Winter Break: The college is closed Tuesday, Dec. 24 through Wednesday, Jan. 1.
Biological Sciences
Program Overview
The Biological Sciences program is not just about theoretical knowledge—it's a launchpad for a wide range of practical career paths, including medicine, veterinary studies, pharmaceutical research, and public health. Dive into this broad realm of study encompassing genetics, cell and molecular biology, marine biology, neurosciences, anatomy and physiology, plant sciences, conservation biology, ecology, immunology, and biotechnology.
Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.
SCC Program Description
Meeting your needs
Biology welcomes all students looking to meet their scholastic and career goals. Whether you want to pursue a career in biology, or need to fulfill a general education requirement, you've come to the right place!
A great faculty
The Biology Faculty here at SCC takes pride in giving students the best possible experience with their biology studies. To learn a little about your professor, check out the Faculty page.
Offering a wide variety of classes
Not sure which class to take? You can learn more about each class when you visit the faculty web pages, as individual faculty are responsible for setting the syllabus and topics for the semester.
The desert comes alive!
Find out more about what you see all around you. Take a biology class... or make a career of it.
Biology studies life, from bacteria to whales to redwood trees. The Biology Program at SCC covers a wide range of subjects, from basic concepts of biology (great classes for students of any major) to specialized topics such as the study of plants (botany), environmental biology, marine biology, anatomy and physiology, and microbiology.
The Associate in Science (AS) degree is designed for students interested in biology and prepares them for transfer to a four-year program. Students who follow the correct transfer path enter transfer partner universities as juniors. Students may choose to pursue an AS in Biology with a Pre-Physician Assistant Emphasis for careers as biological technicians or physician assistants or a Pre-Medical Profession Emphasis for careers as physicians, biological scientists, dentists, optometrists, pharmacists, podiatrists, and veterinarians. Many of SCC’s biology courses are required for Nursing careers.
An exciting program at SCC, in partnership with Northern Arizona State University (NAU), is the Bachelor of Science in Biology. Students complete all four years at SCC, the first two years as SCC students and the last two years as NAU students, and are awarded both a BS in Biology from NAU and an AA from SCC. The BS in Biology prepares students for careers and advanced study in wildlife management, conservation, zoology, veterinary science, agriculture, forestry, biological technology, or various medical professions.
Experiential Learning Opportunities
- Center for Native and Urban Wildlife (CNUW)
- Life Sciences Undergraduate Research Program (LSURP)
Biology majors will have the opportunity to be invited to participate in LSURP. This program provides undergraduate students with an unrivaled opportunity to participate in undergraduate research—an experience unique to SCC. Students participate in real research projects and receive mentoring from graduate students and professional biological researchers. This program is one of the highlights of the SCC Biology Program!