Natural Science: Requirements

General Requirements for the Major

General university degree requirements stipulate that 1) at least four units of the major be taken in residence at Puget Sound; 2) students earn a GPA of 2.0 in courses taken for the major; and 3) all courses taken for a major must be taken for graded credit. Any exceptions to these stipulations are indicated in the major degree requirements listed below.

One of the following areas of emphasis is required. See departmental listings for course descriptions.

Biology

Completion of a minimum of 14 units, two units of which must be at the 300/400 level, to include

1. Six units of Biology 111, 112, 211, 212, 311 and one upper-division Biology elective numbered from 312 to 389 or 400-489;
2. Two units of Chemistry: 110 and 111 or 230;
3. Two units in Geology or Physics (111/112 or 121/122);
4. One unit in Mathematics (180 or higher) or Computer Science (161 or higher);
5. Three additional units from the following: BIOL 312-496; CHEM 250 or higher, ENVR 105, EXSC 221, 222; Geology, Mathematics or Computer Science (higher than MATH 150 or CSCI 161), or PHYS 111 or higher.

Please Note: The upper-division Biology elective specified in #1 above must be completed at the Tacoma campus.

Chemistry

Completion of a minimum of 14 units, to include

1. Six units of Chemistry (All courses must be those normally counted toward a major.);
2. Two units of Mathematics (180 or higher);
3. Two units of Physics (111/112 or 121/122) or Biology (111/112);
4. Four additional units of Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Physics, or Mathematics/Computer Science. (All courses must be those normally counted toward a major. No more than two of these may be Chemistry courses.)

Geology

Completion of a minimum of 14 units, to include

1. Six units of Geology to include either GEOL 101 or 102 or 104 or 110 (only one of these will count toward the major) and GEOL 200. GEOL 105 and ENVR 301 may also count toward the major;
2. No more than two 100-level Geology courses will count toward the major;
3. Two units Mathematics, MATH 110 or higher; may include CSCI 161;
4. Two units Chemistry, to include CHEM 110 and either 111 or 230;
5. Four additional units Physics, Biology, Chemistry, or Mathematics/Computer Science, Geology (206 or higher), or Environmental Studies 105.

Physics

Completion of a minimum of 14 units, to include

1. Six units of Physics. All courses must be those normally counted toward a major;
2. Four units of Mathematics, MATH 180, 181, 280 and one additional upper division (300-400 level) unit;
3. Four additional units Biology, Geology, Chemistry, Physics, or Mathematics/Computer Science. (No more than two of these may be Physics courses.)

Please Note

1. The coordinators of the program reserve the right to require a student earning a Natural Science major to comply with the time limit rules required by the department of the Natural Science emphasis.
2. The grade criterion within the Natural Science major will follow the requirement of the Department corresponding to the emphasis.