Biological Sciences - Michelson

Associate of Science Degree from CSN

1. The associate degree [+]
   The Associate of Science Degree (AS) is awarded by most community colleges and some 4-year institutions.
   
   For students with science-oriented career goals it is used most frequently as a transfer degree that provides an educational foundation, but does not provide direct career training.
   
   If you are interested in a career in the sciences or medicine an AS degree provides excellent preparation for a 4-year college or university. Most importantly, it will significantly speed up matriculation.
2. The advantages of obtaining an AS degree before the bachelor's degree: [+]
   

   
   Degrees from accredited institutions are permanent. They do not have time limits and the areas of concentration transfer to any other institution in the U.S., and many areas around the world.
   
   The majority of science students at CSN will transfer to a 4-year university within one or two years. Most frequently, students transfer to either the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) or the University of Nevada Reno (UNR). While the individual courses taken at CSN are all designed to transfer seamlessly with these two institutions, out-of-state institutions may not matriculate all CSN classes.
   
   There is also the issue of time. Unforeseen circumstances may force a student to relocate or suspend his/her college training for a period of time. It is not unusual for degree requirements to change, or for prerequisite courses to have a time limit.
   
   Having the associate degree removes any of those problems.
3. The AS degree - biological sciences emphasis at CSN [+]
   
   
   The AS degree at CSN is designed to be completed in approximately two years by a full-time student. Many CSN students will finish the credits necessary for the AS degree, but simply do not apply for the diploma. I encourage you to examine the degree sheet for your major and see what it would take to finish the AS before you leave CSN for the university system.
   
   Download the new biology AS degree sheet (.pdf) (the one in the current catalog on the CSN website is outdated).
   
   The current fee to graduate and receive a diploma is $15. Please see important dates for application on the CSN graduation page and look at CSN's graduation checklist.
   
   
   
   

   Associate of Science Degree (AS) - Biological Sciences Emphasis
   60 Credits total

   General Eduction Requirements
   (32 credits)

   English, 6-8 credits:
   ENG 100 or 101 or 113 and 102 or 114

   Literature, 3 credits:
   ENG 223 or above

   Fine arts, 3 credits:
   ART, DAN 101, Music, THTR

   Humanities, 6 credits:
   COM 10 I and ENG 223 or above, HIST, International Languages III or above, PHIL

   Mathematics, 4 credits:
   MATH 181

   Social Sciences, 6 credits:
   (Six credits must be from two different disciplines): ANTH, CRJ 101, ECON, PSC, PSY, SOC, WMST 113

   U.S. and Nevada Constitutions, 4-6 credits:
   PSC 101 or
   HIST 101 and HIST 102 or HIST 101 and HIST 217

   Special Program Requirements
   (28 credits)

   BIOL 196 - Principles of Modern Biology I - 4 credits

   BIOL 197 - Principles of Modern Biology II - 4 credits

   CHEM 121 - General Chemistry I - 4 credits

   CHEM 122 - General Chemistry II - 4 credits

   PHYS 151 - General Physics I - 4 credits

   PHYS 152 - General Physics II - 4 credits

   Plus 4-6 credits of Biology*
   BIOL prefix

   
   
   

   *BIOL 251G is recommended. It transfers to UNLV as Microbiology 351.