Transfer and Sequencing of Science Courses

How to graduate with a STEM degree from SAC and transfer as a junior to a major University

As a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) major at SAC, you may have heard some disturbing news that we no longer offer majors at SAC. While it is true that we now only offer a generic Associate’s Degree in Science, you can still “Major” in a STEM field and successfully transfer to a university to continue your work. However, you cannot randomly register for courses and blindly follow GPS and expect that to happen. You will need help from your advisors and faculty mentors in the STEM fields.

Please read this information and work with your advisor or the Natural Sciences Department if you need any help or have any questions.

Some words of advice as you are planning your coursework at SAC, don’t forget the MATH. You cannot proceed in a STEM field unless you get math under your belt. Many of our students come into SAC and test at the developmental math level. Most of you will need to get up to the Pre-cal (Math 2412) or Calculus (Math 2413) level before you leave SAC. Take a math class every semester until you get to highest level you need to be considered a major at your transfer university. Here’s an example: if you only take College algebra while at SAC, then transfer to UTSA, you will not be considered a Biology major until you have calculus. Additionally, if you are in this pre-major status, you cannot take any upper level biology courses until you complete calculus. So you will be stuck. You can transfer, but you cannot progress.

Another important note: Science classes stack. In other words, they all have pre-requisites and some of them have multiple pre-requisites. An example: Biol 2421 requires General Chemistry I and II and Biology I and II for majors before you can take the class. Additionally, you cannot take General Chemistry I until you have College algebra completed. Therefore if you save all your science and math to the end of you degree plan, you will be adding one to two years to your degree. Students often get the advice to “just take the core” during the first year. If you do that, it will take you much longer to graduate.

Below you will find some popular majors in the sciences. We have listed for you the core courses and electives you need for each of these majors. If you do not see your major listed, contact us.