Biological Science

Degrees/certificates at a glance

left and right arrows icon Associate in Biology Direct Transfer Agreement/Major Related Program - Associate in Biology DTA/MRP

Program Length

6 quarters

Start Quarter

Fall, Winter

Location

Spokane Community College

Financial Aid Eligible

Yes. Read more about Financial Aid.

Associate in Biology Direct Transfer Agreement/Major Related Program - Associate in Biology DTA/MRP

Have you ever wanted to discover new life at the deepest parts of the ocean? Do you have an interest in developing sustainable agriculture? Would it be fun to brainstorm new food products for our grocery stores? Do you want to help people or animals feel better when ill? Or maybe you’d rather be behind the scenes, developing new drugs and therapies?

Whatever career you choose, a degree in biology can get you there. Biologists study life- from dinosaurs to plankton, from redwoods to lentils, from humans to bacteria, we’re here for it all.

Biology is a versatile discipline that can be tailored to individual interests and community needs. A degree in Biology prepares you for a career as a Research Scientist, Medical Laboratory Scientist, Forensic Scientist, Microbiologist, Food Scientist, Physician, Veterinarian, Wildlife Biologist, Epidemiologist, Pharmacist, K-12 science educator, Geologist, Fisheries Biologist, Hydrologist, Environmental Health Officer, Environmental Lawyer, or even a Science Journalist! This degree also prepares you for careers in natural resource management and environmental engineering.

Our programs will prepare you to transfer to four-year institutions or for direct entry into professional programs, like SCC’s Allied Health and Nursing programs.

So, what can you do with your Biology degree? Anything you want.

Spokane Community College believes that you should graduate with the knowledge, skills, and abilities that further your educational goals, increasing your value in the workforce and contributing to a vibrant community.

Our AA-DTA degree program learning outcomes align to our five College-Wide Key Literacies.

Applied Content Literacy
Students will develop knowledge, skills, and abilities in all transfer distribution areas or program elements/areas. Students will build a foundation of information relevant to their program or focus of study while increasing knowledge and competency in their chosen field.

Communication Literacy
Students will develop the ability to create meaning and make connections between themselves and their audience, incorporating awareness of the social nature of communication, including, but not limited to, the impact of ethnicity, age, culture, gender, sexual orientation, and ability on communication styles and results. Students will learn to listen, read, speak, and write effectively using a variety of mediums and modalities.

Information Literacy
Students will develop knowledge and abilities allowing them to identify, locate, and evaluate information pertaining to the problem under consideration. Students will learn how to responsibly research, use, share, and produce accurate, relevant information gleaned through skilled research methods.

Intercultural Literacy
Students will develop an intersectional understanding of modern social realities, which will help enable effective participation and communication in cross-cultural professional, academic, and social settings. This may include, but is not limited to, biological sex, gender identity, socio-economic status, race, sexual orientation, religion, country and culture of origin, and political stance.

Quantitative Literacy
Students will develop and expand the ability to understand numeric information through the gathering, examination, modeling, manipulation, analysis, interpretation, and representation of quantitative and/or scientific data.

Breaking Ground on Your Pathway

Plan Your Courses

Meet with our counselors to customize this plan just for you. You can also search the quarterly schedule for class days and times.

Prepare for College-level Math

Math placement is required for this program. If your math placement is below MATH& 151, you’ll need to take the following sequence of courses, starting from the level you placed into:
AE 48 → AE 68 → MATH 71 → MATH 72 → MATH& 141 → MATH& 142 → MATH& 151

Placement

English placement is not required for this program.

The Associate in Science Transfer (AS-T 1) degree is intended to prepare students for upper division study in the areas of biological sciences, environmental/resource sciences, chemistry, geology and earth science. A candidate for an Associate in Science Transfer degree must complete 90 quarter credits in academic courses numbered 100 or above with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0, as calculated by the degree awarding institution. Please note which classes have the W/Writing Intensive designation and/or D/Diversity designation at the time of enrollment to ensure those requirements have been satisfied.

Students are recommended to meet with a counselor to select the course options that best align with potential transfer institutions to ensure specific courses in each area satisfy admission requirements for the receiving school and major. Students must satisfy all graduation requirements at Spokane Community College and apply to graduate to receive a diploma.

Please refer to the AS-T 1 worksheet for a complete list of course options and distribution area requirements or meet with a counselor to learn more about your options and requirements. Together you can create a plan to graduate from SCC fully prepared to meet your goals.

The curriculum below has been selected by our Biology faculty to provide a balanced and focused education for students planning to continue their education by transferring to four-year institution or students focused on entering the workforce directly after graduation.