# Biological Sciences (AS Degree)

Sierra College · 2026-2027 Catalog · Department: Biological Sciences

Source: https://catalog.sierracollege.edu/departments/biological-sciences/#Biological

The Biological Science curriculum provides students with the opportunity to meet the requirements for transferring to four-year colleges in the areas of Agriculture, Animal Science, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, Biological Sciences, Biotechnology, Chiropractic, Clinical Lab Technician, Curator, Dental Hygiene, Dentistry, Environmental Studies, Forestry, Nutrition/Dietetics, Occupational Therapy, Plant Science, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Premedical, Nursing, Range Management, Veterinary Medicine, Wildlife/Fisheries Biologist and Zoologist, or entry level positions in related fields. In all cases, students should consult with a counselor for more information on university admission and transfer requirements. Students must fulfill the following major requirements with grades of “C” or better, complete a minimum of 60 degree-applicable semester units (12 of which must be completed at Sierra College) with a grade point average of at least 2.0 and complete one of the following three general education patterns:

-   Sierra College Associate Degree Requirements (Local General Education)
-   California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)

**Required Courses**

| Course | Title | Units |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Select At Least Two Courses:** | | 8.5-10 |
| ↳ BIOL 0001 | General Biology |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0002 | Botany |  |
| or ↳ BIOL 0140 | Organismal Biology |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0003 | General Zoology |  |
| or ↳ BIOL 0140 | Organismal Biology |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0004 | Microbiology |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0005 | Human Anatomy |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0006 | Human Physiology |  |
| **Select 9-11 units from the following courses or unused courses from the previous area:** | | 9-11 |
| ↳ CHEM 0001A | General Chemistry I (OR) |  |
| or ↳ CHEM 0003A & CHEM 0003B | General Chemistry I - Part 1and General Chemistry I - Part 2 |  |
| ↳ CHEM 0001B | General Chemistry II |  |
| ↳ CHEM 0002A | Introduction to Chemistry I |  |
| ↳ CHEM 0002B | Introduction to Chemistry II |  |
| ↳ ESCI 0001 | Physical Geology |  |
| ↳ MATH 0011 | Data Science for All |  |
| ↳ MATH 0012 | College Algebra |  |
| ↳ MATH 0016A | Calculus for Social and Life Sciences |  |
| ↳ MATH 0016B | Calculus for Social and Life Sciences |  |
| ↳ MATH 0027 | Trigonometry |  |
| ↳ MATH 0029 | Pre-Calculus Mathematics |  |
| ↳ MATH 0030 | Analytical Geometry and Calculus I |  |
| ↳ MATH 0042 | Business Calculus |  |
| ↳ PHYS 0105 & PHYS 0105L | General Physics Iand General Physics I Laboratory |  |
| ↳ PHYS 0110 & PHYS 0110L | General Physics IIand General Physics II Laboratory |  |
| ↳ PHYS 0205 & PHYS 0205L | Principles of Physics: Mechanicsand Principles of Physics Laboratory: Mechanics |  |
| ↳ PHYS 0210 & PHYS 0210L | Principles of Physics: Electricity and Magnetismand Principles of Physics Laboratory: Electricity and Magnetism |  |
| ↳ STAT C1000 | Introduction to Statistics |  |
| **Select a minimum of .5 units from the following:** | | .5-4 |
| ↳ BIOL 0016A | Local Ecosystems of Placer County |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016B | Local Ecosystems of Nevada County |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016C | Vernal Pools and the California Prairie |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016D | Biology of Waterfowl and Marsh Birds |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016E | Ecology of the Sierran Conifer Forest |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016G | Field Paleontology and Ancient Environments |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016H | Ecology of the Mendocino Coast |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016I | Biology of Mono Lake and the Great Basin |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016J | Ecology of Point Reyes National Seashore |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016K | Foothill Ecology of the Sierra Nevada |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016L | Aquatic and Riparian Environments of California Waterways |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016M | Marine Mammals and Birds |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016N | Ecology of the Modoc Plateau |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016O | Ecology of the High Sierra and White-Inyo Mountains |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016P | Ecology of Death Valley and Desert Ecosystems |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016Q | Ecology of Mid-Western North America |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016R | Canyon Lands of the Southwest |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016T | Ecology of the Northern California Coast |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016U | Ecology of the Central California Coast |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016V | Ecology of Southern California Deserts |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016W | Ecology of the Klamath and Southern Cascade Ranges |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016Y | Ecology of National Parks and Wilderness Ecosystems |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0016Z | Ecology of the American River |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0017B | Ecology of the Sutter Buttes |  |
| ↳ BIOL 0023 | Wildflower Identification |  |
| **Total Units** | | **18-25** |

| Course | Title | Units |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CSCI 0010 | Introduction to Computing | 3 |
| or CSCI 0050 | Introduction to Unix/Linux |  |
| ESS 0001 | Introduction to Environmental Sciences and Sustainability | 3 |

Only 3 units total may be taken from the BIOL 16 and BIOL 17 field study courses. Courses are grouped according to specific interests, but students are not limited to a specific emphasis. Students opting to take BIOL 0001 are advised to consult with a counselor regarding pre/corequisites.