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Apr 19, 2024
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Mercy College 2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Biology, Biomedical Sciences Track, B.S.
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 Return to: Academic Programs of Study
Renee E. Haskew-Layton, Ph.D., Program Director
914-674-7145
rhaskewlayton@mercy.edu
Bachelor of Science in Biology
| Biomedical Sciences Track |
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| General Education Requirements |
60 credits |
| Major Concentration |
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| Natural Science |
49 credits |
| Major Elective |
5 credits |
| Open Electives |
6 credits |
| Total |
120 credits |
Students must have an average 3.0 GPA in the following science and math courses: BIOL 160 / BIOL 160A , BIOL 161 / BIOL 161A , CHEM 160 / CHEM 160A , CHEM 161 / CHEM 161A , MATH 116 (if applicable), and MATH 201 , before declaring the Biomedical Sciences track as their major track.
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The Biomedical Sciences Track
The B.S. Biology, Biomedical Sciences Track is for students with an interest in applying to schools of medicine or dentistry or graduate schools in physician assistant studies or biomedical sciences.
Requirements for entry into the Biomedical Sciences Track
Prior to enrolling in the Biomedical Sciences track, students should declare the General Track in Biology as their major. If a student is not accepted into the Biomedical Sciences Track, it is recommended that the student complete his/her degree in the General Track in Biology per the course requirements of that program (note the General Track in Biology does not have a 3.0 minimum GPA requirement, but follows the Mercy College-wide major GPA requirement of 2.0). Final approval into the Biomedical Sciences Track will be granted by the Program Director in Biology and any exceptions to this policy are at the discretion of the Program Director in Biology.
Students should declare their intent to enroll in the Biomedical Sciences track with their PACT mentor ideally during their Freshman year (or first year at Mercy College) so that they may receive guidance on medical or dental school preparation from the premedical advisor.
Once accepted into the Biomedical Sciences track, students must maintain an overall GPA and major GPA of 3.0. If GPA falls below 3.0, students will have one semester to increase overall and/or major GPA to 3.0 before being dismissed from the Biomedical Sciences Track. Any exceptions to this policy is at the discretion of the Program Director in Biology.
Transfer Students
Transfer students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA in courses deemed equivalent to those listed above from their prior institution. The Program Director in Biology will review a transfer student’s transcript(s) to determine eligibility for the Biomedical Sciences Track.
General Education Requirements
Liberal Arts Core / Competency Skills
18 credits
Liberal Arts Disciplinary Groupings
42 Credits
Total General Education Requirements: 60
Required Major Core Courses
Total Core: 49 credits minimum
Two major Electives required from:
Minimum major electives: 5 credits
Total Major Credits (Core + Elective): 54
Open Electives
Choose 6 credits from the below:
Please note: students are not restricted to the list of courses above for their open electives. However, these courses are recommended to help students further prepare for the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior components of the MCAT.
Additional Program Information:
The Bachelor of Science degree in Biology provides students with a comprehensive foundation in the biological sciences and other life sciences. Students in the biology major achieve competencies in the life sciences through active learning modules designed to deepen critical thinking skills and strengthen quantitative reasoning. Through inquiry-based laboratory projects and faculty-student authentic research collaborations in areas such as neuroscience, cell and molecular biology, and microbiology, students will put classroom theory to practice by engaging in key aspects of the scientific process.
The Biomedical Sciences Track prepares students for a variety of careers including research assistant/associate positions in academia or biotechnology firms or positions in a healthcare setting. This track also supports preparation for graduate training in the biological/biomedical sciences or professional education in medicine/dentistry, veterinary medicine or other healthcare fields such as osteopathic medicine.
Completing the B.S. in Biology - Biomedical Sciences Track does not guarantee admission to a Mercy College graduate professional program or medical school. Graduates of the B.S. in Biology - Biomedical Sciences Track must apply to chosen programs, meet specific requirements, and compete with all other applicants. The B.S. in Biology - Biomedical Sciences Track may or may not satisfy the course requirements for admission to graduate or medical programs. Courses can vary based on the college/university. Students have the responsibility to check entrance requirements for college/university to which they intend to apply.
Progression Criteria
Students enrolling in natural science courses and biology courses must earn at least a letter grade of C in all Prerequisite courses. Students in the biology major may not repeat a course required by the major more than twice. Once accepted into the Biomedical Sciences track, students must maintain an overall GPA and major GPA of 3.0. If GPA falls below 3.0, students will have one semester to increase overall and/or major GPA to 3.0 before being dismissed from the Biomedical Sciences Track. Exceptions to progression criteria require Program Director approval.
At the completion of the Biology concentration, students are expected to:
- Synthesize core concepts to demonstrate a broad and in-depth knowledge of the biological sciences
- Access and critically evaluate and interpret the scientific literature
- Effectively communicate scientific concepts through oral and written modes
- Apply the scientific method to formulate hypotheses, design and conduct experiments, and interpret experimental results
- Exhibit proficiency in laboratory techniques in the biological sciences, troubleshoot experiments, and demonstrate safe laboratory practices
- Critically evaluate experimental findings and scientific information using statistical and quantitative analyses
- Exhibit ethical behavior in science and evaluate the implications of unethical scientific conduct
- Critically examine basic, applied and societal problems in the biological sciences and, through the lens of life science professionals, propose problem solving strategies to address these problems
- Work as effective team members on collaborative projects
Notes
Note: students who do not meet the requirements to directly enter MATH 201 must first complete MATH 116
For the Literature & Communication General Education Requirement, ENGL 242 is recommended for students interested in applying to medical school.
To complete major concentration, corequisite lab courses must be taken.
There is a 15-credit residency requirement in the major concentration of biology that must be completed with courses numbered BIOL 230 and above. CHEM 354 may also be used to meet this requirement.
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