Pre-Cell and Molecular Biology, A.A. (General Transfer)

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Academic Program Code: 555

The Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB) Pre-Major program is for highly motivated students who have a strong interest in the life sciences and plan to continue their education and complete a Bachelor of Science in CMB. With properly chosen electives, Bachelor’s degrees in CMB prepare students to pursue professional programs such as medical, dental, and veterinary school as well as careers in CMB, though a graduate degree will likely be required. The study of CMB is focused on understanding cellular development and function and how cell function affects the whole living organism. This rigorous and interdisciplinary field requires an understanding of many areas of science including biology, chemistry, and physics and serves as the basis for many applied fields such as biotechnology, pharmacology, and biomedicine. By declaring this Pre-Major, students are on track to graduate with an Associate of Arts degree from GRCC and transfer to a 4-year institution to complete a Bachelor’s degree in CMB.

General Transfer Notes & Michigan Transfer Agreement

The coursework needed to complete this program is listed below. The courses commonly transfer and satisfy 4-year program requirements at 4-year institutions in Michigan.

To ensure maximum transferability of individual courses, all course selections should be based on the degree, major, minor, or academic interest at the 4-year transfer institution students plan to attend.

Students should research and utilize all transfer resources available to maximize the number of GRCC courses that transfer and apply to their 4-year program.

Because transferability of courses varies by institution, students should contact the 4-year institution they plan to attend to obtain detailed information about transfer requirements. The 4-year institutions ultimately make the decisions about how each course will be used to meet their program requirements.

GRCC advisors and faculty are available to help students navigate transfer resources and create an individualized transfer plan, including selection of courses, which meets all GRCC and transfer institution requirements.

Graduates of this program will earn an Associate of Arts degree from GRCC and may be eligible to earn the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) credential.

Admission requirements to 4-year institutions and 4-year programs vary. Students should review the specific admission requirements for the institution and program to which they are transferring.

General Education

Select a minimum of 30 credit hours of coursework from the General Education course list. Select coursework as directed below. Use transfer resources available to select coursework based on the transfer requirements of the bachelor’s degree program and institution to which you are transferring.

English Composition and Communications

EN 101 - English Composition I Credit Hours: 3
Select one (1) course from the list below.
EN 102 - English Composition II Credit Hours: 3
COM 131 - Fundamentals of Public Speaking Credit Hours: 3
COM 135 - Interpersonal Communication Credit Hours: 3

Humanities

Select two (2) Humanities General Education Electives from two (2) different subject areas. Only one (1) Foreign Language course can be used for the Humanities requirement.

Humanities General Education - Elective Credit Hours: varies by course
Humanities General Education - Elective Credit Hours: varies by credit

Social Sciences

Select one (1) Social Sciences General Edcuation Elective from one discipline other than PY.

PY 201 - General Psychology Credit Hours: 3
Social Sciences General Education - Elective Credit Hours: varies by course

Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Natural Sciences

BI 151 - Introduction to Cells, Molecules, and Genes Credit Hours: 4
CHM 130 - General Chemistry I Credit Hours: 4
CHM 131 - General Chemistry I Laboratory Credit Hours: 1

Mathematics

MA 215 - Statistics Credit Hours: 4

General Education Total Credit Hours

30 (minimum)

Program Courses

CHM 140 - General Chemistry II Credit Hours: 4
CHM 141 - General Chemistry II Laboratory Credit Hours: 1
CHM 260 - Organic Chemistry I Credit Hours: 4
CHM 261 - Organic Chemistry Laboratory I Credit Hours: 1
CHM 270 - Organic Chemistry II Credit Hours: 4
CHM 271 - Organic Chemistry Laboratory II Credit Hours: 1
Select one (1) of the following Physics sequences.

Note: Students interested in graduate school should select PH 245 and PH 246 , which have prerequisite courses not otherwise required for in this program. Please click on a course to view any prerequisites, and the course description.
PH 125 - College Physics I Credit Hours: 5
PH 126 - College Physics II Credit Hours: 5
PH 245 - Calculus Physics I Credit Hours: 5
PH 246 - Calculus Physics II Credit Hours: 5

Open Elective Courses

The remaining number of courses needed to complete the program will depend on the number of credit hours remaining needed to reach the 60 credits required for graduation. Course selections should be made based on transfer requirements.

The following GRCC Courses are recommended open electives:

Students are encouraged to use transfer resources available and consult their faculty advisors when choosing Open Elective courses.

Total Credit Hours

In What Order Should I Take Classes?

Please select courses from the Priority I list. Select courses based on the number of credits you are taking in the semester, for example, if you are a part time student you do not have to take all of the courses listed. If you are unable to schedule Priority I courses, move to and select from the list of Priority II, Priority III, and Priority IV courses.

Priority I	Priority II
EN 101 - English Composition I MA 215 - Statistics BI 151 - Introduction to Cells, Molecules, and Genes CHM 130 - General Chemistry I CHM 131 - General Chemistry I Laboratory	EN 102 - English Composition II or COM 131 - Fundamentals of Public Speaking or COM 135 - Interpersonal Communication General Education Course PY 201 - General Psychology CHM 140 - General Chemistry II CHM 141 - General Chemistry II Laboratory
Priority III	Priority IV
General Education Course General Education Course CHM 260 - Organic Chemistry I CHM 261 - Organic Chemistry Laboratory I Program Course-Physical Science Sequence	CHM 270 - Organic Chemistry II CHM 271 - Organic Chemistry Laboratory II Program Course-Physical Science Sequence Open Elective Courses

NOTE: This priority schedule assumes the student is prepared to take the courses listed. If prerequisites are required, additional semesters may be required to complete this degree.

Meet with an Academic Program Advisor and consult My Degree Path for specific degree requirements.