The College of St. Scholastica


The School of Sciences offers two general degrees: Natural Sciences and Social Sciences.

 A major in Natural Sciences allows a student to pursue a broad, general science education by selecting courses from the physical, chemical, biological and earth sciences, and mathematics. This Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree program requires a minimum of 36 credits, with 20 credits taken in one department. At least 16 course credits must be earned at the 3000-level or higher.

A degree in Natural Sciences may be appropriate for entry-level employment requiring a technical background such as:

  • sales agent for laboratory equipment and supplies;
  • pharmaceutical sales representative; or
  • laboratory technician.

Students desiring to pursue graduate work in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, or mathematics should earn the major in those fields since the Natural Sciences degree is not intended to provide the needed depth of study. However, a Natural Sciences major can be combined with appropriate coursework in other areas to prepare for admission to graduate or professional school in interdisciplinary fields. Possible examples include:

  • law school (especially for patent law);
  • environmental studies or environmental science;
  • medical, optometry, pharmacy, dental, physician assistant programs; and
  • forensics, among others.

With the assistance of the dean, students can use the Natural Sciences major to design a program that combines study of the basic sciences with management, writing, or computer courses. Because careful planning is essential in choosing courses wisely, students are strongly encouraged to consult with the dean of the School of Sciences early in their college career about choosing this major.

A major in Social Sciences allows a student to pursue a broad range of issues by selecting courses in psychology, sociology, gerontology, economics, and political science.  At the discretion of the dean of the School of Sciences, courses having strong social science emphasis may be selected from other fields.

This Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree program requires a minimum of 36 credits, with at least 16 credits taken in one department and 8 credits in a second department.  A minimum of 16 course credits must be earned at the 3000-level or higher.

The Social Sciences major may be a good preparation for several graduate or professional areas  (for example: law school, human services, public administration) even though it does not provide sufficient background for graduate study in a specific social science.

If you have questions about the Natural Sciences or Social Sciences major you can contact the dean of the School of Sciences,   Lawrence McGahey, Ph.D.