UH-Downtown
Department of Natural Sciences
Bachelor of Science in Biology

Degree Requirements

This Bachelor of Science program provides both a broad-based curriculum in the Liberal Arts and in the Natural Sciences and a set of courses specifically in Biology. It is designed to meet the personal and career goals and interests of the student. The program allows the student a certain amount of flexibility in tailoring a degree program to his/her unique needs, yet does so within the confines of a traditional major in biology. This degree is particularly appropriate for students interested in the following areas: dentistry, medicine and related fields that require post-graduate study, public health, graduate work in biological or biomedical sciences, and science education. The Natural Sciences Department offers other degree programs that serve similar student career objectives. Some are more broad-based; others are more narrowly focused.

The approved degree plan for this program will be determined through consultation among the student, his/her advisor, and the chairperson of the Department of Natural Sciences. A minimum of 133 hours of university-level course work will be required. The Department of Natural Sciences has the following requirements for all science degrees: 1) Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 in all science courses that could apply toward the degree; 2) The only transfer credit courses with grades of D that apply toward a degree are first-year non-mathematics and non-science courses; 3) No more than three credit hours with a grade of D in upper-level science courses may be applied toward the degree; 4) Students must have at least 18 credit hours of upper-level science from UH-Downtown with a minimum GPA of 2.0 to apply toward the degree; and 5) Credit for science courses that are more than 10 years old must be approved by the department before they can be applied toward a degree.

The last 25 percent of the semester credit hours of work toward the degree must be taken at UHD. Students who wish to take courses at another college or university, including any other campus of the UH System, and apply the credits earned toward their degrees must request approval through the Department of Natural Sciences. Courses taken without such approval may not be counted toward the fulfillment of the degree requirements.

This degree is administered by the Department of Natural Sciences. Students interested in filing a degree plan are encouraged to contact the department office at 713-221-8015 or visit us at One Main Street, Suite N-813, Houston, TX 77002.

Notes:
A maximum of 66 hours from a Junior or Community College may be approved as credit toward this degree.
All upper-division courses in English, Literature, and History are applicable. Students must have at least 18 credit hours of upper-levelscience from UH-Downtown with a minimum GPA of 2.0 to apply toward the degree.