Life Sciences, Bachelor of Science
(188-190 credits)
Program Description
The Life Sciences program at SKC is a four-year degree program that is designed to teach students about how molecules interact within living cells, through the study of molecular and cellular biology and chemistry. An active, hands-on research experience is an integral part of the program. This program offers paid laboratory internships, as well as academic credit for working in SKC’s two research laboratories – the Environmental Chemistry Laboratory (SKC-ECL), and the Cellular and Molecular Biology Laboratory (SKC-CMBL). Students with productive research projects often travel to national meetings ranging from Hawaii to Washington D.C. to present their work.
The Life Sciences program offers two tracks that differ only in the classes taken in the senior year. One is the “Cellular Biology” track, which focuses this last year on a more in-depth study of molecular and cellular processes, and the other the “Environmental Health” track that focuses more on tribal environmental health issues, epidemiology, environmental chemistry and toxicology.
The Life Sciences Program welcomes students with Associate of Science degrees from other programs. Such students will need to work closely with an advisor to ensure that the course requirements of the Freshman and Sophomore years are met and students can progress.
Life Sciences Research Laboratories
Salish Kootenai College Cellular and Molecular Biology Laboratory (SKC-CMBL)
The Salish Kootenai College Cellular and Molecular Biology Laboratory (SKC-CMBL) is a student’s link between class work and the latest instrumentation and discoveries in biology, medicine and biotechnology. The variety of instrumentation available within the SKC-CMBL allows students to pursue interests ranging from viruses to whole cells, tissues and organs. The SKC-CMBL utilizes PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) in combination with other techniques to study DNA, genomes, gene regulation, proteins and cells. Additionally, SKC-CMBL is hunting for new viruses, in hopes of discovering new anti-bacterial agents (antibiotics) as well as gaining important insights into how living organisms, including man, adapt to their environments. SKC-CMBL’s new microscopy facility allows students to view detailed structure and function of cells, tissues and organs as well as perform independent study and research relating to disease, diversity of species, and the environment.
The Salish Kootenai College Environmental Chemistry Laboratory (SKC-ECL)
The Salish Kootenai College Environmental Chemistry Laboratory (SKC-ECL) specializes in the analysis of environmental contaminants in water and soil, as well as plant and animal tissues. SKC-ECL serves as a student-centered training and research lab that offers full analytical chemistry capabilities for students in the General Science, Natural Resources and the Life Sciences Programs. Through laboratory internships, SKC-ECL allows students to gain valuable experience on state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation, such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GCMS) and atomic absorption and atomic fluorescence spectroscopies (AAS, AFS). Current ongoing projects include investigations of the movement and adverse health effects of heavy metals, such as mercury, and organic contaminants, such as PCBs, in wildlife, and the environment.
Career Opportunities
The knowledge gained within this program will prepare students for a wide range of career options in science. These include a research graduate track, as well as healthcare, industry and government. Depending on the choice of tracks, you could go on to become a pharmacist, a medical doctor, dentist, research scientist, medical technologist, cellular biologist, toxicologist, biochemist, microbiologist, or tribal environmental health specialist.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students who complete the Bachelor Degree in Life Sciences will be able to:
- Apply the scientific process to study chemical and biological systems
- Apply appropriate quantitative analysis to scientific data
- Communicate scientific information effectively in writing and oral presentations
- Work as part of a productive research group
- Demonstrate an understanding of ethical standards for the responsible conduct of scientific research
- Articulate the relevance of their research to tribal cultural values and indigenous scientific frameworks
Requirements
A student must earn a “C” or better in all required core courses and maintain an overall GPA of 2.0 in order to graduate with the B.S. (Life Sciences).
Students may need to strengthen math, English and writing skills with additional coursework prior to entering the Life Sciences program. Math and science courses that are more than five years old may need to be repeated within the Life Sciences degree program. Your Academic Advisor will help you plan coursework that meets your specific needs and goals.
Curriculum
Fall (First Year)
Winter (First Year)
| ENGL 202 | English Composition II | 3 |
| MATH 108 | Adv. Functions & Modeling | 3 |
| CHEM 110 | Fundamentals of General Chemistry | 4 |
| CHEM 111 | Fundamentals of General Chem Lab | 1 |
| BIOS 130 | Introductory Microbiology | 4 |
| BIOS 131 | Introduction to Microbiology Lab | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Spring (First Year)
Fall (Second Year)
| CHEM 150 | Principles of General Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 151 | Principles of Gen. Chemistry 1 Lab | 2 |
| MATH 110 | Calculus I | 5 |
| BIOS 230 | Molecular & Cellular Biology I | 4 |
ELECTIVE
| NAS-FAH/NASL (List A) | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 17 |
Winter (Second Year)
| CHEM 152 | Principles of Gen Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 153 | Principles of GenChem II Lab | 2 |
ELECTIVE
| SS-INTRO (List C) | 5 |
| NASD 210 | Introduction to Indigenous Science | 3 |
| BIOS 232 | Molecular and Cellular Biology | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 17 |
Spring (Second Year)
| CHEM 154 | Principles of GenChem III | 3 |
| CHEM 155 | Principles of GenChem III Lab | 2 |
| MATH 241 | Statistics & Lab | 5 |
ELECTIVE
| EXPR-ART-OPEN (List B) | 3 |
| BIOS 234 | Biochemistry of the Cell | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 17 |
Fall (Third Year)
Winter (Third Year)
Spring (Third Year)
Fall (Fourth Year) – Cellular Biology Track
| LFSC 420 | Cellular Bio I:Cell Struc & Func | 5 |
LFSC 485A
| | |
ELECTIVE
| SS-Adv (List J) | 3 |
ELECTIVE
| FA-OPEN/HUM-ADV (List G) | 3 |
LFSC 475A
| | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
Winter (Fourth Year) – Cellular Biology Track
| LFSC 422 | Cellular Bio II: Genomes | 5 |
LFSC 485B
| | |
ELECTIVE
| Approved Major Elective | 3 |
ELECTIVE
| SS-OPEN (List H) | 5 |
LFSC 475B
| | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Spring (Fourth Year) – Cellular Biology Track
| LFSC 424 | Celllular Bio III: Cmplx Cellular | 5 |
ELECTIVE
| Approved Major Elective | 3 |
ELECTIVE
| NAS-ADV, (List E) | 3 |
| LFSC 495 | Life Science: Sen Resch Capstone | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
Fall (Fourth Year) – Environmental Health Track
LFSC 485A
| | |
| LFSC 310 | Essentials of Environmental Health | 3 |
LFSC 475A
| | |
ELECTIVE
| FA-OPEN/HUM-ADV (List G) | 3 |
ELECTIVE
| SS-OPEN (List H) | 2 |
ELECTIVE
| NAS-ADV, (List E) | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
Winter (Fourth Year) – Environmental Health Track
| CHEM 420 | Environmental Chemistry | 4 |
| LFSC 460 | Environmental Toxicology I | 3 |
LFSC 485B
| | |
ELECTIVE
| Approved Major Elective | 3 |
| LFSC 430 | Principles of Epidemiology | 3 |
ELECTIVE
| SS ADV (List J) | |
LFSC 475B
| | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Spring (Fourth Year) – Environmental Health Track
| LFSC 462 | Environmental Toxicology II | 3 |
| LFSC 495 | Life Science: Sen Resch Capstone | 3 |
ELECTIVE
| Approved Major Elective | 3 |
ELECTIVE
| OPEN | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 12 |
Total Credit Hours: 188