Biology
AS Degree Programs A-Z · Mt. San Antonio College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Natural Sciences Division
Biological Sciences Department
The A.S. Biology degree offers the student a flexible way to earn a Biology Associate degree. After completing a one-year general biology sequence, the student chooses one of three tracks, biodiversity, cell and molecular biology, or pre-health professions, and takes three additional courses in biology based on those interests. The biodiversity track is for students interested in ecology, field biology, zoology, botany, and similar fields. The cell and molecular biology track is for students interested in molecular biology, genetics, cell biology, and biochemistry. The pre-health professions track is for students interested in medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine. This degree may facilitate transfer to baccalaureate majors in biology, and in many cases may facilitate transfer to more specialized majors such as Botany, Ecology, Environmental Science, Genetics, Molecular biology, Microbiology, or Zoology. Students desiring transfer should see a counselor.
Required Courses
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 2 | Plant and Animal Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 4 | Biology for Majors | 4 |
| orBIOL 4H | Biology for Majors - Honors | |
| CHEM 50 | General Chemistry I | 5 |
| orCHEM 50H | General Chemistry I - Honors | |
| CHEM 51 | General Chemistry II | 5 |
| orCHEM 51H | General Chemistry II - Honors | |
| MATH 180 | Calculus and Analytic Geometry I | 4 |
| Required Electives | 11-15 | |
| Biodiversity Track Electives | ||
| Select three courses from the following (11 units minimum): | ||
| BIOL 3 | Ecology and Field Biology | |
| BIOL 8 | Cell and Molecular Biology | |
| BIOL 20 & BIOL 21 | Marine Biologyand Marine Biology Laboratory | |
| BIOL 25 | Conservation Biology | |
| BIOL 34 & BIOL 34L | Fundamentals of Geneticsand Fundamentals of Genetics Laboratory | |
| BTNY 3 | Plant Structures, Functions, and Diversity | |
| MICR 1 | Medical Microbiology | |
| orMICR 22 | Microbiology | |
| ZOOL 3 | Fundamentals of Zoology | |
| OR | ||
| Cell and Molecular Biology Track Electives | ||
| Select BIOL 8 plus two other courses from the following (for a total of 11 units minimum): | ||
| BIOL 34 & BIOL 34L | Fundamentals of Geneticsand Fundamentals of Genetics Laboratory | |
| CHEM 80 | Organic Chemistry I | |
| CHEM 81 | Organic Chemistry II | |
| MICR 1 | Medical Microbiology | |
| orMICR 22 | Microbiology | |
| MICR 26 | Introduction to Immunology | |
| Or | ||
| Pre-Health Professions Track Electives | ||
| Select three course from the following (11 units minimum): | ||
| ANAT 35 & ANAT 36 | Human Anatomyand Human Physiology | |
| ANAT 38 | Pathophysiology | |
| BIOL 8 | Cell and Molecular Biology | |
| BIOL 34 & BIOL 34L | Fundamentals of Geneticsand Fundamentals of Genetics Laboratory | |
| MICR 1 | Medical Microbiology | |
| orMICR 22 | Microbiology | |
| Recommended Electives | ||
| PHYS 2AG | General Physics | |
| PHYS 2BG | General Physics | |
| Total Units | 33-37 | |
Outcomes
Program Learning Outcomes
Review Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for this program.