General, Bachelor of Science

Program Information
Credential: 
Bachelor's Degree
Duration: 

2 years at RDC - 2 years at most universities

Delivery: 
Main Campus
Program Cost Estimates: 

Contact Information

Contact Name: 
Dr. Nancy Brown
Contact Title: 
Associate Dean
Contact Phone: 
403.342.3400 OR 1.888.732.4630
Contact Email: 
inquire@rdc.ab.ca
University Transfer Program

One-Year or Two-Year University Transfer Program:

For the most current university program and transfer information, see the Planning Guides in Academic Advising.

The Program

The Bachelor of Science (BSc) General program gives you a broad education in more than one branch of study. Students either complete two majors or one major and one minor. Majors are chosen from ten science subject areas.

If you enroll in the General program and intend to transfer to a BSc Specialization or Honors program in the Faculty of Science at University of Alberta (U of A), carefully follow the requirements for the latter program when selecting your courses (consult an Academic Advisor). This applies to all students intending to transfer to the Universities of Calgary (U of C) or Lethbridge (U of L) which do not offer a BSc General program.

Transfer Features

This program transfers to BSc General at the U of A and also allows for subsequent transfer to University of Alberta BSc Specialization and Honours programs if admission requirements are met for those programs. It also allows for transfer to University of Calgary BSc Honours and majors programs, majors in the University of Lethbridge BSc program, and majors in Royal Roads University BSc Environment and Sustainability programs.

Note: There are some major/minor combinations which have required courses (usually in the second year) that are not offered at RDC. Students taking these combinations can either take other (transferable) courses during a second year or can transfer after their first year at RDC.

Requirements
Admission Requirements: 

Related Link: Admission requirements for specific programs will often refer to Alberta Grade 12 course groups. Visit the Admissions page for detailed group descriptions.

1. Minimum average of 60% with no mark below 50% in:

  • ELA 30-1
  • Mathematics 30-1
  • Two of Biology 30, Chemistry 30, Mathematics 31, Physics 30
  • Subject from Group A, B, or C

OR

2. Mature Student

You must be 19 years of age or older, out of high school for at least one full year before the program starts, and have a minimum average of 60% with no mark below 50% in:

  • ELA 30-1
  • Mathematics 30-1
  • Two of Biology 30, Chemistry 30, Mathematics 31, Physics 30

Note:  In addition to the program admission requirements applicants, whose first language is not English, must demonstrate English language proficiency.

Graduation Requirements: 

You must pass 20 term university transfer courses or a minimum of 60 credit hours, and achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 to receive a Diploma in University Transfer Studies.

Program Content

The following outlines provide a basic understanding of program content but do not contain specific details regarding specific course requirements. This information is current at the time of publication but may change as the universities change their requirements.

University of Alberta

A major subject area is chosen from Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Physics, Science Psychology, and Statistics. A major should be chosen when registering for year two courses.

The student has the option of choosing a minor subject in the faculties of Science, Arts or Business. If the minor subject chosen is from Arts, any requirements as specified by the Faculty of Arts must be met. Please see U of A Calendar for minor subject areas in the Faculty of Arts. See note below concerning the Business Minor.

A major and minor in Sciences may not share courses from the same department. For example, the following combinations are not allowed:

  • Earth Sciences/Arts Geography
  • Science Psychology/Arts Psychology
  • Courses in a major or minor subject area may not overlap. For example, if the major is Mathematical Sciences and the minor is Statistics, the major would consist of Mathematics courses and Computing Science courses but no Statistics courses. The minor would consist exclusively of Statistics courses. See U of A Calendar for details on courses required for majors and minors.

Please note these are U of A credits

Suggested Pattern Year 1

  • ENGL 219/ENGL 220 (6 credits)
  • Two junior MATH, STAT, CMPT (6 credits)
  • Two junior PHYS, CHEM, ASTR (6 credits)
  • Two junior BIOL, GEOG, PSYC (6 credits)
  • Two junior Arts or Science Options (6 credits)
Year 1 Course Descriptions

ENGL 219

The focus is on formal preparation for university level essay writing and the skills related to critical reading; interpretation; and argument. Prerequisite: ELA 30-1 or English 095 NOTE: Credit will not be granted for both ENGL 219 and ENGL 210.

ENGL 220

The course explores a range of literary genres while continuing to focus on deepening the required structural and critical skills related to thinking and writing about literature. Pre-requisite: Engl 219 NOTE: Credit will not be granted for both ENGL 220 and 210.

Suggested Pattern Year 2

  • 12 credits toward major
  • 6 credits toward minor
  • 12 credits towards Arts or Science Options, major and/or minor

Notes:

Students with a major or minor in chemistry are recommended to complete CHEM 211/CHEM 212 in year one and CHEM 351/CHEM 352 in year two.

Options in Arts or Sciences are chosen from transferable courses from ANTH, ASTR, ART, BIOC, BIOL (not 209), CHEM, CLAS, CMPT 201, DRAM, ECON, FILM, FREN, GENE, GEOG, HIST, MATH, MUSE, MUSI, PHIL, PHYS, POLI, PSYC (not 312), SOCI, SPAN, STAT, ZOOL

University of Lethbridge

Please note these are U of L credits

The pattern below is an example of BSc General using Biological Sciences, Chemistry, and Mathematics for the three science streams. See Planning Guides in Academic Advising for further information.

Suggested Pattern Year 1

  • BIOL 217/BIOL 218 (6 credits)
  • CHEM 211/CHEM 212 (6 credits)
  • MATH 202 (or 203)/MATH 204 (6 credits)
  • 2 Fine Arts or Humanities Requirements (6 credits)
  • 2 Social Science Requirements (6 credits)
Year 1 Course Descriptions

BIOL 217

An introduction to cellular and molecular biology. Topics include: biological macromolecules; membrane stucture and function; cellular structure; bioenergetics and energy flow; respiration and photosynthesis; cell division and the cell cycle; DNA structure and replication; transcription and translation; recombinant DNA and genetic regulation. Prerequisite: Biology 30 and Chemistry 30 Note: BIOL 217 and 218 can be taken in either order.

BIOL 218

Examines the major lineage of life on Earth. Overview of evolutionary principles and classification; the history of life; and the key adaptations of prokaryotes; protists; fungi; plants; and animals. Laboratories survey the diversity of biological form and function; and introduce the students to data collection and scientific writing. Prerequisite: Biology 30 Note: BIOL 217 is not a pre-requisite for BIOL 218. Note: BIOL 217 and 218 can be taken in either order.

CHEM 211

The first introductory-level chemistry course that focusses on the foundations of atomic properties and chemical reactions. Topics include: stoichiometry; reactions and titrations; ideal gases; atomic structure and bonding; chemical equilibrium; and acids and bases. Prerequisite: Chem 30 and Math 30-1.

CHEM 212

The second introductory-level chemistry course that further expands upon the foundations of various chemical reactions and systems by discussing their equilibrium and reaction rates. Topics include: buffers; titration curves; solubility and complex ion equilibria; thermodynamics and thermochemistry; chemical kinetics; and electrochemistry. Pre-requisite: Chem 211.

MATH 202

Review of analytical geometry; differentiation and integration of simple functions; and applications. Prerequisite: Math 30-1 Note: You should take MATH 203 if you have at least 70% in Math 31.

MATH 203

Review of analytical geometry; differentiation and intergration of simple functions; and applications. Prerequisite: Math 30-1 and 31 or the equivalent. Note: Not recommended if you have less than 70% in Math 31.

MATH 204

Differentiation and integration of trigonometric; exponential; and logarithmic functions. Indeterminate forms and improper integrals. Techniques of integration. Applications. Prerequisite: MATH 202 or 203 or equivalent. Note: You cannot have credit in both MATH 204 and MATH 213.

Suggested Pattern Year 2

  • BIOL 317/BIOL 318 (6 credits)
  • One of MATH 221, STAT 251 (3 credits)
  • 2 Fine Arts or Humanities Requirements (6 credits)
  • 2 Social Science Requirements (6 credits)
  • 3 Electives (9 credits)

U of L's General Liberal Education Requirement (GLER)

A maximum of four courses from one department may be used in meeting the General Liberal Education Requirement. Math and Computer Science are counted as separate departments for a Science Major. Biology (BIOL), Microbiology (MICR), Zoology (ZOOL), Botany (BOTA), and Genetics (GENE) are considered part of the Biological Sciences Department.

Fine Arts and Humanities transferable courses in ART, DRAM, ENGL, FREN, HIST, MUSI (not MUSI 210, 213, or 214), PHIL, SPAN plus other courses as noted in academic planning guide.

Social Sciences transferable courses in ANTH (all non-Science and non-Humanities ANTH courses), ECON, KNSS (except KNSS 280), POLI, PSYC (excluding PSYC 260 and other Science PSYC courses), SOCI, plus other courses as noted in academic planning guides.

Sciences transferable courses in BIOC, BIOL, CHEM, CMPT, MATH, PHYS, PSIO, STAT, ZOOL plus other courses as noted in academic planning guide.

Year 2 Course Descriptions

BIOL 317

Examine the chromosomal and molecular basis for the transmission and function of genes. The fundamental principles of heredity; including Mendelian laws; genetic recombination and mapping. Molecular basis of gene structure; organization; expression and regulation in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Prerequisite: BIOL 217

BIOL 318

The scientific study of interactions between organisms and their environment in a hierarchy of levels of organization: individuals; populations; communities; and ecosystems. Provides a comprehensive survey of general concepts that stand alone or serve as preparation for advanced courses in ecology. Labs emphasize collection; analysis; and interpretation of data from ecological experiments and field studies. Prerequisite: BIOL 218

MATH 221

Solving linear systems of equations; matrix algegra; determinants; vectors; lines and planes; subspaces of n-space; and applications. Introduction to linear transformations; eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Prerequisite: Math 30-1

STAT 251

Data collection and presentation; descriptive statistics. Probability distributions; sampling distributions and the central limit theorem. Point estimation and hypothesis testing. Correlation and regression analysis. Goodness-of- fit and contingency table. Prerequisite: Math 30-1 or Math 30-2 Note: This course may not be taken for credit if credit has already been obtained in any of STAT 241; PSYC 309; SOCI 311; or BUS 306.

Royal Roads University