Apr 06, 2025  
2025-2026 NOVA Catalog 
    
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2025-2026 NOVA Catalog

Biology, A.S.

Location(s): AL, AN, LO, MA, WO

CIP Code: 26.0101

NOVA Code: 6550

The curriculum is designed to prepare students to transfer to a four-year college or university to complete a baccalaureate degree program with a major in one of the following fields: agriculture, biology, botany, pre-dentistry, forestry, genetics, microbiology, molecular biology, neuroscience, pre-pharmacy, pre-physical therapy, pre-medicine, science education, pre-veterinary, or zoology.

Two Years

1st Semester

Total 15-16 credits

2nd Semester

Total 18 credits

3rd Semester

Total 13-14 credits

4th Semester

Total 14 credits

Total credits for the A.S. Degree in Biology: 60-61 credits

Electives should be selected with advice of a counselor or academic advisor to meet the requirements of the transfer institution.

1 Select any HIS courses listed under social/behavioral sciences in General Education Electives . 

2 To fulfill the mathematics and credit hour requirements in the program, students will select MTH courses from this list: MTH 161 , MTH 162 , MTH 167 , MTH 245 , MTH 263 , MTH 264 .  

Students may take MTH 161 and 162 instead of MTH 167, but may not earn credit for both MTH 167 and MTH 161 or 162.
 

  • Option 1, begin with PreCalculus (5 CR.):
    1st semester:  MTH 167 PreCalculus with Trigonometry
    2nd semester: MTH 263 Calculus I
    3rd semester: MTH 245 Statistics (or MTH 264 Calculus II or lab science elective 3)
    4th semester: lab science elective

  • Option 2, begin with PreCalculus (3 CR.):
    1st semester:  MTH 161 PreCalculus I
    2nd semester: MTH 162 PreCalculus II
    3rd semester: MTH 263 Calculus I
    4th semester: MTH 245 Statistics (or MTH 264 Calculus II or lab science elective 3)

  • Option 3, begin with Calculus (4 CR):
    1st semester: MTH 263 Calculus I
    2nd semester: MTH 245 Statistics (or MTH 264 Calculus II or lab science elective 3)
    3rd semester: lab science elective 3
    4th semester: lab science elective 3

3  Students may choose any lab science elective from the following list: BIO 102 , BIO 110 , BIO 207 , BIO 205 , BIO 256 , BIO 270 , CHM 241 , CHM 242 , CHM 245 , CHM 246 , GOL 105 , GOL 106 , PHY 201 , PHY 202 , PHY 241 , PHY 242 . Please note: BIO 142 and 142, CHM 101, PHY 100, or ENV 121 and ENV 122 do not satisfy this requirement.

4 See humanities/fine arts courses listed under General Education Electives . Students must choose courses from two of the three areas listed. Credit will not be applied if student takes two courses from the same area. 

5 Students transferring to George Mason University who take BIO 207  must also take BIO 110 .

6 See non-HIS social/behavioral science courses listed under General Education Electives .

7 Students may substitute this course with BIO 205  or BIO 256 , as advised by their intended transfer institution.

Regardless of the combination of math and science courses, students must complete at least 60 credits applicable to this program.