Biology B.S. ~ General Biology Concentration Junior Transfer Pathway

A sample semester-by-semester course pathway for transfer students in the general biology concentration is shown below. The details of your pathway will be worked out in consultation with your biology advisor. This pathway assumes you have successfully completed (C or above) the recommended transfer preparation, including a year of general chemistry (CAN CHEM SEQ A), a year of calculus (CAN MATH 18 or 30), the complete biology sequence for biology majors (CAN BIOL 2+4+6), and your general education requirements, including two semesters of a single foreign language. If you have not completed the recommended transfer preparation at a community college, you will need to complete those courses at CSUMB in addition to the courses listed in the transfer pathway shown below.

Because CSUMB is outcomes-based, this chronological pathway lists each target outcome first, either as an MLO (Major Learning Outcome) or ULR/GLO (University Learning Requirements / Graduation Learning Outcomes). It then shows courses aligned with those outcomes along with credits and an indication of when they are offered. For more information on a course-including its title, credits, description and prerequisites-click its number. For more information on an outcome, click on its abbreviated name.

Your actual pathway and the number of semesters required to graduate will depend not only on completion of the recommended community college courses, but also on:

• The number of credits you have when you transfer into CSUMB, and how those credits articulate with CSUMB requirements.
• The biology concentration that you select, because different concentrations have slightly different requirements.
• Whether or not you need to take additional courses to meet the CSUMB Language ULR as a Graduation Learning Outcome. (The sample pathway presented here assumes you have not completely fulfilled the language requirement prior to your first semester at CSUMB. If you have already met the requirement , you can adjust your coursework accordingly in consultation with your major advisor. If you are already proficient in another language, you may earn credit for the language requirement through language assessment.)
• Whether or not you need to take additional coursework to meet the Technology and Information ULR as a Graduation Learning Outcome. (This pathway assumes you have not met this requirement prior to your first semester at CSUMB. If you have, you can adjust your coursework accordingly in consultation with your major advisor.)
• Actual availability of courses during a given semester.
• Personal choices you make in your Individual Learning Plan-in consultation with your major advisors-including the decision to pursue more than the minimal learning requirements to increase your career and grad school options and opportunities.

You must earn nine upper-division General Education credits after you have reached upper-division status. Upper-division GE courses taken when you are a lower-division student do not count toward this requirement.

You should consult a biology advisor at least once each semester for course scheduling details and updated information about available internships, job opportunities and new courses. Maintaining a high grade point average can be important, so if you work, participate extensively in extracurricular activities, or have other demands on your time, we advise that you adjust your schedule to include winter term, summer term or additional semesters so that you do not take more than 12-16 units in any one semester. For planning purposes, please be aware that most upper division courses are not offered during winter or summer terms, only fall or spring.

Roadmap to degree for transfer students in the General Biology Concentration

*For physics and organic chemistry, students may choose between one-semester survey courses and two-semester course sequences, as indicated on the requirements page. Many graduate schools require a full year of chemistry, and some graduate schools require a full year of physics, depending upon the sub-discipline of biology.
**Advisors must ensure that students choose electives that meet the required 40 upper-division units, nine upper-division GE credits.