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What does it cost?

Check out our cost calculator or visit student financial services for information on estimated costs.

63.4% of Perimeter College students receive financial assistance.

How long will it take?

The typical pathway requires 60 semester hours — 42 hours in core curriculum and 18 hours in pathway courses.

Where will I take classes?
Alpharetta, Clarkston, Decatur, Dunwoody, Newton, Online (some courses)

Application Deadlines View Admissions Requirements

Fall Semester (starts in August) — Due by August 1
Spring Semester (starts in January) — Due by December 1
Summer Semester (starts in late May) — Due by May 1

Biology Pathway, A.S.

What Is Biology?

Biology is the science of life, from simple bacteria to complicated organisms. Biologists pursue a wide range of interests, among them researching diseases, exploring the evolution of organisms, modeling the complexity of ecosystems and examining the distribution of living organisms.

Why Study Biology?

Why do people get old and die? Why do seeds grow up, not down? How does injecting someone with a virus prevent them from catching it? Biologists learn the answers. Students of biology develop an understanding of how living things work and affect each other. They work to answer new questions about the natural world, whether it is about environmental impact or human health and well-being. Will building a new dam destroy a rare flower or increase populations of parasites? Where did the latest Salmonella outbreak originate? Why are some cancers resistant to chemotherapy? How do we make a vaccine for AIDS? Biologists perform research to discover answers to these questions, apply their research and teach the discoveries to a new generation.

A note on pathways: A pathway is an advising guide to help students prepare for their intended bachelor's degree major. By following the course of study outlined in the appropriate Associate of Arts or Associate of Science pathway, students will have the necessary prerequisite courses to continue in their chosen disciplines. A pathway is not a major and will not be represented on the diploma.

Pathway Highlights

“When I started to take classes at Perimeter College, I was timid and did not have a career goal set in mind. My interest in science started to form by taking science courses at Perimeter. Small-sized classes allowed me to better communicate with my classmates and professors, and gave me and my classmates the opportunity to build long-term friendships and mentorships with the professors, besides learning science. I am glad I chose Perimeter to start my college experience. I was not taught to memorize equations or principles, but I was taught to understand their basics and to be able to apply them. The ability to understand basic science allows me to explain and solve many cases in my current research.”

Nhat D. Quach
Perimeter College alumnus
Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry, Georgia Tech
Doctoral Candidate, Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences
University of Georgia

Pathway Details

The Biology pathway requires 42 hours of Core Curriculum and 18 hours of courses appropriate to the pathway. For up-to-date curriculum requirements, please visit the catalog.

As part of Georgia State University, Perimeter College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools: Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC) to award associate degrees. Successful completion of a pathway at Perimeter College leads to an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science degree. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Georgia State University.

Description

Careers

Biology opens the door to a variety of careers and leads to roles such as:

    ·       Botanist
    ·       Ecologist
    ·       Food and drug inspector
    ·       Forensic scientist
    ·       Forestry management specialist
    ·       Geneticist
    ·       Immunologist
    ·       Marine biologist
    ·       Science or medical writer
    ·       Physician
    ·       Microbiologist
    ·       Nuclear medicine technician
    ·       Pharmacist
    ·       Public health administrator
    ·       Researcher
    ·       Veterinarian
    ·       Wildlife biologist
    ·       Zoo educator

Check out the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ listings for biological scientists and other biology careers.

 

Contacts

Admissions
For help with applying or admissions, please review our website, visit a campus office, or contact us at 404-413-2500.

Alpharetta Campus

Science (LES and PS) Department
Contessa Paige
[email protected]
678-240-6037

Physical Sciences Department Chair
Dr. Solomon Fesseha
[email protected]
404-413-2387

Clarkston Campus

Department Chair Life and Earth Sciences
Dr. Deniz Ballero
[email protected]
678-212-7567

Interim Associate Chair for Life and Earth Sciences
Mark Graves
[email protected]
678-891-3750

Decatur Campus

Associate Chair for Science
Dr. Joann Joyner
[email protected]
678-891-2641

Dunwoody Campus

Interim Associate Chair for Life and Earth Sciences
Dr. Erin Morrey
[email protected]
770-274-5563

Newton Campus

Science (LES and PS) Department
Jill Heft
[email protected]
770-278-1263 

Associate Chair for Science
Dr. Mike Sakuta
[email protected]
770-278-1268

The information shared provides an overview of Georgia State’s offerings. For details on admissions requirements, tuition, courses and more, refer to the university catalogs.