Liberal Arts and Sciences/Mathematics and Science A.S.

School: Mathematics, Science and Engineering
Academic Dept: Biology
HEGIS: 5649

Important Note about Program Requirements

The requirements listed below are for students entering into this program from Fall 2021 to Summer 2022. Students who entered the program during a prior semester will find their specific requirements listed in the Catalog under which they entered. Archived Catalogs are accessible through the dropdown menu above.

Program Description

The Liberal Arts & Sciences/Mathematics and Science (LAMS) program leads to the Associate in Science (A.S.) degree. This program, with an emphasis in majors-level mathematics and natural sciences (e.g. chemistry, biology, and physics), allows the student to parallel the first two years of course content for the degree of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in these disciplines. Qualified graduates of this program most often continue their studies at four-year colleges and universities in baccalaureate programs in mathematics and the natural sciences, or further their education towards a one of a number of allied health professions whose competitive admission requirements require coursework in mathematics and/or natural science at the majors-level, such as pre-medicine, pre-pharmacy, physician’s assistant, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, a student will:

Demonstrate proficiency in mathematics that indicates readiness for calculus.
Demonstrate an understanding of the scientific process and how it is applied in the natural sciences.
Demonstrate knowledge of foundational concepts in math and/or science necessary for:

A. Transferring seamlessly into four-year programs in mathematics or in one of the Natural Sciences, OR

B. Applying competitively to four-year nursing or other similar allied health programs with completed prerequisite courses.

Advice for Graduates Transferring to Bachelor’s Programs in Math/Science

The distribution of courses to meet the requirements for the A.S. degree varies depending on the student’s interests, so it is very important that a student review the requirements for the first two years of any colleges to which he or she might transfer. Course selection can then be made with advice from an Academic Counselor or the Liberal Arts Math and Science (LAMS) Curriculum Chair (Chad.Thompson@sunywcc.edu).

Students are also encouraged to consider one of the degree’s concentrations (Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics, and Health Science) in order to seamlessly transfer into similar four-year programs. Students interested in transfer programs related to math and science (i.e. pre-medicine, pre-pharmacy, physician’s assistant, and BSN programs) should also carefully review the admission requirements to those career programs. This will help the student make informed decisions about which specific math and science courses to take within the LAMS program.

Advice for Prospective Students Interested in Allied Health Programs at Westchester Community College

Students with an interest in being accepted into one of the college’s allied health programs (i.e. Nursing AAS, Radiologic Technology AAS, Respiratory Technology AAS) often major in Liberal Arts and Science: Math and Science (LAMS) while they work on their entrance requirements. For these students, it is very important to understand, not only the entrance requirements for the prospective program, but also the specific math and science requirements for the LAMS degree.

In many cases, the entrance requirements for specific allied health programs deviate from the higher level math and science requirements of LAMS. Therefore, it is essential that before a student begins to work on the entrance requirements for a competitive allied health degree, that the student is aware of how the math and science requirements overlap between the two programs, and where they do not. Informed course selections can then be made with advice from an Academic Counselor or the Health Science Counselor (Sabrina.Hochberg@sunywcc.edu).

Program Map

The academic map below presents the recommended plan of study and will guide you through your program in a timely manner. Click the course abbreviations for full course descriptions. A course may be critical because it is a pre-requisite, requires a minimum grade, or because it is only offered once a year. Missing a critical course may push back your graduation date. Meet with an Academic Counselor or Faculty Advisor to ensure you are on track to complete your program.

Critical Courses should be taken in the order shown to stay on track and graduate on time.

Semester 1

Course (click for more information)	Critical Course	Pre-reqs or Co-reqs	Credits	Notes
ENG 101	✔	✔	3
MATH 131	✔		4	✹
Science Sequence Course	✔		4 - 5	✹✹
Social Sciences Gen Ed Elective			3
Semester Total Credits			14 - 15

Notes:

✹ May chose a higher level math course to achieve this credit

✹✹ Two science sequences OR one science sequence and two additional maths (CalcI and hgher) are required. If a science course is used as a part of the sequence, then the second half of the science course must also be taken. If the second half is not taken, the science course may be used as one of three required STEM Electives.

Science Sequence Choices: BIOL 115 and BIOL 117 ; BIOL 121 and BIOL 123 ; CHEM 107 and CHEM 111 ; CHEM 201 and CHEM 205 ; PHYSC 111 and PHYSC 112 ; PHYSC 121 and PHYSC 122

Semester 2

Course (click for more information)	Critical Course	Pre-reqs or Co-reqs	Credits	Notes
ENG 102	✔	✔	3
MATH 161	✔		4	✹
Science Sequence Course	✔		4 - 5	✹✹
The Arts, Foreign Language, or Other World Civilizations Gen Ed Elective			3
Semester Total Credits			14 - 15

Notes:

✹ May chose a higher level math course to achieve this credit

Science Sequence Choices: BIOL 115 and BIOL 117 ; BIOL 121 and BIOL 123 ; CHEM 107 and CHEM 111 ; CHEM 201 and CHEM 205 ; PHYSC 111 and PHYSC 112 ; PHYSC 121 and PHYSC 122

Semester 3

Course (click for more information)	Critical Course	Pre-reqs or Co-reqs	Credits	Notes
Math or Science Sequence Course	✔		4 - 5	✹
STEM Elective	✔		4	✹✹
American History or Western Civilization Gen Ed Elective			3
Free Elective			3
Semester Total Credits			14 - 15

✹ Math choices: MATH 181 , MATH 191 , MATH 215 , MATH 230 , MATH 240

or Science Sequence Choices: BIOL 115 and BIOL 117 ; BIOL 121 and BIOL 123 ; CHEM 107 and CHEM 111 ; CHEM 201 and CHEM 205 ; PHYSC 111 and PHYSC 112 ; PHYSC 121 and PHYSC 122

✹✹ Choose one: BIOL 115 , BIOL 117 , BIOL 121 , BIOL 123 , CHEM 107 , CHEM 111 , CHEM 201 , CHEM 205 , PHYSC 111 , PHYSC 112 , PHYSC 121 , PHYSC 122 , MATH 181 , MATH 191 , MATH 215 , MATH 230 , MATH 240

Semester 4

Course (click for more information)	Critical Course	Pre-reqs or Co-reqs	Credits	Notes
Math or Science Sequence Course	✔			✹
STEM Elective				✹✹
STEM Elective
Free Elective
Free Elective				✹✹✹
Semester Total Credits			1

✹ Math choices: MATH 181 , MATH 191 , MATH 215 , MATH 230 , MATH 240

or Science Sequence Choices: BIOL 115 and BIOL 117 ; BIOL 121 and BIOL 123 ; CHEM 107 and CHEM 111 ; CHEM 201 and CHEM 205 ; PHYSC 111 and PHYSC 112 ; PHYSC 121 and PHYSC 122

✹✹✹ Add additional elective credits as needed to meet program minimum of 60 credits total

Minimum Total Credits: 60 - 64

Transfer Opportunities

Westchester Community College is committed to facilitating a smooth transfer process to ensure that graduates of the college are prepared to transfer with junior status, and are able to complete a bachelor’s degree within two years of full-time study upon transfer. View 4-year institutions’ transfer agreement information by program here.

Career Opportunities

Visit Career Coach to explore career paths, job descriptions, salary trends, and job trends.

Visit the Career Services page for more career resources.