Math Assessment Level and BIOL 150 (Fall 2025)

I am sharing this thread as I was not aware that students with a math placement of MATH 165 or higher could take BIOL 150 (if they are in the allied health fields) without first taking MATH 117 or higher or without having MATH 165 as a co-requisite. Apparently this information is not stated in the  BIOL 150 course description in the course catalog but it is coded into Banner.

See Dean Karpakakunjaram’s email below as well as confirmation from Pamela Jones.

Sent: Friday, August 22, 2025 2:35 PM
Subject: Re: question from MC counselor

Hi Linda,

In my experience, there were a handful of students who assessed at a higher-level MATH (165 or higher) that were in allied health majors. The rationale is if a student assesses at MATH 165 or higher, they have the necessary quantitative skills to do well in BIOL 150. The place where we have to advise allied health majors carefully is to make sure they register and complete a MATH course as soon as possible.

Thanks,

Vedham

Vedham Karpakakunjaram (he/him), Ph.D
Interim Dean, Chemical and Biological Sciences

MATH 117 & Students in 412D, 412E, and 412F

Re: Hold

* remember to leave comment in Banner-SPACMNT

Departmental: This course is not required for your program (major). Please review the major requirements in the College Catalog or contact a program advisor.

The Biology Department asked that students in 412D, 412E, and 412F receive this registration error message when attempting to register for MATH 117.  For this student, the MATF is MATH 181, and there are no requirements where MATH 117 could be used. The MAJ override will allow registration.

Regards,

Pam

BIOL 150: Advising Notes - Fall 2023 and beyond

Hi Team,

 After a lively discussion and vote, the Collegewide Curriculum Committee passed the proposal to change the requirements for BIOL 150.  This is a big modification, which impacts a lot of students.  It will alter your fall advising practices and you will see the change in the forthcoming 2023-24 catalog. 

Summary of changes:

• The requirements have changed from an assessment level of MATH 117 to a completed pre-requisite of MATH 117 or higher for those majors requiring basic college level math

OR

pre- or co-requisite of MATH 150 or MATH 165 or higher for those majors requiring a higher level math.  The ENGL 101/ENGL 011, READ 120 level remains the same.

Additional considerations:

• This means that students will not be able to take BIOL 150 at the same time as a basic college level math course and will likely delay the biology sequence for many students, particularly those in the health fields.
  
  
• This will have implications for Middle College sequencing and those pathways will likely need to be updated accordingly. This may affect fall advising.
  
  
• The following majors will be required to have MATH 150, MATH 165 or higher as either a pre or co-requisite: Biology, Chem/Biochem, Math, Environmental Science, and Public Health.
  
  
• The following majors will be required to have a completed MATH 117 or higher as a pre-requisite: Gen Studies STEM (depending on pathway), Pre-nursing, Pre-rad tech, Pre-sonography, Pre-surgical tech, Pre-physical therapy assisting, Exercise Science, Physical Education, Biotechnology, and Community Health.

The biology department hopes that students will build math skills needed to be successful in the BIOL 150 course, which was the underlying reason for the change to a pre-requisite model instead of assessment level. 

Advising Notes:

A student can register for BIOL 150/L under the following conditions:

• They have successfully completed MATH 117 or higher.

OR

• They have not successfully completed MATH 117 or higher but are currently registered for MATH 150 or higher.

 There is no additional MATH classes for the health sciences.

Clarification of Course Note - Coding in Banner:   see BIOL150 FA23 Banner Coding.xlsx

Students should consult with a program advisor about the MATH options: MATH 117 or higher is the pre-requisite for Nursing and Health Sciences students, and MATH 150 or MATH 165 or higher is the pre- or co-requisite for Business or Biological Science majors.

CBIOL150MA is the correct Area. See the attached Excel. All of the rows are OR conditions. Prerequisites are MATH 117 or higher completed or MATH 150 or 165 or higher which can be completed or concurrent.

BIOL 150 Curriculum Change - Q &A

I have put my responses below in red beneath each question. I have also consulted with Dean Sniezek to be sure he concurs with the answers. If you would like me to meet with you and the other counselors to discuss this further and answer additional questions, please let me know.

Below is a sampling of comments collected from the Counselors on the TP/SS campus: 

• If this affects enrollment perhaps it will be reconsidered.   

We realize that initially enrollment in BIOL 150 may be lower. However, it should stabilize after a semester or so.

• Do they have data showing that students are performing at a lower level?  

Students with a higher level of math do perform better in BIOL 150

•  Students will go to other community colleges to take A&P.  

      I'm not sure I understand this question, since BIOL 150 is already a prerequisite for BIOL 212 (A & P I). I understand that     faculty at CCs that do not have an intro biology prerequisite for their A & P course, wish that they did. In fact, at lease   anecdotally, any faculty member that teaches BIOL 150 and BIOL 212 or BIOL 210 will tell you that students that get a C in their BIOL 150 class usually end up with a D or F in BIOL 212 or BIOL 210. It is difficult to pull data on this, since you would have to look up each student in each class individually.

• Question:  are we saying that now Math 150 or higher is going to be a pre-req. or co-req. for BIOL 150? I am questioning mostly out of surprise about this change.  Am I reading it correctly?   or is the intent that just Math 117 or higher will now be a pre-req. for BIOL 150?  

      Currently, there are two tracks for math in our area: 1) Students going into nursing or Health Sciences take MATH 117. Students going into STEM (Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Engineering majors, etc.) take MATH 165, MATH 181 and maybe 182. If students have completed MATH 117 or MATH 120 + 020 or MATH 150 + 050 or higher then they will qualify for BIOL 150.

• If other schools do not have a calculus requirement those students who want to skip calculus may choose those schools which will definitely impact our enrollment. 

I do not understand this question. Nursing and health sciences students do not need precalc or calculus. STEM majors all need to take up through at least calculus in order to earn a bachelor's degree anywhere they go.

• I feel the change will deter students from many of these majors.  As I have matured, I appreciate math more, however, in my younger years I preferred taking accelerated or summer math courses since they seemed less painful. 15 weeks in a fall or spring session vs a summer math course, I only took that 1 math course in the summer! Enrollment is down as it is and this change will more than likely contribute to lower enrollment. 

Math 117 is the lowest math needed to graduate for non stem majors. MATH 117 or MATH 120 + 020 or MATH 150 + 050 is required as a prerequisite for BIOL 150. OR MATH 165 or MATH 150 as a corequisite, not calculus. If students cannot pass the classes at the level of MATH 117 (ALEXS cutoff of 30 - 45), then health science or STEM may not be a good fit for them.

• I think I’m just curious to know what their rationale is for this change. Has it been difficult for students to complete the course without calculus? Or are they changing the curriculum? I can see the Health Sciences, particularly nursing students, being impacted by this change. 
  
  
• MATH 117 or MATH 120 + 020 or MATH 150 + 050 is required as a prerequisite for BIOL 150. OR MATH 165 or MATH 150 as a corequisite, not calculus. 
• I teach BIOL 150 and can tell you that there are too many students that cannot do simple math such as average 3 numbers or solve for X in a simple algebra problem. They are not prepared for BIOL 150. Additional math preparation should increase the success rate of BIOL 150 and reduce the number of students that need to repeat the course. Therefore, students will save money.
• The need to increase the math assessment in BIOL 150  is critical for our STEM majors to keep pace with our 4-yr transfer institutions, principally UMD and UMBC. 

  

The biology equivalent to BIOL 150 at UMD is BSCI 170 which has the following prerequisite: 

BSCI 170: Principles of Molecular & Cellular Biology Prerequisite: Must have math eligibility of MATH120 or higher. Math 120 is Elementary Calculus I. 

The biology equivalent to BIOL 150 at UMBC is BIOL 141 which has the following prerequisite: BIOL 141 - Foundations of Biology: Cells, Energy and Organisms (4): Prerequisite: MATH 150, MATH 151, or MATH 155 with a grade of ‘C’ or better or placement into MATH 151.   MATH 150 is Precalculus Mathematics (4), Math 151 is Calculus and Analytic Geometry, and MATH 155 is Applied Calculus. 

Additionally, laboratory modules integrated into the lecture and laboratory curriculum of BIOL 150 as part of an NSF IUSE grant make it necessary to increase math assessment for student success.  Assessment into MATH 117 simply is insufficient to retain articulation with our 4-yr partners, and to improve student success rates. 

 

Valerie A. Lantz, Ph.D.

Department Chair of Chemical and Biological Sciences 

Professor of Biology
Montgomery College-Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus

240-567-3989

 

Advising for Biology-Related Programs: 

https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/BiologyDepartmentRockville@montgomerycollege0.onmicrosoft.com/bookings/

 

Advising for Chemistry: https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/ChemistryProgramAdvising@montgomerycollege0.onmicrosoft.com/bookings/

 

Biology - Online Transfer Coursework

As you may be aware, we have been working towards a policy change to be able to accept fully online A & P from other institutions. 

Effective with Summer Session I 2020,  fully online A & P from other institutions will be eligible for transfer to MC, provide that these fully  online courses satisfy Nursing/Allied Health prerequisites at the transferring institution.

The three MC transcript evaluators have been made aware of this policy change.

Nelson Bennett, IV
Associate Professor of Biology

Anatomy and Physiology Coordinator

College-wide Biology Course Equivalency Coordinator

Montgomery College, Takoma Park/Silver Spring
216 Science North (SN 216)
Montgomery College, Takoma Park
240-567-3968

* Also, MC will accept NVCC’s BIO 141/142 if completed through Fall, 2017.

Health Sciences Updates - Fall 2018

• NOVA’s BIO 141/142 will now be accepted at MC: Biology 141 and 142 are now deemed to be fully transferable to MC as our BIOL 212 and 213.
  
• Carolyn McAllister accepted another position (Reading & English Faculty) within the college, which will begin on October 1, 2018. Therefore, my last day in Health Sciences as the Pre-Admission Retention Coordinator will be 9/28/18.
  
• There are programs where Program Coordinators allow students to take courses in their curricula before being accepted:

• Nancy Greenawald’s PTA program: She allows students to take PHTH 101 if room. Students need to seek permission from her.

• Corinne Smith’s Medical Coder/HIM programs: Once either HINM 115 or BIOL 130/131 ( or BIOL 150/212 ) is taken, they may seek permission from her to take HINM 120, once students have met the pre reqs of both HINM 115 and BIOL 130/131: They may seek permission to take HINM 150.

• Linda Zanin’s DMS program also contains HINM 120. Students need to seek permission from the professor teaching the course.

• Natalie Maiden is no longer the advisor for Mental Health. No full time position is available at this time; the position is frozen.
  
  For new students coming in I would suggest the General Studies Social Sciences, Administration, and Health (SSAH) AA: 611C for those looking to do counselling, social work, and for those looking to be a psychiatrist, or psychologist I would suggest the General Studies STEM A.A: 611B.
  
  Those already enrolled will have their courses offered. Course availability will be dependent upon enrollment numbers. Last semester there were only four enrollments for MHTH 101 and it had to be cancelled.
  
  Diane Barberesi, MS
  Chair of Health Sciences
  7600 Takoma Park Ave. - HC 436
  Diane.Barberesi@montgomerycollege.edu
  Cell: 301-807-7214

Transfer Advising Notes for Biological Sciences Majors

The MC Biological Sciences (formerly Life Sciences) Associate of Science Degree lines up with requirements of the Biological Science Majors at UM College Park, but please be aware that other schools may have different requirements.

This comparison between UMCP and UMBC illustrates differences:

MC Biological Science AS DEGREE	Biological Sciences at UM College Park	Biological Science BA or BS at UMBC Requirements Shown in ARTSYS, Verified with UMBC Catalog	Private or Out-of-State Institutions
BIOL 150 & 151 Principles of Biology I and II	= √ BSCI 160 & BSCI 170	√ BIOL 140 & 141	See each school’s website for required courses.
BIOL 222 Genetics	= √ BSCI 222 Genetics	X Genetics is not required; it is a 300-level course at UMBC.  Although it will transfer, students may need to take another 300-level BIOL Sci course in its place to fulfill minimum Upper Level requirements.	See each school’s website for required courses.
MATH 170 Calculus for Life Sciences Or MATH 181 Calculus I	√ MC MATH 170 = UM MATH 130 Calculus for Life Sciences or √ MC MATH 181 = UM MATH 140 Calculus I	√ MC MATH 181 Calculus I = UMBC MATH 151 Calculus I is required only; X Note that MC MATH 170 Calc for Life Sciences transfers to UMBC as equivalent to MATH 155 Applied Calculus, not as Calc I	MATH 181 may be more transferable – See each school’s website for required courses.
MATH 171 Calculus for Life Sciences II Or MATH 182 Calculus II	√ Both transfer to fulfill the Calc II requirement at UM	Calculus II is NOT REQUIRED by UMBC; students will take Linear Algebra at UMBC after transfer, MATH 181 Calc I is the Prerequisite for Linear Algebra X  MC MATH 171 Calc for Life Sciences II  transfers to UMBC as a Lower Level Elective only	MATH 182 may be more transferable – See each school’s website for required courses.
CHEM 131 & 132	√ MC CHEM 131 transfers as UM CHEM 131 MC CHEM 132 transfers but students must take an addition CHEM 272 Lab @ UM after transfer; MC is going to offer this in the future.	√ Both MC CHEM 131 & 132 transfer to UMBC, no additional courses required	See each school’s website for required courses.
CHEM 203 & 204 Organic Chem I & II	√ CHEM 203 & 204 Organic Chem I & II	√ CHEM 203 & 204 Organic Chem I & II	See each school’s website for required courses.
PHYS 203 & 204 or PHYS 233 & 234 Physics I & II	Students take PHYS 131 & 132 in the Junior Year as per UM’s Biological Sciences 4-Year Plans:  http://bsci.umd.edu/major-requirements	UMBC lists completion of one of these sequences prior to transfer, both will transfer: PHYS 203 & 204 General Physics or PHYS 233 & 234 Physics for Life Sciences, note that PHYS 233 has a MATH 171 or 182 Calc II corequisite.	See each school’s website for required courses.

Regarding CHEM 203 & 204 Organic Chem I and II – please have students who express an interest in pre-med or pre-dental read the Montgomery College Transfer Advising article:  www.montgomerycollege.edu/premed   Students who intend to transfer to UMCP as Biological Sciences majors and then apply to medical school need to be aware of UMCP’s requirement that students must complete 24 credits of Lab Sciences at UMCP before UMCP will write a Committee Letter of Recommendation for medical schools.  Read the MC Premed article for details.

Simplest advising solution:  Use ARTSYS Recommended Transfer Program (RTP) Pages for students who plan to transfer to either UMCP or UMBC, and recommend that students also seek advisement from each school.

·        UMCP’s ARTSYS RTP’s for All Concentrations of Biological Sciences are up-to-date.

·        UMBC’s ARTSYS RTP’s for BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, BA (recommended by UMBC for pre-med) or BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES B.S. are up-to-date.

·        For out-of-state or private institutions, search “Academics” on each school’s site to find requirements for a Biological Science major.

·        Ask students how they plan to use a Biological Sciences degree – if they express a possible interest in Pre-Medicine, please suggest that they read MC’s Transfer Advising Article:  www.montgomerycollege.edu/premed

Biological Science - Program Advising E-mail

Hello Life Science and Biological Science Students,

I hope that the first quarter of the fall semester has gone well.

This is the third letter I send to you this semester.  It is arguably the most important.  There are courses that are required for your major - your program of study - and there are electives, courses you choose.  BUT – your choices matter.  I hope the following answers some questions you may have.  You can – and should – see a program advisor any time you have a question about what course(s) to take.  Program advisors are listed below.  Please touch base to discuss your academic plan every semester.

Math is required of all Biological Science students.  It is the language of research and applied sciences.

• Take a MATH course every semester! 
• Like any language, if you don’t use it, you lose it.
• It builds your confidence in applying math in your science classes.
• The Biological Science program accepts MATH courses at the level of Calculus II (MATH 171, MATH 182) or beyond (MATH 217, MATH 280, MATH 282, and MATH 284) for program elective credit.

If you placed into Calculus I, or when you complete MATH 165 (Precalculus) you have two options. 

• Option 1 is to take MATH 181: Calculus I.  This is a traditional calculus course for science, math, and engineering majors. It is a prerequisite for MATH 182: Calculus II and for MATH 171: Calculus for Life Science II.
• Option 2 is to take MATH 170: Calculus for Life Science I followed by MATH 171. This calculus sequence is taught from a biologist perspective with examples and explanations describing biological systems. They provide a life science context for learning mathematics.  If you plan to go to University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) this is the option you should choose. UMCP prefers that you take MATH 170 & MATH171.

What other courses should you take?  The answer depends on what you want to do and where you want to go upon transfer.  Completing both semesters of a two course sequence is always recommended.

CHEM 131/132 are required for the degree.

CHEM 203: Organic Chemistry I and CHEM 204: Organic Chemistry II serve as program electives.  Typically, we encourage Life Science and Biological Science majors to take both semester of “organic” at MC.  We have fantastic faculty teaching these courses.

Physics is another option.  You have three physics series options.  I encourage you to talk to your program advisor. Your transfer plans and what math you have taken will influence the decision.

• Option 1 - PHYS 203/204 General Physics I & II.  Although some transfer institutions will accept these courses, many, including UMCP, require a calculus based physics; these courses do not satisfy their requirement.  You will be required to take a calculus-based physics course (paying higher tuition and textbook costs).
• Option II -  PHYS 233/234 Physics for Life Science I & II is your best option, especially you plan to transfer to UMCP.  These calculus-based physics courses are preferably accepted at UMCP and are taught using examples from biological systems. 
• Option III - PHYS 161/262 is also a good option.  Taking the engineering physic sequence also satisfies the calculus physics requirement at most transfer institutions.

Computer programming/coding is a skill that is broadly applied in research and by biological industries.  The Biological Science Program also accepts several computer science courses as program elective credit including:

CMSC 140: Introduction to Programming

CMSC 203: Computer Science I

CMSC 204: Computer Science II

Taking one or more of these courses diversifies your academic profile and may provide you with knowledge and skills valued by a future employer.

You don’t have to go this alone. Talk with a program advisor (see chart below). Talk with your advising counselor.  Talk with me.  Making smart decisions now will save you money and time in the future.

Program Advisors
Program	Germantown	Rockville	Takoma Park/ Silver Spring
Biological Science	Dr. Lori Kelman 240-567-6912	Dr. Antonio Del Castillo-Olivares 240-567-5406	Dr. Valerie Lantz 240-567-3989
Chemistry and Biochemistry	Dr. Don Newlin 240-567-7781	Dr. Thomas Chen 240-567-7633	Dr. Cory Newman 240-567-1413
Environmental Science and Policy	Dr. James Smith 240-567-6964	Dr. Victoria Schneider 240-567-5479	Dr. Alessandra Sagasti 240-567-6964
Biotechnology	Dr. Lori Kelman 240-567-6912

Have a great semester,

Jim

James Sniezek, Ph.D.
Dean of Instruction
Chemical and Biological Science
Montgomery College

240-567-1690

Biology Dept. Referral - Overrides for 200-Level BIOL Courses

In order enroll in any 200-level Biology Courses (such as Microbiology and A+P. ), students must demonstrate successful completion of the equivalent of MC's BIOL 150 (Principles of BIOL I) or an equivalent introductory course for biology majors in cell biology, molecular biology, and genetics before registering for 200 level courses.    

Refer students to Biology Department Chairs for transcript reviews/pre-requisite overrides. 

• Germantown
• Rockville 
• Takoma Park/Silver Spring

or to the online prior coursework review request form:

http://www.emailmeform.com/builder/form/zsIZb6u89a3cw1Je00lkK4qE

As far as MC equivalencies are concerned, UMBC natural sciences courses without lab will come in as NSNLDST (Natural Sciences Non-Lab Distribution).

Best regards,

Phuoc Dang, M.Ed.

Transcript Evaluation Program Manager

Admissions and Enrollment Services

Montgomery College

51 Mannakee Street

Hello! I’m the transfer/articulation coordinator for the Biology department at UMBC and I also happen to teach BIOL 142, so Chuck directed your email to me. None of our intro core classes (BIOL 141 (cell/molec), 142 (eco/evo), 302 (genetics), 303 (cell)) have a lab associated with the class. Each of those classes has a 1-credit active learning “discussion” section in addition to the 3 credits of lecture, but it is not a lab. Our labs are all independent 2-credit courses and all majors must take the intro lab 300L plus one or two additional elective labs. Does that help?

Best,

Tamra

Tamra Mendelson

Associate Professor

Department of Biological Sciences

University of Maryland Baltimore County

Advising in the Life Science Program

Course in three disciplines have been created that prepare our students to transfer seamlessly to the University of Maryland College Park (UMCP) or to the Universities at Shady Grove (USG).  Maryland-bound students in the Life Sciences program should be strongly advised to fulfill UMCP requirements for the Biological Sciences majors by taking the following course sequences. These courses were developed in collaboration with UMCP faculty and are equivalent to required courses taken by UMCP students.

1)      Calculus for Life Science I & II (MC, MATH 170/171; UMCP, MATH 130/131)

·         Highlights the importance of  understanding  the fundamental concepts of Calculus through a life science lens

·         The College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS) at UMCP recommends our MATH 170/171 sequence over our MATH 181/182 sequence.

·         Students in the Life Science program are strongly encouraged to complete two semesters of Calculus. Take both semesters at MC! The approach and textbook will be the same.

2)      Physics for Life Science I & II (MC PHYS 233/234; UMD PHYS 131/132).

·         Preferred physics sequence for Biological Science majors.

·         Students on a pathway that allows them to complete their first semester of Calculus with at least two semesters remaining at MC, should be strongly encouraged to take the Physics for Life Science sequence prior to leaving MC.  Required in the junior year of the Biological Sciences program at UMCP and USG, students who are mathematically prepared will benefit from taking physics as part of their sophomore sequence.

3)      Principles of Biology III (MC BIOL 252; UMD BSCI 207)

·         MC’s BIOL 252 transfers as the third of three “Principles” courses at UMCP and provides the foundation for junior- and senior-level coursework at UMCP and USG. 

·         This course is a Biological Sciences program requirement at UMCP and USG (preferred over microbiology).  It is generally taken in the first semester of the sophomore year.

I encourage you to advise your students to enroll in these courses if appropriate.  Each transfer has specific and equivalent courses to UMCP and USG.  If you or your students have any questions or concerns about these courses, please feel free to contact me directly (240-567-1690 or james.sniezek@montgomerycollege.edu). Students are also encouraged to contact a Life Science Program advisor.  They are:  Dr. Gina Wesley, Rockville; Dr. Lori Kelman, Germantown; and Dr. Valerie Lantz, Takoma Park/ Silver Spring.

Science Center Tutoring

http://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/edu/department.aspx?id=24413

BIOL 150 Prereq Change (Fall 2015 -->)

MATH093/096 is now a PREREQUISITE for BIOL150/L and BIOL151/L(it is no longer an assessment level requirement)

PREREQUISITE(S): MATH 093/MATH 096 or college-level math assessment. Assessment Level(s): ENGL 101/ENGL 101A, READ 120. Three hours lecture, three hours laboratory each week. Formerly BI 107.

• Please note that concurrent enrollment in MATH115A or MATH117A does not meet the prerequisite requirement to enroll in BIOL150/L and BIOL151/L.
• We have had a few students requesting to take BIOL150/L while enrolled in MATH115A or MATH117A, stating that they are technically college level courses.
• I have been in discussion with Jim Sniezek, Nelson Bennett and Milton Nash regarding this. Dean Sniezek ran it by the STEM AULT team and this is what they’ve decided:
•  “I did run this by the STEM AULT team and each math chair agreed that both  MATH 115A and MATH 117A do not meet the spirit of the math prerequisite requirement for BIOL 150.  Even though these MATH courses have a 100+ number, 1/3 of the course is developmental.  As such, I recommend that these courses NOT serve as satisfying the prerequisite requirement for BIOL 150. Jim”
• Counseling Faculty are permitted to enter prerequisite overrides to previously matriculated students (students that were admitted to the College prior to Fall 2015)
• “Grandfathered” students should be advised that an exception to the revised prerequisite is being given and that they should contact their instructor immediately should they experience problems
•  New students  entering in Fall 15 should be held to the revised prerequisite level for BIOL 150

UMBC Biology

BIOL141 & 142 at UMBC not Equivalent to BIOL150 & 151

The Biology Chairs have brought to our attention that BIOL 141 and BIOL 142 at UMBC are 4-credit courses, but they don't have a lab component.  They are NOT equivalent to BIOL 150 and BIOL 151 at MC.

UMD - Biology Intent Students

Update provided by Andrea Milo on July 8, 2014

UMD-Biology intent students:

1) Beginning fall 2014 MC students planning to major in biology and transfer to UMD should take PHYS233/234 Physics for the Life Sciences, which will transfer as UMD's PHYS131/132 Physics for Biologists requirement.

2) If a student transfers to UMD prior to taking PHYS233/234 they will be permitted to use their MATH181 Calculus I as the calc pre-requisites for UMD's Physics for Biologists I (since MC does not currently offer a Calculus for Biologists course)

3) Student who took PH203 and PH204 prior to the fall 2014 semester will be able to apply this toward UMD's physics for biologists requirement and will not have to take PHYS131/132 upon transfer.

4) GT and TP MC students who might not have access to PHYS233/234 or who might not have been aware of this change can still take and transfer PHYS203 and PHYS204 through this academic year only (14-15).

5) UMD plans to continue to accept our Calc I and II (MATH181/182) for their biology majors. Students planning to major in sciences should NEVER take MATH150/151 (formerly MA160/161)

Changes in Transfer Advising for UMD/Biology majors

1) Beginning fall 2014 MC students planning to major in biology and transfer to UMD should take PHYS233/234 Physics for the Life Sciences, which will transfer as UMD's PHYS131/132 Physics for Biologists requirement.

2) If a student transfers to UMD prior to taking PHYS233/234 they will be permitted to use their MATH181 Calculus I as the calc pre-requisites for UMD's Physics for Biologists I (since MC does not currently offer a Calculus for Biologists course)

3) Student who took PH203 and PH204 prior to the fall 2014 semester will be able to apply this toward UMD's physics for biologists requirement and will not have to take PHYS131/132 upon transfer.

4) GT and TP MC students who might not have access to PHYS233/234 or who might not have been aware of this change can still take and transfer PHYS203 and PHYS204 through this academic year only (14-15).

5) UMD plans to continue to accept our Calc I and II (MATH181/182) for their biology majors. Students planning to major in sciences should NEVER take MATH150/151 (formerly MA160/161)

USG UMCP Biological Science Program - Fall 2013

Please review the changes below to the UMCP USG Biological Sciences Program.  The changes include:

1. Changing the “area of emphasis” within the major of Biological Sciences from General Biology to Physiology and Neurobiology. This does not affect the requirements to enter the program.
2.  Determined that it is in the students’ best interest to only admit students to the program in the fall semesters. There will be no more spring admission to the BioSci program at USG.

Changes to the UMCP Biological Sciences Program:

   We are changing the “area of emphasis” within the major from General Biology to Physiology and Neurobiology to better meet current students’ future goals and hopefully attract more students to the program at USG.

Within the Biological Sciences Program (the “major”) on main campus there are different “areas of emphasis” (Cell Biology, Microbiology, Ecology and Evolution, etc.).  Main campus students can choose which area of emphasis they would like to pursue, and it affects which upper level science courses they are required to take and which upper level science courses they can choose to take and have count towards the “area” requirements. Here at USG we are too small to offer the many courses it would take to allow students to choose different areas of emphasis; we only have one. When the program was first conceived, it was decided that offering the General Biology specialization (GENB) was the best idea to be able to provide a variety of courses and to attract the most students.  It is now clear that most of the students who enroll in the program at USG have the same goals as most of the students in the Biological Sciences Program on main campus: to attend medical, dental, pharmacy, physical therapy or physician assistant school after graduating with their four year degree. Therefore, offering the Physiology and Neurobiology specialization (PHNB) in place of the General Biology specialization is a much better fit for the students’ goals. This in no way changes the requirements to enter the program.

  The USG UMCP Biological Science Program will no longer be admitting students in spring semesters.

There is a course taken in the fall of junior year, BSCI 330 Cell Biology, that is a pre-requisite for most other science courses. If students enter the program in the spring, and therefore do not have this pre-req, they have too few science classes they can take that spring semester and therefore too many to take the following spring semester. Only allowing fall admits is best for the students. This only applies to the BioSci program at USG; main campus BioSci will still admit in spring.

Dr. Beth Parent

Program Director

Biological Sciences Program

University of Maryland College Park

The Universities at Shady Grove

301-738-6009

parent@umd.edu