The College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences offers the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Science degrees. The B.A. degree provides for both broad general education and major field specialization. The B.S. degree, obtainable in most of the College majors, stresses advanced work in the major and associated fields. All degree programs provide students with an opportunity to develop an understanding and appreciation of man's relationship to society, in addition to preparing them for careers in their fields of specialization.
The variety of degree programs and the flexibility of each provide great freedom of choice to students. Cooperative efforts between departments in the College provide for interdepartmental (interdisciplinary) majors. Students may elect to take double majors within the College or between this college and another. See the College's Student Affairs Office for information on double majors. Individual majors may be planned for students who find that individual goals can be accommodated through the resources and interested faculty at UCR. Information and regulations on individual majors may be obtained from the College's Student Affairs Office.
The following majors and minors are offered by the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. For information on graduate degrees see the Graduate Studies section of this catalog.
A major is a coordinated group of upper-division courses (100-199 series) in a field of specialization. Early choice of a major is desirable. The courses for any particular major are specified by the relevant department or departmental group, and they must provide at least 36 upper-division units of credit, normally taken on a letter grade basis. No more than 84 units in any one discipline may be applied to the degree.
Applicants to majors in the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences who excel in the academic criteria, with additional emphasis on advanced mathematics and laboratory science preparation, will be considered. It is strongly recommended that students have sufficient mathematics competency to qualify for college level calculus at the time of enrollment.
Transfer applicants to the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences must have completed one-year course sequences in a least two of the following three areas: calculus, English, and chemistry. Life science majors (Biochemistry, Biology, Botany/Plant Sciences, Entomology, Psychobiology) and Chemistry majors must complete the general chemistry sequence. An additional one-year sequence, in the sciences or mathematics and appropriate to the intended major, must also have been completed. The grades earned in these completed course sequences will be considered in the evaluation of admissibility. The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) is not recommended for students planning to transfer to the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. It does not adequately cover the lower division mathematics and science prerequisites required for majors in this college.
Although freshmen may choose an academic major on entering UCR, those who are unsure about specific academic goals may request to be admitted to the college as an "undeclared student." Undeclared students should outline a tentative program which offers them several options. Even if their plans change several quarters later, they will have avoided academic difficulty by planning a sensible, basic preliminary strategy. The recommended undeclared student program allows students to prepare for entrance into a wide variety of science majors which lead to a degree. Individuals entering as undeclared students are advised through the College's Student Affairs Office by both professional staff and faculty from diverse science departments. Actual admission into degree programs is predicated upon successful completion of courses with satisfactory grades. Transfer into another college requires performance judged to be satisfactory by that college.
All students with 90 or more units toward a degree are expected to declare a major. To declare a major, obtain approval from the College's Student Affairs Office by filing a Change of Major. Students are expected to declare a major by the beginning of their junior year (completion of 90 units).
If undeclared students feel their interests lie primarily in the areas of humanities or social sciences, advising can be obtained in the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, (909) 787-3683. Those interested in engineering or computer science can be advised in the College of Engineering, (909) 787-5651.
| COLLEGE OF NATURAL AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES | ||||||
| UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS AND OPTIONS | ||||||
| Department/Program | Degree | |||||
| Biochemistry | ||||||
| Chemistry Option | B.A. | B.S. | ||||
| Biology Option | B.A. | B.S. | ||||
| Biology | B.A. | B.S. | ||||
| Biomedical Sciences | B.S. | |||||
| Botany and Plant Sciences | B.A. | B.S. | ||||
| Chemistry | B.A. | B.S. | ||||
| Chemical Physics Option | B.S. | |||||
| Conservation Biology | B.S. | |||||
| Earth Sciences | ||||||
| Geography | ||||||
| Biogeography Option | B.A. | B.S. | ||||
| Geomorphology Option | B.A. | B.S. | ||||
| Geology | ||||||
| General Geology Option | B.A. | B.S. | ||||
| Paleontology Option | B.A. | B.S. | ||||
| Geophysics | B.S. | |||||
| Entomology | B.A. | B.S. | ||||
| Environmental Sciences | ||||||
| Natural Science Option | B.A. | B.S. | ||||
| Social Science Option | B.A. | B.S. | ||||
| Soil Science Option | B.A. | B.S. | ||||
| Environmental Toxicology Option | B.A. | B.S. | ||||
| Mathematics | ||||||
| Pure Mathematics | B.A. | B.S. | ||||
| Applied Mathematics | ||||||
| Economics Option | B.A. | B.S | ||||
| Physics Option | B.A. | B.S. | ||||
| Statistics Option | B.A. | B.S. | ||||
| Computational Mathematics | B.A. | B.S. | ||||
| Physical Sciences | B.A. | |||||
| Physics | B.A. | B.S. | ||||
| Psychobiology | B.A. | B.S. | ||||
| Soil Science | B.S.1 | |||||
| Statistics | B.A. | B.S. | ||||
| Statistical Computing Option | B.S. | |||||
| Quantitative Management Option | B.S. | |||||
| Disciplinary Minors | ||||||
| Botany/Plant Science | ||||||
| Chemistry | ||||||
| Entomology | ||||||
| Environmental Science | ||||||
| Mathematics | ||||||
| Statistics (Applied) | ||||||
| 1The B.S. degree in Soil Science is discontinued. Readmitted and transfer students accepted prior to Fall 1997 are allowed to complete the degree requirements but must graduate by August 1998. For a listing of degree requirements consult the 1994-95 University of California, Riverside General Catalog. | ||||||
A declaration of a second major must be filed at the College Student Affairs Office at least two quarters before graduation and approved by both academic major advisors and the Associate Dean. At the time of filing, a student must have completed 120 units, with at least 18 upper-division units in the primary major and at least 8 upper-division units in the secondary major. Of the required upper-division units, a minimum of 24 (no more than 4 of which can be 190-199 courses) must be unique to each major. A student must also be in good academic standing and be able to complete both majors without exceeding the 216 unit college maximum. Both majors of the double major must be in the same baccalaureate class, that is, either both B.S. or both B.A. Information on how to file for double majors may be obtained from the College's Student Affairs Office.
CHANGING MAJORS
Students may change majors if they are in good standing and will not exceed the unit limitation of 216 units toward the degree. Students can petition to change their major within the college or transfer from another college to the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. Students interested in transferring to the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences should consult with an advisor in the major department regarding specific prerequisite courses. Students who have attained junior standing are reviewed for course coverage and grade point average for the new major.
Students who fail to attain a grade point average of 2.00 ("C") in preparation for the major or major courses may be denied the privilege of entering or continuing in that major.
The College offers minor programs. Each minor consists of not fewer than 20 nor more than 28 units of organized upper-division courses. No more than 4 units of 190-199 courses may be used in fulfilling the upper-division unit requirement for a minor. No more than 8 units may be counted towards both the major and the minor. The department, program, or interdisciplinary committee offering the minor is responsible for student and administrative issues pertaining to the minor. Students must file a declaration of a minor by filing a petition with the College's Student Affairs Office at least two quarters before graduation and must be in good academic standing at the time of filing. A minor requires the signature of the department chair or chair of the faculty committee which supervises the minor and the signature of the Associate Dean.
For a description of the University Honors Program, see the Special Study Resources and Facilities section in the front of this catalog. For a listing of requirements and courses, refer to University Honors Program in the Curricula and Courses section.
The College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences maintains funds for undergraduate scholarships. Application materials and information are available in the College's Student Affairs Office during spring quarter.
The College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences offers a unique opportunity for outstanding high school students to complete a rigorous program of accelerated study leading to the M.D. degree one year earlier than it is usually granted. This program involves courses structured to combine the basic sciences of biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, and courses in the humanities and social sciences, with courses normally taught in the first two years of medical school. The curriculum is taught cooperatively by faculty of UCR and the UCLA School of Medicine, and leads in seven years to an M.D. degree from UCLA, as well as a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences from UCR.
Progression through the program is by screening and interviews at the end of each of the first three years. After this period, up to 24 qualified first-year medical students are selected. Instruction continues in residence at UCR until the end of the fifth year, at which time students will transfer directly to the UCLA School of Medicine for the last two years of clinical work. Information for interested students, concerning the program and the suitability of electing to major in Biomedical Sciences should be obtained from the Program Counselor. Address inquiries to: Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521-0121.
Students must meet three levels of requirements for the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree: General University requirements, College requirements, and major requirements.
General University requirements are listed at the beginning of the Undergraduate Studies section. For information on University regulations see the Academic Regulations section of this catalog.
In addition to the above General University requirements, the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences has the following unit requirement.
Unit Requirement. Students are not normally expected to take significantly more than 180 units to obtain the bachelor's degree. After having credit for 216 units, a student will not be permitted to continue except by approval of the Associate Dean when specific academic or professional reasons are involved.
The following credit limitations apply for all students enrolled in the College:
The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum is accepted but not recommended for students planning to transfer to the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. It does not adequately cover the lower-division mathematics and science prerequisites required for majors in this college.
For the following requirements, a course is defined as a block of instruction which carries credit of 4 or more units. Courses taken in the department or program of a student's major (including courses cross-listed with the major) may not be applied toward the breadth requirements except for Biology majors in connection with the Biological Sciences requirement. However, courses outside the major discipline, but required for the major, may be applied toward satisfaction of these requirements.
Some majors in the College may have specific course requirements for meeting the following breadth requirements. Check under individual major requirements in the Curricula and Courses section of this catalog.
Requirements are for both the B.A. and the B.S. degrees unless specified separately.
English Composition.
Students must demonstrate adequate proficiency in English Composition by completing a one-year sequence of college-level instruction in English Composition with an average grade of "C" or better and no grade lower than "C-." UCR's sequence is English 1A, 1B, 1C. Transfer students who have credit for one semester of English Composition from another institution are required to take two additional quarters, i.e., English 1B and 1C.
Students have the option of using a score of 3 on the College Board Advanced Placement Test in English to satisfy English 1A; they must complete English 1B and 1C. Students with a score of 4 or 5 on the College Board Advanced Placement Test in English have satisfied English 1A, 1B; they must complete English 1C.
Students with an overall grade point average under "C" in the English 1A, 1B, 1C sequence will be required to repeat composition courses as necessary in order to meet the required "C" average minimum. It may be necessary to repeat one or more of English 1A, 1B, 1C courses in which a grade of "C-" was earned in order to fulfill the three-quarter English composition average of "C" or better. However, courses with a grade of "C-" cannot be repeated for credit to alter the transcript grade point average.
Beginning with their initial matriculation, students should enroll in an English composition course each quarter they are registered at UCR until the sequence of Basic Writing/English 1A, 1B, 1C is completed with satisfactory grade point average. A student may not receive baccalaureate credit for any work in English composition taken prior to completing the Subject A requirement.
Humanities
For the B.A. degree: 20 units
No course used to satisfy the English Composition requirement will apply toward Humanities credit.
No more than two courses in performance may be counted toward the Humanities requirement.
For the B.S. degree: 12 units
No course used to satisfy the English Composition requirement will apply toward Humanities credit.
No more than one course in performance may be counted toward the Humanities requirement.
Social Sciences
For the B.A. degree: 16 units
For the B.S. degree: 12 units
Course work which may be taken to be used in partial satisfaction of the Humanities and the Social Sciences requirements must be evaluated by the College's Student Affairs Office. The College's Student Affairs Office, in consultation with the College Executive Committee, determines which courses apply to these requirements. The College's Student Affairs Office will implement this policy. It is the student's responsibility to verify those courses which fulfill either the Humanities or the Social Sciences requirement, particularly the series of courses in cultural geography.
Ethnicity: 4 units
One course dealing with general concepts and issues in the study of race and ethnicity in California and the United States. Courses that satisfy this requirement must concentrate on one or more of four principal minority groups (African American, Asian American, Chicano/Latino, and Native American). These courses must be comparative in nature, analyzing the minority group experience within the present and historical context of other racial and ethnic groups, such as European-American minorities. The courses are to be offered by or cross listed with the Department of Ethnic Studies.
Regardless of the student's college and major, the course may be counted toward the Humanities or the Social Sciences graduation requirements, depending upon the course's content as evaluated by the Committee on Educational Policy. Check with the College's Student Affairs Office for the courses that fulfill the Ethnicity requirement.
Foreign Language
For the B.A. degree: 16 units
This requirement may be fulfilled in one language by completing course 4 or demonstrating equivalent proficiency; or by demonstrating equivalent proficiency (level 2) in each of two languages. Biology majors must complete four quarters of one language. Students who are pursuing a B.A. degree and who have not completed a foreign language course may enroll in a level-1 foreign language course. However, students must take a placement exam if they plan to take a course in the same foreign language that they studied in high school. Transfer students who have taken a college-level foreign language course should consult with an advisor.
Natural Sciences and Mathematics: 20 units
This requirement may automatically be satisfied by lower-division requirements for the major.
Additional Courses: 16 units
For the B.S. degree
An additional 16 units of substantive course work in the student's chosen major or fields related to the major is required. The additional course work is specified by the major department.
| College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences | |
| Breadth Requirement Unit Summary | |
| For the B.A. | |
| English Composition | Varies |
| Humanities | 20 |
| Social Sciences | 16 |
| Ethnicity (4 units)1 | ˜˜ |
| Foreign Language | 16 |
| Natural Sciences and Mathematics | 20 |
| Total Units | 72 plus |
| English Composition | |
| For the B.S. | |
| English Composition | Varies |
| Humanities | 12 |
| Social Sciences | 12 |
| Ethnicity (4 units)1 | ˜˜ |
| Natural Sciences and Mathematics | 20 |
| Additional Courses | 16 |
| Total Units | 60 plus |
| English Composition | |
| 1The 4-unit ethnicity requirement can be applied to either the Humanities or the Social Sciences requirement, depending on content. | |
Detailed requirements for each major are found under the department listings in the Curricula and Courses section of this catalog.
A major in the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences shall consist of not fewer than 36 nor more than 60 upper-division units.
Not later than the beginning of the junior year, students need to consult with their advisor and choose a major. A grade point average of at least 2.00 (C) in the upper-division courses taken in the major field is required for graduation.
A lower-division core curriculum in the Biological Sciences has been developed that will prepare students for any upper-division major in the Biological Sciences. All students who are life sciences majors (Biochemistry, Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Botany/Plant Sciences, Conservation Biology, Entomology, and Psychobiology) will complete a uniform core curriculum prior to advancing to upper-division courses. The curriculum is: Introductory Biology (1 year), General Chemistry (1 year), Organic Chemistry (1 year), Calculus (2 quarters), Calculus-based Physics including laboratory (1 year), Statistics (1 quarter), and Introductory Biochemistry (1 quarter). No more than 12 units of upper-division life sciences courses not being used to satisfy the core may be taken prior to completion of the core.
For detailed information on UCR policies and regulations see the Academic Regulations section of this catalog.
Detailed information and specifics with regard to the College regulations governing undergraduate student status as approved by the faculty and contained in the Manual of the Riverside Division of the Academic Senate may be obtained from a faculty advisor or the College's Student Affairs Office.
Students are responsible for meeting deadline dates regarding enrollment, add/drop, change of grading basis, credit by examination, withdrawal, declaration of candidacy, and so forth. The deadline dates are in the Schedule of Classes and must be observed. Advising can be obtained in the College's Student Affairs Office, 1140 Batchelor Hall.
All students who declare a major upon entrance to the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences are assigned to a department granting the degree for that major or area of specialization. New students should report to their major department for assignment of faculty advisors. Undeclared students in the College are advised in the College's Student Affairs Office.
Students should keep in touch with their advisor on all academic matters, including choice of courses, consideration of a major, and requirements for graduation. Before consulting the advisor, students should formulate a tentative program according to their interests and needs and should be familiar with General University, College, and major requirements.
It is important that each student keep in mind that the advisor serves as a mentor, but does not administer the student's program. Students must be responsible for ensuring that they meet all requirements for graduation.
General curriculum counseling can also be obtained in the College's Student Affairs Office, 1140 Batchelor Hall.
Before each quarter, students advance enroll in all courses they plan to take. Every student's course schedule must be approved by the student's academic advisor, or for undeclared students, the College's Student Affairs Office. Students are expected to register and enroll by the date set by the campus (see the Schedule of Classes for details).
Since the College expects all students to make regular progress toward their degrees, class schedules of less than 12 units must be approved by the Associate Dean. Repeated courses are considered part of the total unit load.
Students on probation may not register for more than 13 units in a quarter without consent of the Associate Dean. No student may enroll in less than 8 units (two classes).
With the approval of their faculty advisor and the course instructor, students may add courses to their class schedule up to the end of the third week of classes. With the approval of their advisor and after consulting with the instructor of the course, students may, without penalty, drop a course up to the end of the fifth week or change grading basis up to the end of the eighth week. Students who drop a course after the third week receive a "W" on the transcript.
Students in this college who are not on probation may take nonmajor courses on a satisfactory/no credit basis and other courses graded only on a satisfactory/no credit basis, provided they do not exceed one third of the total units undertaken and passed (graded "S") on the Riverside campus at the time the degree is awarded.
A student may elect Satisfactory/No Credit or delete Satisfactory/No Credit from a course through telephone registration or by filing a petition (Add/
Drop form) with the Registrar. The deadline is the end of the eighth week of instruction and is listed each quarter in the Schedule of Classes.
Regulations governing the Satisfactory/No Credit option are described under Credit and Grades in the Academic Regulations section of this catalog.
A student may petition for the privilege of examination for degree credit without formal enrollment in a particular course, but must be in residence and not on academic probation. Arrangements for examination for degree credit must be made with the student's faculty advisor. Approvals of the faculty advisor, the Associate Dean of the College, and the instructor who is agreeing to give the examination are necessary before the examination may be given. The results of all examinations for degree credit are entered on the student's record as though the student had actually taken the courses of instruction.
The "I" grade denotes work of passing quality but incomplete for good cause. An "I" grade may be assigned by the instructor, and the student must arrange to have the work completed within a time period not to exceed the end of the succeeding quarter. For detailed information, see the Academic Regulations section of this catalog.
Details concerning courses which may be repeated for credit and limitations on repetitions are contained in the Academic Regulations section of this catalog.
For details see the Undergraduate Admission and Financial Support and Registration sections of this catalog.
For information on part-time study (minimum: 8 units), see Part-Time Study under the Financial Support and Registration section of this catalog.
At the close of each quarter, the courses, units, grades, and grade points earned are added to the student's cumulative University record. This record summarizes progress toward a degree. Lack of adequate progress may jeopardize continued registration.
A degree check of remaining requirements for graduation should be requested at the College's Student Affairs Office three quarters before the expected date of graduation. If it is necessary to amend the prospective date of graduation during the quarter in which graduation is expected, the student must notify the College's Student Affairs Office, in writing, as soon as possible. Applications for graduation are available in the College's Student Affairs Office and must be filed in the Student Affairs Office by the deadline established for the quarter in which graduation is expected. The deadline for filing applications for graduation is printed in the Schedule of Classes each quarter.
Applications are not accepted after the deadline established for the quarter in which the student intends to graduate. If for any reason the student does not meet the requirements for graduation after announcing candidacy, or fails to meet the deadline for filing, a new application must be filed for the subsequent quarter.
If a degree candidate was not a registered student during the fall, winter, or spring quarter immediately prior to the expected date of graduation, the individual must also file an application for readmission and include an application for graduation.
Undergraduate preparation for several professional careers can be acquired in the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. Brief explanations of preprofessional training programs are given below.
Freshmen at UCR who plan to transfer after their sophomore year to UC Berkeley's College of Natural Resources, forestry program, should enroll in UCR's Department of Botany and Plant Sciences. Interested students should consult the University of California, Berkeley General Catalog and contact Berkeley's College of Natural Resources for advising. Assistance is also available from the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences' Student Affairs Office at UCR.
Prospective licensed clinical laboratory scientists are offered preprofessional programs in which they obtain their bachelor's degree in either biochemistry or biology. Students must apply independently to any of the numerous state-approved, one-year training programs in clinical laboratory technology offered by hospitals and medical laboratories. Instruction in clinical laboratory technology begins after the receipt of the bachelor's degree. Following successful completion of this training and testing by the State of California, the student is eligible to become a licensed Clinical Laboratory Scientist. Since requirements for entering the field of medical technology change periodically, it is especially recommended that the interested student obtain current information from the College's Student Affairs Office, 1140 Batchelor Hall, or from the State of California Department of Health.
Although the specific requirements of all medical and dental schools cannot be listed here, the general requirements are discussed below to indicate the various preprofessional programs available at UCR.
More than 90 percent of the students admitted to medical schools in the United States have attained the B.A. or the B.S. degree, and a large percentage of those admitted to dental schools have three or more years of undergraduate work.
Leaders in medical and dental education urge prospective students to arrange their programs to obtain a broad general education, since the subject matter of the humanities and social sciences is not offered by the professional schools. It is recommended that students preparing to seek admission to medical or dental school obtain a bachelor's degree, to which all of UCR's preprofessional programs lead.
A student may satisfy the requirements for admission to medical or dental school in one of the following ways:
Most medical and dental schools recommend that the following courses be taken in a preprofessional degree program. These courses should include laboratories.
| Course Work | Years |
| General chemistry | 1 |
| Organic chemistry | 1 |
| Physics | 1 |
| General biology | 1 |
| Upper-division biochemistry | |
| Upper-division genetics | |
| Mathematics through integral calculus | |
In addition to those described above, UCR offers the preprofessional training required for entrance to other health professional schools, including optometry, pharmacy, podiatry, nursing, physical therapy, and dental hygiene, among others. Information about these can be obtained from the Career Services Office (Veitch Student Center).
The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing has established new guidelines and standards that prepare students for teaching credentials. For a description of how students can prepare for the multiple-subject (elementary) and science and mathematics (K-12, adults) credentials, please refer to the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Mathematics, and Physics under the Curricula and Courses section of this catalog.
After earning the bachelor's degree, the prospective teacher registers for an additional year of training in education theory and practice needed to obtain a teaching credential. Anyone considering obtaining a teaching credential should attend one of the credential information seminars offered by the Teacher Education Services Office, 1215 Sproul Hall, and consult early with an advisor in the planning of an academic program.
Students preparing for studies in veterinary medicine may enroll in the Biology program with a Medical Professions specialization emphasis, or in the Biochemistry program with a Biology emphasis.
Admission to programs in veterinary medicine is highly competitive. The course work at UCR is designed to prepare students to meet the requirements for admission to California's only veterinary program, the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis. Students should refer to the UC Davis General Catalog for additional details.
