Biology, A.S. (New for students enrolling in Fall 2017)

Contact Information

Degree/Certificate:   Associate in Science
HEGIS Code:           5604
SUNY Code:            2461
Major Code:             BIOL

The Career

A degree in Biology (AS plus BA or BS) can prepare individuals for a wide range of career opportunities.  These opportunities include, but are not limited to, employment by government agencies, research institutions, and industry in the areas of research and development.  Other opportunities are found in the area of organismal biology at zoos, aquaria, fish hatcheries, wildlife preserves, conservation agencies, inspection agencies, and environmental organizations.  Graduates may eventually work in biomedical services at clinics, hospitals, public health departments, pharmaceutical companies or independent laboratories.  Bioinformatics is a growing area with employment at medical device and equipment laboratories and federal lab and regulatory agencies.  Degrees in Biology can also lead to careers in health care but also in communications (technical writing, editing, illustrating, and photography), law (lobbying, regulatory affairs, science policy, patent law, environmental law), and business (technical sales, management, consulting, marketing.)

The NCCC Approach

The Biology, Associate of Science, program at Niagara County Community College prepares students to transfer to a four-year college or university to pursue a baccalaureate degree in Biology or a Biology-related discipline.  The minimum degree requirements for the A.S. parallel the courses required in the first two years of such typical baccalaureate programs.  Included are introductory biology courses, intermediate biology courses, and cognate courses in mathematics, chemistry, and physics.  To provide seamless transfer to SUNY four-year colleges and universities, five tracks are offered:  Health Sciences; Biochemistry/Cell, Molecular Biology;  Ecology/Conservation/Environmental Biology; Organismal Biology/Physiology; and Biology (BA).  To further ensure seamless transfer, thirty credit hours of General Education including Basic Communication and Mathematics are included in the minimum requirements for the degree.

Admission

Students are admitted in the fall, spring and summer semesters.  Because of the sequencing of courses, completion of the program beginning in the spring or summer semesters may be extended beyond two calendar years of full-time study.

The Biology, Associate in Science degree curriculum is offered as a full-time or part-time program.

To be admitted to the Biology, A.S. program, students must complete satisfactorily all academic foundation requirements. To be accepted into the program applicants must earn the minimum required score on placement assessments, pass the academic foundations course listed below, or be granted an exemption from taking college placement tests described in this catalog under “College Placement Testing Requirements for Matriculated Students”.

If below the required score in		Will need to pass
	Writing		ENG 099
	Reading		AAC 042
	Mathematics		MAT 002

Note:  These academic foundations courses do not count toward the degree.

Program Goals and Objectives

The Program Educational Goals and Objectives are to provide:

1.  a course of study which enables graduates to transfer seamlessly into four-year baccalaureate programs in Biology or a Biology-related discipline.

2.  a core of mathematics and science courses suitable for continued coursework at the four-year level and in support of continued education or professional endeavors upon attainment of the baccalaureate degree.

3.  individualized advisement which will assist each student when developing their educational and career goals including transfer to an upper-division institution.

Student Learning Outcomes

At the completion of this program, students will:

1.  demonstrate mastery of the core biological concepts which serve as the foundation for upper-division coursework in Biology.  These concepts include evolution by natural selection, genetics (molecular, Mendelian, and population), biodiversity, cell structure and function, and bioenergetics.

2.  demonstrate the use of critical thinking and problem solving skills as they relate to the scientific method.

3.  apply the fundamental concepts of inorganic chemistry and organic chemistry to the structure and function of living organisms.

4.  demonstrate mastery of mathematics necessary for upper-division coursework in Biology.