The AS degree in Biology will be awarded upon satisfactory completion of the major course requirements listed below and the General Education requirements for the Associate in Science Degree listed in the Degrees, Programs & Transfer Requirements section of this Catalog.

Disciplines Description:

What is Biology? Biologists study life from a scientific perspective. We are fascinated by the myriad ways that living organisms survive and cooperate with each other, and study how these ways came into being. The Biology Department at the College of Alameda offers courses that consider the smallest biological molecules, whole organisms, and the entire ecosystem of the Earth. All the courses in biology help you to have a clear understanding of the scientific processes — both philosophical and technical — used to gather this knowledge.

What is special about Biology at the College of Alameda? When you take our classes you will be taking courses that transfer to UC and CSU campuses and to private colleges and universities. Most of our classes have laboratory sections where you get hands-on experience with life forms and personalized interaction with your instructors. Our classes are small in size with a low ratio of students to instructors. We believe this makes for the best training for a biologist. You will become actively involved in your own education. Finally, we offer classes all day, every day, including the weekends, and many nights during the week.

Career Opportunities

Why Study Biology? Biologists take very diverse career paths. Some enter health fields like medicine, dentistry, nursing, physical therapy, and pharmacy. Others enter into research in environmental and conservation areas. Training in biology can also lead to careers in biotechnology and other fields of technology. Because we ourselves are life forms, interacting with and dependent on other life forms, it is important for any educated person to have an understanding of the basics of biology. This is why we invite and encourage all students to take at least one of our courses.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

- Design the scientific method to formulate questions, explore experiments to test hypotheses, interpret experimental results to draw conclusions, communicate results both orally and in writing, and evaluate the use of the scientific method from published sources critically.

- Apply evolutionary theory at the molecular, cellular, organismal and population levels to explain the unity and diversity of living things.