Program Description
- The degree program provides the first two years of study for a student who plans to transfer to a 4-year institution to pursue a bachelor's degree in science. It prepares students to enter into any one of a number of fields of science or healthcare. This degree provides a pathway for students who are interested in the sciences, and allows them to explore various areas in the scientific realm.
Career and Educational Advancement Opportunities
The associate degree program includes many requirements for a bachelor's degree in the fields of biology, chemistry, earth and planetary sciences, environmental science, mathematics or physics in the UNM College of Arts and Sciences or health occupations such as dental hygiene, medical laboratory sciences, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physician's assistant programs and radiography. Students interested in applying to medical school, the physical therapy, or master’s in occupational therapy program must first complete a baccalaureate degree. Students planning to transfer to a 4-year institution for a bachelor's degree must see an advisor to determine which courses are most appropriate for their major.
Contact and Advising Information
Information about the associate of science in general science degree is available from Advisement Center at 505.925.8560 or vcadvise@unm.edu, or the Academic Affairs Office, at 505.925.8600.
Course Prerequisites
Students must meet prerequisites in English and mathematics by achievement of minimum placement scores on the Accuplacer of ACT or through completion of course work.
Course: ENGL 100 and FYEX 1110 or equivalent – or place into ENGL 1110;
ACCUPLACER/ACT Minimum Scores: 263+/19+
Course: MATH 1215, or MATH 1215X, MATH 1215Y, and MATH 1215Z – or place into MATH 1220;
ACCUPLACER/ACT Minimum Scores: 239+ (A & F)/22+
Degree Requirements
Communication
(6 credits)
| ENGL 1120 (Composition II) | | | 3 |
| ENGL 2210 (Professional and Technical Communication | | | 3 |
| *Students who do not place into ENGL 1120 may apply the credit hours from the prerequisite ENGL 1110 (or its
equivalent ENGL 1110 Y or Z) to help fulfill the Student Choice area requirements below.
|
Mathematics and Statistics
(3 credits)
| | | 3 |
| Please see below in the General Science Core Requirements. |
Physical and Natural Sciences
(4 credits)
| | | 4 |
| Please see below in the General Science Core Requirements. |
Social and Behavioral Sciences
(3 credits)
| | | 3 |
| Select one course from the UNM Core Curriculum in Social and Behavioral Sciences. |
Humanities
(3 credits)
| | | 3 |
| Select course from the UNM Core Curriculum in Humanities. |
Second Langauge
(3 credits)
| | | 3 |
| Select one course from the UNM Core Curriculum in Second Language. |
Arts and Design
(3 credits)
| | | 3 |
| Select one course from UNM Core Curriculum in Arts and Design. |
Student Choice
(6 credits)
| | | 6 |
| Students should choose six additional credit hours; courses must come from two different General Education areas above or from the courses listed here: ENGL 1110 (or its equivalent ENGL 1110 Y or Z) (Composition I) if needed, CS 108L (Computer Science for All), ECON 2110 (Macroeconomics), or ECON 2120 (Microeconomics). |
General Science Elective Requirements
(6-11 credits)
| | | |
| See the requirements for your selected concentration below. These electives are used to fulfill General Science degree requirements.
*You may use MATH 1215 as an elective. MATH 1215 (Intermediate Algebra) cannot be applied to a bachelor's degree. This course may only be applied to an associate's degree. |
General Science Core Concentration Requirements
(37 (inclusive of electives) credits)
| | | |
| Choose from one of the following concentrations to earn an Associate of Science in General Science: Biochemistry or Biology (requirements are the same), Chemistry, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Physics, Pre-Health, Pre-Agriculture. |
Biochemistry or Biology Concentration
(37 credits)
| Mathematics requirement (6 credits) |
|---|
| MATH 1430 (Applications of Calculus I) | | | 3 |
| MATH 1440 (Applications of Calculus II) | | | 3 |
| Physical and Natural Sciences requirement (20 credits) |
|---|
| CHEM 1215/1215L (General Chemistry for STEM I + Lab) | | | 4 |
| CHEM 1225/1225L (General Chemistry for STEM II + Lab) | | | 4 |
| BIOL 2110C (Principles of Biology: Cellular and Molecular) | | | 4 |
| BIOL 2410C (Principles of Biology: Genetics) | | | 4 |
| PHYS 1230/1230L (Algebra-Based Physics I + Lab) | | | 4 |
| Electives (11 credits) |
|---|
| PHYS 1240/1240L (Algebra-based Physics II + Lab) | | | 4 |
| BIOL 2996 (Undergraduate Research) | | | 2 |
| GEOL 1110/1110L (Physical Geology + Lab) | | | 4 |
| MATH 1220 (College Algebra) | | | 3 |
| Select courses totalling 11 or more credits. The courses listed here are suggested, and some are prerequisites for other requirements. You may alternately choose any course from the General Education Core Curriculum. |
Chemistry Concentration
(37 credits)
| Mathematics requirement (8 credits) |
|---|
| MATH 1512 (Calculus I) | | | 4 |
| MATH 1522 (Calculus II) | | | 4 |
| Physical and Natural Sciences requirement (16 credits) |
|---|
| CHEM 1215/1215L (General Chemistry for STEM I + Lab) | | | 4 |
| CHEM 1225/1225L (General Chemistry for STEM II + Lab) | | | 4 |
| PHYS 1310/1310L (Calculus-based Physics I + Lab) | | | 4 |
| PHYS 1320/1320L (Calculus-based Physics II + Lab) | | | 4 |
| Electives (13 credits) |
|---|
| BIOL 2996 (Undergraduate Research) | | | 2 |
| MATH 1220 (College Algebra) | | | 3 |
| MATH 1230 (Trigonometry) | | | 3 |
| MATH 1240 (Pre-Calculus) | | | 3 |
| MATH 2531 (Calculus III) | | | 4 |
| GEOL 1110/1110L (Physical Geology + Lab) | | | 4 |
| Select courses totalling 13 or more credits. The courses listed here are suggested, and some are prerequisites for other requirements. You may alternately choose any course from the General Education Core Curriculum. |
Earth and Planetary Sciences Concentration
(37 credits)
| Mathematics requirement (8 credits) |
|---|
| MATH 1512 (Calculus I) | | | 4 |
| MATH 1522 (Calculus II) | | | 4 |
| Physical and Natural Sciences requirement (20 credits) |
|---|
| CHEM 1215/1215L (General Chemistry for STEM I + Lab) | | | 4 |
| CHEM 1225/1225L (General Chemistry for STEM II + Lab) | | | 4 |
| PHYS 1310/1310L (Calculus-based Physics I + Lab) | | | 4 |
| GEOL 1110/1110L (Physical Geology + Lab) | | | 4 |
| GEOL 2110C (Historical Geology + Lab) | | | 4 |
| Electives (9 credits) |
|---|
| BIOL 2996 (Undergraduate Research) | | | 2 |
| MATH 1220 (College Algebra) | | | 3 |
| MATH 1230 (Trigonometry) | | | 3 |
| MATH 1240 (Pre-Calculus) | | | 3 |
| PHYS 1320/1320L (Calculus-based Physics II + Lab) | | | 4 |
| GEOL 1140 (Geological Disasters) | | | 3 |
| GEOL 2140 (Geology of New Mexico) | | | 3 |
| ASTR 1115/1115L (Introduction to Astronomy) | | | 4 |
| Select courses totalling 9 or more credits. The courses listed here are suggested, and some are prerequisites for other requirements. You may alternately choose any course from the General Education Core Curriculum. |
Physics Concentration
(37 credits)
| Mathematics requirement (8 credits) |
|---|
| MATH 1512 (Calculus I) | | | 4 |
| MATH 1522 (Calculus II) | | | 4 |
| Physical and Natural Sciences requirement (19 credits) |
|---|
| CHEM 1215/1215L (General Chemistry for STEM I + Lab) | | | 4 |
| CHEM 1225/1225L (General Chemistry for STEM II + Lab) | | | 4 |
| PHYS 1310/1310L (Calculus-based Physics I + Lab) | | | 4 |
| PHYS 1320/1320L (Calculus-based Physics II + Lab) | | | 4 |
| PHYS 2310 (Calculus-based Physics III) | | | 3 |
| Electives (10 credits) |
|---|
| BIOL 2996 (Undergraduate Research) | | | 2 |
| MATH 1220 (College Algebra) | | | 3 |
| MATH 1230 (Trigonometry) | | | 3 |
| MATH 1240 (Pre-Calculus) | | | 3 |
| MATH 2531 (Calculus III) | | | 4 |
| ASTR 1115/1115L (Introduction to Astronomy) | | | 4 |
| Select courses totalling 10 or more credits. The courses listed here are suggested, and some are prerequisites for other requirements. You may alternately choose any course from the General Education Core Curriculum. |
Pre-Health Concentration
(37 credits)
| Mathematics requirement (6 credits) |
|---|
| MATH 1220 (College Algebra) | | | 3 |
| MATH 1350 (Introduction to Statistics) | | | 3 |
| Physical and Natural Sciences requirement (20 credits) |
|---|
| CHEM 1120C (Introduction to Chemistry for Non-Majors) | | | 4 |
| BIOL 1140/1140L (Biology for Health Sciences + Lab) | | | 4 |
| BIOL 2210/2210L (Human Anatomy and Physiology I + Lab) | | | 4 |
| BIOL 2225/2225L (Human Anatomy and Physiology II + Lab) | | | 4 |
| BIOL 2305 (Microbiology for Health Sciences) | | | 4 |
| Electives (11 credits) |
|---|
| BIOL 2996 (Undergraduate Research) | | | 2 |
| PSYC 2120 (Developmental Psychology) | | | 3 |
| NUTR 2110 (Human Nutrition) | | | 3 |
| Select courses totalling 11 or more credits. The courses listed here are suggested, and some are prerequisites for other requirements. You may alternately choose any course from the General Education Core Curriculum. |
Pre-Agriculture Concentration
(37 credits)
| Mathematics requirement (9 credits) |
|---|
| MATH 1220 (College Algebra) | | | 3 |
| MATH 1350 (Introduction to Statistics) | | | 3 |
| MATH 1430 (Applications of Calculus I) | | | 3 |
| Physical and Natural Sciences requirement (20 credits) |
|---|
| CHEM 1215/1215L (General Chemistry for STEM I + Lab) | | | 4 |
| CHEM 1225/1225L (General Chemistry for STEM II + Lab) | | | 4 |
| BIOL 2110C (Principles of Biology: Cellular and Molecular) | | | 4 |
| BIOL 2410C (Principles of Biology: Genetics) | | | 4 |
| PHYS 1230/1230L (Algebra-based Physics I + Lab) | | | 4 |
| Electives (8 credits) |
|---|
| BIOL 2996 (Undergraduate Research) | | | 2 |
| COMM 1130 (Public Speaking) | | | 3 |
| GEOL 1110/1110L (Physical Geology + Lab) | | | 4 |
| MATH 1440 (Applications of Calculus II) | | | 3 |
| PHYS 1240/1240L (Algebra-based Physics II + Lab) | | | 4 |
| Select courses totalling 8 or more credits. The courses listed here are suggested, and some are prerequisites for other requirements. You may alternately choose any course from the General Education Core Curriculum. |
Total required (61 credits)
