomedical Technology | 4 credits |
Semester 4
| Course Number and Name | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits | Gen Ed Req. |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHEM 222 - Organic Chemistry II | CHEM 221 with a grade of "C" or better | 5 credits | |
| ENGL 115 - Public Speaking | ENGL 101 which may be taken concurrently | 3 credits | Oral Communication/Creative Expression |
| BIOL 211 - Genetics or BIOL 225 - Ecology and Field Biology or BIOL 241 - Principles of Microbiology or BIOL 255 - Biotechnology I: Basic Laboratory Techniques in Biotechnology or BIOL 256 - Fermentation, Bioprocessing and Biomanufacturing or BIOL 281 - Biochemistry I or BTT 101 - Biomedical Technician Training Practicum | For BIOL 241: BIOL 106, BIOL 107, BIOL 109, or BIOL 123 with a grade of "C" or better. For BIOL 255: FNMT 118 or higher with a "C" or better, or MATH 161 placement; CHEM 110 or CHEM 121; BIOL 123 or BIOL 241 with a "C" or better. For BIOL 256: BIOL 255 with a grade of "C" or better. For BIOL 281: BIOL 123 with a grade of "C" or better and CHEM 221 which may be taken concurrently. For BIOL 225: BIOL 107 or BIOL 124 with a grade of "C" or better. For BTT 101: Permission of the Biomedical Technician Training Academic Coordinator and completion of the Orientation to Biomedical Technology | 4 credits | |
| PHIL 101 - Introduction to Philosophy or PHIL 101H - Introduction to Philosophy (Honors) | 3 credits |
Minimum Credits Needed to Graduate:
65General Education Requirements:
All general education requirements necessary for graduation are met through the courses in the program as indicated above. Students who wish to take courses that differ from the general education courses indicated above must complete a course substitution request form. To access the form, login to the MyCCP portal, and in the Student tab, under Electronic Forms, click on the Records and Registration Forms link, then choose Request For Course Substitution Of Graduation Requirement link. A more detailed explanation of the College's general education requirements is also available.
For More Information, Contact:
The Division of Math, Science and Health Careers, Room W1-1, 1700 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130, Telephone (215) 751-8430 or the College Information Center (215) 751-8010.