Program: Biological Sciences, A.A. - Prairie State College

Apr 06, 2025

2024-2025 Academic Catalog

Biology, the study of living organisms, is an extremely large and diverse field. Career opportunities exist in many areas such as research, government agencies (conservation, environmental protection, etc.), industry, sales, and teaching at all educational levels. In addition, the biology curriculum provides the pre-professional foundation for many of the health career areas. Bachelor’s biological science programs are diverse. Some programs emphasize cell and molecular biology, while others emphasize organismal, ecological, and evolutionary biology. Research universities offer specific programs of study, optional tracks, or specializations within biology. Students should decide the direction or specialization within biology as early as possible, preferably by the beginning of sophomore year. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the Associate in Arts degree prior to transfer.

Suggested Curriculum

I. General Education Core (41)

Area A: Communication (9 credits)

ENG 101 Composition I 3 hrs transfer credit - with a grade of C or better
ENG 102 Composition II 3 hrs transfer credit - with a grade of C or better
COMM 101 Principles of Communication 3 hrs transfer credit

Area B: Humanities and Fine Arts (9 credits)

Select three courses from the list for Area B with at least one course from humanities and one course from fine arts.

Area C: Mathematics (5 credits)

MATH 171 Calculus with Analytic Geometry I 5 hrs transfer credit

Area D: Physical and Life Sciences (9 credits)

BIOL 112 Organismal Biology 4 hrs transfer credit *
CHEM 110 General Chemistry I 5 hrs transfer credit

Area E: Social and Behavioral Sciences (9 credits)

Select three courses in at least two different disciplines from the list for Area E .

II. Area of Concentration/Major Field (19)

BIOL 111 Cellular and Molecular Biology 4 hrs transfer credit *
CHEM 130 General Chemistry II 5 hrs transfer credit
CHEM 203 Organic Chemistry I 5 hrs transfer credit
CHEM 204 Organic Chemistry II 5 hrs transfer credit

III. Electives (2)

Select additional courses from the list of Courses Approved for Transfer or contact the universities you are considering.

Courses such as microbiology and human anatomy and physiology sometimes will transfer for credit in allied health majors, but most often do not transfer as biology major credit.

*Students are advised to complete the two course biological sciences sequence before transferring. Students who complete only one course may have to repeat that course, since material may be arranged differently by another institution.

Required A.A. Degree Program Total: 62 credits

Each college and university has its own major requirements and transfer policies. Consult the schools you are considering and a PSC advisor to discuss courses and their transferability.