Degree 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.

Natural Science Majors

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 312-389 or 400-489;
  2. Two units of Chemistry: 110 and 120; or 115 and 230
  3. Two units in Geology or Physics (111/112 or 121/122);
  4. One unit in Mathematics (150 or higher) or Computer Science (161 or higher);
  5. Three additional units from the following: BIOL 312-496 (excluding BIOL 398); CHEM 250 or higher; CSCI 161 or higher;ENVR 105; EXSC 221, 222; Geology; MATH 150 or higher; NRSC 201; or PHYS 111 or higher.

Notes.

  1. The upper-division Biology elective specified in #1 above must be completed at the Tacoma campus.
  2. The grade criterion within the Natural Science major will follow the requirement of the department corresponding to the emphasis.

Chemistry

Completion of a minimum of 14 units, to include

  1. CHEM 115, 230; or 110, 120, 231
  2. Four additional units of Chemistry (all courses must be those normally counted toward a major);
  3. Two units of Mathematics (180 or higher);
  4. Two units of Physics (111/112 or 121/122) or Biology (111/112);
  5. 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.)

Note: The grade criterion within the Natural Science major will follow the requirement of the department corresponding to the emphasis.

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 either CHEM 110 and 120 or CHEM 115 and 230;
  5. Four additional units of Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics/Computer Science, Geology (206 or higher), or ENVR 105.

Note: The grade criterion within the Natural Science major will follow the requirement of the department corresponding to the emphasis.

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.)

Note: The grade criterion within the Natural Science major will follow the requirement of the department corresponding to the emphasis.