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

1. University Requirements (123 total s.h.)
   • Students must complete all University requirements including those listed below.
   • All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses at Temple as part of their major. The specific writing-intensive course options for this major are:

     Course List

     Code	Title	Credit Hours
     SCTC 2396	Writing for Science and Technology	3
     SCTC 4396	Paradigms of Scientific Knowledge: Knowledge Discovery from Scientific Data	3

   • 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 receive a waiver for 2 Science & Technology (GS) and 1 Quantitative Literacy (GQ) GenEd courses.
   • Students must satisfy general Temple University residency requirements.

2. College Requirements

   • 45 Upper Level (2000+) credits within the College of Science & Technology (CST), the College of Liberal Arts (CLA), or the College of Engineering (ENG).
   • 90 credits within the College of Science & Technology (CST), the College of Liberal Arts (CLA), or the College of Engineering (ENG).
   • Two (2) Upper-Level (2000+) Liberal Art courses.
   • Second (2nd) Level of a Foreign Language (1002).

   • All students in the College of Science and Technology are required to take a one credit first year seminar. SCTC 1001 CST First Year Seminar is the appropriate course option for every entering first year CST major. Transfer students should use SCTC 2001 CST Transfer Seminar to fulfill this requirement. Other courses that fulfill this requirement may be found on the CST College Requirements page.

3. 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.

   Course List

   Code	Title	Credit Hours
   Biology
   Select one of the following:		4
   BIOL 1011	General Biology I (F)
   BIOL 1111	Introduction to Organismal Biology
   BIOL 1911	Honors Introduction to Organismal Biology (S)
   Select one of the following:		4
   BIOL 1012	General Biology II (S)
   BIOL 2112	Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology
   BIOL 2912	Honors Introduction to Cellular and Molecular Biology (F)
   Chemistry
   Select one of the following:		4
   CHEM 1031 & CHEM 1033	General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Laboratory I
   CHEM 1951 & CHEM 1953	Honors General Chemical Science I and Honors Chemical Science Laboratory I (F)
   Select one of the following:		4
   CHEM 1032 & CHEM 1034	General Chemistry II and General Chemistry Laboratory II
   CHEM 1952 & CHEM 1954	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
   SCTC 1501	STEM Challenge: The World Around Us
   SCTC 1502	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
   CIS 1051	Introduction to Problem Solving and Programming in Python
   CIS 1052	Introduction to Web Technology and Programming
   CIS 1053	Programming in Matlab
   PHYS 1004	Introduction to Astronomy (F)
   SCTC 3312	Coding STEM Lessons
   Earth & Environmental Science
   EES 2001	Physical Geology	4
   Mathematics
   Select one of the following:		4-8
   MATH 1031	Differential and Integral Calculus
   MATH 1041 & MATH 1044	Calculus I and Introduction to Probability and Statistics for the Life Sciences
   MATH 1041 & MATH 1042	Calculus I and Calculus II
   MATH 1941 & MATH 1942	Honors Calculus I and Honors Calculus II
   Physics
   Select one of the following:		4
   PHYS 1021	Introduction to General Physics I
   PHYS 1061	Elementary Classical Physics I
   PHYS 1961	Honors Elementary Classical Physics I (F)
   PHYS 2021	General Physics I
   PHYS 2921	Honors General Physics I (F)
   Select one of the following:		4
   PHYS 1022	Introduction to General Physics II
   PHYS 1062	Elementary Classical Physics II
   PHYS 1962	Honors Elementary Classical Physics II (S)
   PHYS 2022	General Physics II
   PHYS 2922	Honors General Physics II (S)
   Science Electives
   Four Upper-Level (2000+) Science Electives 2		12-16
   Total Credit Hours		63-72

   Course List

   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 2021-2022 Academic Year