Academic Catalog - Biology AS

The first year of a Biology program will include math and English courses to meet general education requirements. The completion of introductory math and English courses in your first year is proven to greatly increase your likelihood of crossing the graduation stage, boosting your momentum along the academic pathway you select. Other general education courses on your pathway will cover topics in Arts and Humanities, History, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Natural and Physical Sciences. 

Program-specific courses may begin as soon as your first semester. These courses will become more advanced as you move along your degree pathway. Through this sequence of courses, your knowledge of biological systems and processes will grow and deepen. Coursework will include General College Biology, General College Chemistry, and Calculus. After completing a 60-credit associate degree, your degree pathway can continue with guaranteed transfer to a college that offers bachelor’s degrees.

Biology – AS (60 credits)

*Please note: if these credits are not required for the major at a receiving 4-year institution, they will be applied to the bachelor’s degree as elective credit toward graduation. Please check with the receiving institution to determine in which way these courses will be applied.  

**Students are strongly encouraged to seek academic advising prior to registration regarding the acceptability of online science courses if they anticipate transferring to a 4-year institution or completing graduate work in the sciences or health professions. It should be noted that per Colorado Revised Statute, §23-1-125(1)(e), general education courses taken online are guaranteed to satisfy core course (GT Pathways) requirements at all Colorado public institutions of higher education. 

*If a student should need to take remedial and/or pre-requisite courses they are not included in this degree plan. 

**** Some courses may not be offered at Otero but are available at Colorado Online @ **** 

Otero College is a part of a Statewide Transfer Articulation Agreement between Colorado community colleges and universities. These agreements allow you to graduate from a community college with a 60-credit Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree with designation; enroll with junior status at a university; and complete your bachelor’s degree. If you attend full-time and follow the structured schedule, you can complete your bachelor’s degree in 4 years.

The following Colorado public four-year institutions will accept your completed Biology AS degree from Otero College.