Program Overview

Associate in Biology, Direct Transfer Agreement/Major Related Program (DTA/MRP)

The Associate in Biology DTA/MRP degree prepares students to transfer to a four-year university and complete bachelor’s degree majors in Biology, in other life sciences, or in health-related fields. This agreement is with Baccalaureate Institutions (BIs) offering bachelor’s degrees in Biology or related fields and the community and technical college system. BIs that are party to this agreement include Central Washington University; Eastern Washington University; The Evergreen State College; University of Washington Seattle, Washington State University Pullman; Western Washington University; Saint Martin’s University; Seattle University; and Whitworth University.

Program Description

Biology DTA/MRP students should contact their potential transfer institution(s) early in their program regarding:

• The specific course choices in each area of the Statewide agreement where options are listed (humanities, social sciences, electives)
• Admission requirements, including overall minimum GPA, a higher GPA in a selected subset of courses, or a specific minimum grade in one or more courses such as math or English
• Application deadlines, which vary among institutions; students must meet the deadline for the university or universities to which they plan to apply for transfer admission

Biology DTA/MRP graduates will:

• use the scientific method to analyze natural phenomena and acquire skills to evaluate the accuracy of data/information relative to the natural world
• perform literature reviews and identify and locate appropriate resources to answer questions concerning living systems and basic chemistry
• describe the concept of homeostasis as it applies to plants and animals, including humans
• apply fundamental concepts of inorganic chemistry starting with the molecular level to topics such as chemical bonding and interactions, measurements, equilibrium, kinetics, reactions, electrochemistry, acid base, and states of matter
• apply basic concepts such as the diversity of life, molecular biology, evolutionary processes and patterns, homeostasis, pathophysiology, protein synthesis, gene structure and expression, photosynthesis, ecology, and the relationship between form and function to matters involving the anatomy and physiology of cells, plants, and animals, including humans
• describe organic compounds and metabolism as they apply to living organisms
• demonstrate communication, critical thinking, cultural humility, information literacy, and teamwork skills
• meet Humanities, Natural Science, Quantitative Reasoning, Social Science, and Written Communication general education distribution area outcomes

Program Requirements

• Total Program Credits: 93
• The requirements of the Biology DTA/MRP are met by the degree plan as listed above.

Recommended Course Sequence

The courses listed below are a suggested sequence; as long as prerequisites are met, courses may be taken in a different order.

• Quarter One
  • BIOL& 160 General Biology with Lab 5 credits
  • CHEM& 121 Introduction to Chemistry 5 credits
  • Humanities course 5 credits
• Quarter Two
  • BIOL& 211 Majors Cellular 6 credits
  • CHEM& 161 General Chemistry with Lab I 5 credits
  • ENGL& 101 English Composition I 5 credits
• Quarter Three
  • BIOL& 212 Majors Animal 6 credits
  • CHEM& 162 General Chemistry with Lab II 5 credits
  • ENGL& 102 English Composition II 5 credits
• Quarter Four
  • BIOL& 213 Majors Plant 6 credits
  • MATH& 142 Pre-Calculus II 5 credits
  • CHEM& 163 General Chemistry with Lab III 5 credits
• Quarter Five
  • MATH& 151 Calculus I 5 credits
  • PSYC& 100 General Psychology 5 credits
  • Humanities course 5 credits
• Quarter Six
  • PSYC& 200 Lifespan Psychology 5 credits
  • SOC& 101 Introduction to Sociology 5 credits
  • Humanities course 5 credits

Diversity and Social Justice Requirement

Within the degree requirements, students must complete a 3-5 credit course that meets the college’s Diversity and Social Justice (DSJ) requirement. DSJ courses are designated in the college schedule and are designed to meet other general education or technical requirements simultaneous to meeting the DSJ requirement.

General Education Requirements

• Communication Skills: 10 credits in English Composition
  • Composition courses may vary by institution. Students should check with the transfer institution(s) to confirm requirements.
• Quantitative/Symbolic Reasoning Skills: 5 credits in Calculus I
  • Intermediate Algebra Proficiency leading to a pre-calculus math course is required. Intermediate Algebra proficiency may be demonstrated by successful completion of a Calculus and/or Statistics course for which Intermediate Algebra is a prerequisite.
  • Statistics (a course that includes descriptive and inferential statistics) may substitute for Calculus I at some institutions; students are encouraged to check with the transfer institution early in their decision process to confirm requirements.
• Humanities: 15 credits in Humanities
  • No more than 10 credits per discipline area
  • 5 credits maximum in world languages or ASL
  • No more than 5 credits of performance/skills classes
• Social Sciences: 15 credits in Social Sciences
  • No more than 10 credits per discipline area
• Natural Sciences: 30 credits including 15 credits in general biology (majors level) and 15 credits in general chemistry (majors level)
  • The only general biology sequences (major’s level) accepted are those with SBCTC common course numbering - identified with an ampersand (&).
• Elective Courses: 15 additional quarter credits
  • The recommended course sequence above includes BIOL& 160 General Biology with Lab, CHEM& 121 Introduction to Chemistry, and MATH& 142 Pre-Calculus II as electives. If students place directly into higher level BIOL&, CHEM&, and/or MATH& classes, they should choose different courses to earn the required 15 credits total.
  • Must include college-level courses as defined by the community or technical college
  • 15 additional credits should be planned in consultation with an advisor.

Certain schools may have additional, university-specific requirements that are not prerequisites to admission to the Biology major but will need to be completed prior to graduation. Contact with advisors from individual schools for institutional requirements is highly recommended since this DTA may not meet every institution-specific graduation requirement.