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Biological Sciences Degree Programs
Offered at Penn State Altoona
BIOLOGY
Penn State Altoona’s Biology program offers the quality of a Penn State degree within the personalized setting that has become its hallmark. Indeed, close interaction between faculty and students is a key feature of this program: students should expect to attain practical experience through internships and independent study projects related to faculty research, outside corporations, and agencies. The General, Ecology, and Vertebrate Physiology Penn State options in Biology have been extended to Altoona. We also offer support courses for many other science and agriculture programs at Penn State. The degree check sheets and the requirements for each option can be downloaded from the Biology Undergraduate Advising Office Web site http://www.bio.psu.edu/degrees/uao/.
SCIENCE
The Science major is an interdisciplinary degree that aims to provide a broad, general education in science. The bachelor of science (B.S.) curriculum is designed specifically for students who have education goals relating to scientific theory and practice and who require a high degree of flexibility to obtain their educational objectives. After completing foundation courses in calculus, chemistry, physics, and the life sciences, students will select additional science courses from designated areas. A large number of supporting credits permit students to readily include significant breadth or specialization into their undergraduate curriculum. Some examples include minors in business, computer and information science, education, kinesiology, or other fields. The degree allows students throughout the Commonwealth to become familiar with both the theory and the practice of science. It can help prepare students for various careers in pharmaceutical, biotechnical, chemical, medical, and agricultural industries. The degree can also be tailored to meet the specific requirements of professional programs such as medical, dental, or pharmacy schools. The General Science Option of the B.S. Science Degree allows for the most flexibility. Achievement in a more specialized set of goals can be met by selecting one of the other three B.S. options offered: the Life Sciences Option, the Mathematical Sciences Option, or the Physical Sciences Option. Not all of these options are available at all locations, so see the Science program director at your College for further details.
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ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
This interdisciplinary major is designed to provide students with an integrated and critical knowledge of the natural environment and human interactions with it. Students will receive a strong foundation in the natural sciences but will extend their studies across several disciplines, emphasizing both public policy issues and the role of the natural environment in history and culture. The goal of the program is "ecological literacy," which means that students will develop a broad-based understanding and awareness of environments and environmental issues, and they will develop the problem- solving skills to address those issues. Program requirements include interdisciplinary courses in environmental studies and a broad array of courses in biology, geology, chemistry, geography, economics, political science, English, history, and philosophy. By selecting appropriate electives to supplement the "additional courses" requirement of the major, students may develop an emphasis in either a specific field (i.e., biology, English) or in a general area of study (natural science, social science, and humanities). Graduates are equipped for employment as environmental consultants in business or with governmental agencies and public interest groups. Many may go on to postgraduate study in environmental science, public policy, or the humanities, or to law school.
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