Natural Sciences, B.A.
Learn more about the Bachelor of Arts in Natural Sciences.
The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Natural Sciences provides students more breadth than traditional science programs. Many exciting areas of scientific inquiry, such as the neurosciences, environmental sciences, and biophysical sciences, require general science backgrounds that encompass multiple science disciplines. The Bachelor of Arts degree helps students to explore both domestic and international culture through the foreign language and upper level liberal arts course requirements.
Students planning graduate study or technical careers in one of these interdisciplinary areas, as well as students preparing for careers in health sciences, legal professions, science education, science-related business, or social service might be well served by the B.A. in Natural Sciences. Students in this program can apply to our Professional Science Master's (PSM) programs in the following areas: Bioinnovation, Biotechnology and Scientific Writing. Students interested in these PSM programs can apply for admission to the +1 B.A./P.S.M. accelerated options for completion of these degrees. PSM programs provide specific curricula and training for workforce entry or re-entry.
This program of study can prepare students for graduate study in a traditional science discipline, and many Natural Sciences graduates have found employment in technical fields.
Dr. Susan Varnum, Program Director
Professor of Chemistry
Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs and Science Education
College of Science and Technology
629 Gladfelter Hall
215-204-4073
susan.varnum@temple.edu
Bachelor of Arts
Summary of Requirements for the Degree
- University Requirements (123 total s.h.)
- MATH 0701 (4 s.h.) and/or ENG 0701 (4 s.h.), if required by placement testing.
- All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses at Temple as part of their major. For Natural Sciences majors, the following courses will satisfy the writing-intensive requirement: SCTC 2396 and SCTC 4396.
- Students must complete the General Education (GenEd) requirements.
- See the General Education section of the Undergraduate Bulletin for the GenEd curriculum.
- Students who complete CST majors typically receive a waiver for 2 Science & Technology (GS) and 1 Quantitative Literacy (GQ) GenEd courses.
- Students must satisfy general Temple University residency requirements.
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College Requirements
- 90 credits within the College of Science & Technology (CST) or the College of Liberal Arts (CLA).
- 45 Upper-Level (2000+) credits within the College of Science & Technology (CST) or the College of Liberal Arts (CLA).
- Two (2) Upper-Level (2000+) Liberal Art courses.
- Second (2nd) Level of a Foreign Language (1002).
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First Year Seminar Requirement: All students in the College of Science & Technology (CST) are required to take a 1 credit first year seminar course, SCTC 1001 CST First Year Seminar. Other courses that fulfill this requirement may be found on the CST College Requirements page. Only one course in this category may count towards graduation.
- Major Requirements for Bachelor of Arts (63-72 s.h.)
At least 7 courses required for the major must be completed at Temple. At least 2 courses in the chosen concentration must be completed at Temple.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Biology I (F) | ||
| Introduction to Organismal Biology | ||
| Honors Introduction to Organismal Biology (S) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Biology II (S) | ||
| Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology | ||
| Honors Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology (F) | ||
| Chemistry | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Laboratory I | ||
| Honors General Chemical Science I and Honors Chemical Science Laboratory I (F) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Chemistry II and General Chemistry Laboratory II | ||
| Honors General Chemical Science II and Honors Chemical Science Laboratory II (S) | ||
| College of Science & Technology | ||
| SCTC 1013 | Elements of Data Science for the Physical and Life Sciences (Elements of Data Science for the Physical and Life Sciences) | 3 |
| Select one of the following: 1 | 4 | |
| STEM Challenge: The World Around Us | ||
| STEM Challenge: The World Within | ||
| SCTC 2396 | Writing for Science and Technology | 3 |
| SCTC 3001 | History of Science | 3 |
| SCTC 4396 | Paradigms of Scientific Knowledge: Knowledge Discovery from Scientific Data | 3 |
| Computer Programming/Physics | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Introduction to Problem Solving and Programming in Python | ||
| Introduction to Web Technology and Programming | ||
| Programming in Matlab | ||
| Introduction to Astronomy (F) | ||
| Coding STEM Lessons | ||
| Earth & Environmental Science | ||
| EES 2001 | Physical Geology | 4 |
| Mathematics | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4-8 | |
| Differential and Integral Calculus | ||
| Calculus I and Introduction to Probability and Statistics for the Life Sciences | ||
| Calculus I and Calculus II | ||
| Honors Calculus I and Honors Calculus II | ||
| Physics | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Introduction to General Physics I | ||
| Elementary Classical Physics I | ||
| Honors Elementary Classical Physics I (F) | ||
| General Physics I | ||
| Honors General Physics I (F) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Introduction to General Physics II | ||
| Elementary Classical Physics II | ||
| Honors Elementary Classical Physics II (S) | ||
| General Physics II | ||
| Honors General Physics II (S) | ||
| Science Electives | ||
| Four Upper-Level (2000+) Science Electives 2 | 12-16 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 63-72 | |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| (F) - Fall only course | ||
| (S) - Spring only course | ||
| 1 | It is recommended that SCTC 1501 or SCTC 1502 be completed before SCTC 4396. |
| 2 | The four science electives must satisfy elective criteria within each department, and all four courses must be taken from the same department. The departments from which you can choose electives are: Biology, Chemistry, Earth & Environmental Science or Physics. In the circumstance where a laboratory course is the complement of a lecture course, both must be completed to fulfill the requirement for ONE science elective. |
Note: Grades of C or higher in CHEM 1031 and CHEM 1032 or their Honors versions are required to take BIOL 2112. Grades of C or higher in BIOL 1111 and BIOL 2112 or their Honors versions are required to take upper-level Biology courses, and a C- or higher is required unless otherwise specified in all other courses for the major, including course prerequisites.
Calculation of Major GPA
Courses listed under the major requirements for the degree will be included in the calculation of the major GPA. Courses that could not apply toward the major as an elective or required course would not be counted in the calculation of the major GPA. This would include MATH 1022, for example.
Distinction in Major
To graduate with a Distinction in Natural Sciences a student is required to achieve a 3.33 GPA or higher in all of the content area courses in the major.
Suggested Academic Plan
Bachelor of Arts in Natural Sciences
Requirements for New Students starting in the 2020-2021 Academic Year
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Chemistry I | ||
| Honors General Chemical Science I (F) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Differential and Integral Calculus | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| Honors Calculus I | ||
| SCTC 1001 | CST First Year Seminar | 1 |
| SCTC 1013 | Elements of Data Science for the Physical and Life Sciences (Elements of Data Science for the Physical and Life Sciences) | 3 |
| Select one of the following:1 | 4 | |
| STEM Challenge: The World Around Us | ||
| STEM Challenge: The World Within | ||
| Term Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Chemistry II | ||
| Honors General Chemical Science II (S) | ||
| Select one of the following:2 | 0-4 | |
| Introduction to Probability and Statistics for the Life Sciences | ||
| Calculus II | ||
| Honors Calculus II | ||
| ENG 0802, 0812, or 0902 | Analytical Reading and Writing [GW] | 4 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 4-0 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Biology I (F) | ||
| Introduction to Organismal Biology | ||
| Honors Introduction to Organismal Biology (S) | ||
| EES 2001 | Physical Geology | 4 |
| IH 0851 or 0951 | Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life [GY] | 3 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Biology II (S) | ||
| Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology | ||
| Honors Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology (F) | ||
| Science Elective (2000+)3 | 3-4 | |
| IH 0852 or 0952 | Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good [GZ] | 3 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3-2 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Introduction to General Physics I | ||
| Elementary Classical Physics I | ||
| Honors Elementary Classical Physics I (F) | ||
| General Physics I | ||
| Honors General Physics I (F) | ||
| SCTC 3001 | History of Science | 3 |
| Science Elective (2000+)3 | 3-4 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 3-1 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Introduction to General Physics II | ||
| Elementary Classical Physics II | ||
| Honors Elementary Classical Physics II (S) | ||
| General Physics II | ||
| Honors General Physics II (S) | ||
| SCTC 2396 | Writing for Science and Technology [WI] | 3 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| SCTC 4396 | Paradigms of Scientific Knowledge: Knowledge Discovery from Scientific Data [WI] | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Introduction to Problem Solving and Programming in Python | ||
| Introduction to Web Technology and Programming | ||
| Programming in Matlab | ||
| Introduction to Astronomy (F) | ||
| Coding STEM Lessons | ||
| Science Elective (2000+)3 | 3-4 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3-1 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Science Elective (2000+)3 | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3-2 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 123 | |
| 1 | It is recommended that SCTC 1501 or SCTC 1502 be completed before SCTC 4396. |
| 2 | These courses are not required if MATH 1031 is completed. |
| 3 | The four science electives must satisfy elective criteria within each department, and all four courses must be taken from the same department. The departments from which you can choose electives are: Biology, Chemistry, Earth & Environmental Science or Physics. In the circumstance where a laboratory course is the complement of a lecture course, both must be completed to fulfill the requirement for ONE science elective. |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| (F) - Fall only course | ||
| (S) - Spring only course | ||