Description

Students interested in pursuing professional degrees in medicine, dentistry, or veterinary medicine are required to complete a bachelor’s degree, preferably in a related area such as the biological or physical sciences. To provide a solid foundation for upper division bachelor’s degree work and admission to post-baccalaureate professional graduate programs, students are encouraged to complete recommended lower division STEM courses in biology, chemistry, physics, and math while completing the Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer Degree (AAOT). Completion of the AAOT guarantees students will meet all lower division general education requirements at Oregon public universities. Students may also consider the Associate of Science in Biology as an appropriate degree choice and should consult with their assigned academic advisors to choose the academic pathway that best supports their career goals.

Entrance Requirements

While this degree has no formal entrance requirements, individual courses may have prerequisites which must be met before enrollment.

Course Requirements

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HHPA activity courses (1 credit each) are not to be duplicated.

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Consider completing both Organic Chemistry [CH 241 Organic Chemistry I, CH 242 Organic Chemistry II and CH 243 Organic Chemistry III] and Physics [PH 201 General Physics I, PH 202 General Physics II and PH 203 General Physics III] sequences. Best practice is to complete entire sequence prior to transfer. Speak with your advisor for details.

Advising Notes

Students may transfer to a baccalaureate institution without the AAOT; however, completion of this degree guarantees that a student will transfer to an Oregon public university with all lower-division general education coursework complete. Completing the recommended STEM sequences in chemistry, biology, physics, and math in this degree will assure students are on track to transfer to a Bachelor's degree program with junior standing in most STEM majors.

All Oregon public universities have coursework and offer majors appropriate for students interested in gaining admission to medical, veterinary or dental programs. These include Eastern Oregon University, Oregon Institute of Technology, Oregon State University, Portland State University, Southern Oregon University, University of Oregon, and Western Oregon University.

It is highly recommended that MTH 112Z Precalculus II: Trigonometry,BI 221Z Principles of Biology: Cells, BI 222Z Principles of Biology: Organisms, BI 223Z Principles of Biology: Ecology and Evolution, CH 221Z General Chemistry I  & CH 227Z General Chemistry I Laboratory, CH 222Z General Chemistry II & CH 228Z General Chemistry II Laboratory, and CH 223Z General Chemistry III & CH 229Z General Chemistry III Laboratory be completed prior to transfer.

Additional STEM courses recommended to satisfy elective credits include PH 201 General Physics I, PH 202 General Physics II, PH 203 General Physics III, MTH 251Z Differential Calculus, MTH 252Z Integral Calculus.

Oregon State University recommends COMM 111Z Public Speaking, WR 227Z Technical Writing, and HHP 295 Health and Fitness from the recommended foundational curriculum options.

University of Oregon recommends WR 122Z Composition II from the recommended foundational curriculum options.

Eastern Oregon University, Portland State University, and Southern Oregon University recommend STAT 243Z Elementary Statistics I as an elective.

Performance Standards

• Academic Requirements:
  • Students must have a 2.0 cumulative GPA to earn a COCC certificate or degree.
  • Options for additional standards:
    • All courses in the program must be completed with a grade of C or higher.

Sample Plan

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Principles of Biology Sequence should be started in Fall term with BI 223Z Principles of Biology: Ecology and Evolution, alternatively students may start in Winter Term with BI 221Z Principles of Biology: Cells.