Biology
Advising for Biology Majors
All Edmonds CC students planning on transferring to a 4-year institution as a science major should receive advice on their academic plan from a faculty advisor at Edmonds CC. The information provided here is not a substitute for working with a member of the science faculty.
The Science Departments at Edmonds Community College (Edmonds CC) offer several different classes for students who plan to transfer to a four- year institution to pursue a science major. The Biology department provides a student-friendly learning environment with accessible faculty and staff, modern laboratories (including work stations for differently-abled students) and equipment, study areas and computer labs adjacent to the science laboratories. The small class size, comparatively low cost, individual attention and myriad of campus-wide services to serve and support learning makes Edmonds CC an ideal place to study biology in preparation for transfer to a four-year institution.
Students who plan to major in a biological science (biology, genetics, microbiology zoology, etc.), environmental science, or plan to attend dental school, medical school, or veterinary school, will usually need to take at one year of calculus (or a combination of calculus and statistics), one year of general chemistry (CHEM 131, 132, 133) and one year of college biology (BIOL 201, 202, 203). Most biology majors will also have to take Organic Chemistry (CHEM 231, 232 and often 233) and Physics (PHYS 101, 102 or 201, 202 and sometimes a third quarter as well).
Students majoring in biology, chemistry, environmental science and geology will complete the AS, Track 1 degree. All science students should consult with an Edmonds Community College science faculty advisor for a detailed academic plan, tailored to the student's academic and career goals. The courses students take will vary and will depend on each student's preparation, proposed major, and transfer school. Science majors should plan to earn a 2.5 or better (preferably better) in the required science and math courses to be accepted into most science departments at four-year institutions.
Many students will have to take additional science and math courses. These preparatory courses help ensure student success and save time, money, and frustration in the long run. Most students will take two quarters of precalculus, in addition to calculus (or calculus and statistics). Many students will also take pre-chem (CHEM 110) before beginning general Chemistry (CHEM 131) classes. For this reason, it is not uncommon for science majors to take more than four years to obtain a bachelor's degree.
It is important to take the 2- and 3-quarter science sequences (e.g. BIOL 201, 202, & 203) at the same college, to ensure transferability to four-year universities!!
| Course Number | Course title | Quarter(s) offered |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 201 | Principles of Biology | Fall, Winter |
| BIOL 202 | General Zoology | Winter |
| BIOL 203 | General Botany | Spring |
| BIOL 250 | Microbiology | Winter |
Links to transfer colleges web sites
University of Washington Biology Program
University of Washington Pre-Med Information
University of Washington Pre-Dental Information
University of Washington Pre-veterinary Information
Western Washington University, Biology Department Home Page
Western Washington University, Huxley College ) Environmental Studies) Home Page
For more information on Biology at Edmonds CC,
please contact Jenny McFarland or Hans Landel.
