Biological Sciences

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Baccalaureate biological science programs are diverse. Some programs emphasize cell and molecular biology, whereas 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 the Biological Sciences major as early as possible, preferably by the beginning of the sophomore year. Community and junior college students are strongly encouraged to complete an Associate in Science (A.S.) degree prior to transfer. The advice of both community college and university biology faculty members is encouraged prior to selection of biology elective courses. To transfer as a junior into a baccalaureate biological sciences program, students must complete a minimum of 60 semester credits, including all of the prerequisite science courses listed. For maximum transferability, students are encouraged to complete all general education, supporting science, and biology core courses listed.

Students are advised to complete the entire two- or three-course introductory biological sciences sequence at one school before transferring. Students who complete only one course may have to repeat that course, since material may be arranged differently by another institution.

The following list of courses is designed for students choosing to begin their college career at Joliet Junior College and later transfer to another Illinois college, and if they want to make sure that courses they take will count toward a degree at the new school.

Illinois Articulation Initiative Recommendations

Joliet Junior College participates in the IAI majors panels for the Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees to help students transfer major courses to an Illinois college or university that participates in IAI. Transferability of major courses is still dependent upon the transfer institution accepting the courses as major courses. An updated list of courses is available at www.itransfer.org/iai/majors and www.itransfer.org/iai/articulationTables. Students should also check the transferability of courses through u.select (formerly known as CAS), which can be found at www.itransfer.org/uselect. Always consult the four-year college or university to which you plan to transfer and work with a counselor or an adviser at JJC. Note that students do not graduate with a transfer major from a community college but rather the community college prepares students to have the flexibility to transfer and to choose a major from a number of different areas. Students must be responsible to seek information to make good curriculum choices. Students should recognize that, even though they may be admitted to a four-year transfer institution, they may need to meet that institution’s separate requirements to be admitted into a particular major.

Biological Sciences Requirements: 20 Semester Hours

Biological Sciences Core Requirements

Recommended Science Courses

Students selecting further coursework in biology should consult an adviser. Field courses in biology/botany and comparative vertebrate anatomy are biology electives that offer a reasonable probability of transfer, in the major, depending upon the student’s choice of biology specialization and the baccalaureate school. 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.

IAI General Education Recommendations: 42 Semester Hours

I. Communication: 9 Semester Hours

II. Social and Behavioral Sciences: 9 Semester Hours

Select courses from at least two different areas from IAI Social/Behavioral Sciences

III. Humanities and Fine Arts: 9 Semester Hours

Select one course from IAI Humanities and one course from IAI Fine Arts and one course from either IAI Humanities or Fine Arts

IV. Physical and Life Sciences: 10 Semester Hours

CHEM 101 - General Chemistry I is required
BIO 151 - General Biology I is required

V. Mathematics: 5 Semester Hours

MATH 170 - Calculus with Analytic Geometry I is recommended

Other Transfer Electives: 2 Semester Hours

Total Minimum Degree Requirement: 64 Semester Hours

(A.A. or A.S. degree depending on general education courses)