Biological Sciences

www.linnbenton.edu/biology

In addition to offering the Associate of Science degree with an emphasis in Biological Sciences, the Biology Department provides a variety of courses to meet the needs and interests of at least four groups of students:

• Transfer students in majors other than science who take general biology courses to meet their perspectives or the science requirement for an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science or bachelor’s degree.
• Students who require specific biology courses in order to earn a degree or certificate. For example, students in the Nursing, Dental Assisting and Animal Technology programs are required to take courses such as Human Anatomy and Physiology, Nutrition or Microbiology.
• Science majors in fields such as biology, forestry, fisheries and wildlife, agriculture or pre-medicine who complete their first two years at LBCC, then transfer to a four-year institution. These students enroll in required courses such as Biology or Wildlife Conservation.
• Students who have a general interest in biology, natural history or the environment.

In biology courses, students learn to understand life processes, the diversity of life and the role and responsibility of humans in the natural environment. Most courses are laboratory or field oriented.

The Associate of Science degree with an emphasis in Biological Sciences is a lower-division transfer program designed to assist students planning to complete their baccalaureate studies in a biological science at Oregon State University, where baccalaureate degrees may be earned in biology, microbiology, botany, entomology, general science or integrative biology. Students completing the degree requirements will be prepared to enroll in upper-division coursework.

Students seeking to transfer to an institution other than OSU may be best served by pursuing an AA(OT) while taking specific biology, physical science and mathematics courses that will transfer to the student’s selected college or university. The AA(OT) is a general transfer degree and does not include program requirements. It is important that you identify the four-year school you plan to attend. You should review the requirements of the program you plan to study at that institution and take those classes at LBCC. You may want to work with two advisors; one at LBCC and a second at the institution you hope to attend to make sure you are taking the courses that will meet program requirements.

Program Requirements

LBCC’s Associate of Science (AS) degree in Biological Sciences is designed to be completed in two years. This assumes that the entering student is prepared to take MTH 111 College Algebra, WR 121 English Composition, and CH 221 General Chemistry. If this is not the case, the student needs to allow extra time to complete this degree.

CH 221 General Chemistry, which is usually taken in the first term of Biological Sciences program, requires that the student possess a basic knowledge of chemistry prior to enrolling in the course. In order to fulfill this requirement a student must either:

• Pass a Chemistry Entrance Exam, or
• Take a college-level chemistry course (CH 112, CH 121, or CH 150).

To schedule an entrance exam or for further information contact the Student Assessment Center, located in RCH 111 at 541-917-4781.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete an Associate of Science degree with an emphasis in Biological Science will:

• Use important concepts, methods, and equipment of biology, mathematics, chemistry and physics to understand and explain biological phenomena.
• Continue to learn about biology and living things, and acquire and apply knowledge in new situations.
• Appreciate the beauty, diversity, and complexity of life, and methods of science used to investigate it.
• Communicate clearly and creatively about scientific questions, and use methods of science to formulate and test hypotheses and devise explanations.
• Appreciate the human and environmental implications and impacts of biological phenomena.