BA in Natural and Applied Sciences

The Natural and Applied Sciences program provides students with a liberal arts education emphasizing basic sciences. Students may develop a concentration focusing on the biology of human health and illness or one focusing on environmental issues.

The concentration in the biology of human health and illness is designed to provide students with a sufficient understanding of human biology to enable them to pursue careers in health education, to teach life sciences, to make wise health care decisions, to better communicate with health care providers, and/or to continue their education in health- and science-related fields (e.g., immunology, public health).

The environmental issues concentration provides students with a sufficient understanding of environmental issues to enable them to pursue careers in fields focused on the environment, ecology, conservation, and natural resource management, to make wise decisions concerning the use of natural resources and the preservation of natural areas and species, to communicate with regional planners, to teach life sciences, and/or to continue their education in related environmental fields.

A critical component of this degree program is the internship, selected with the assistance of the director of field experiences. Students identify an organization that will enable them to evaluate potential career opportunities and develop workplace skills. Students must complete USM’s Core curriculum.

Before taking 300-level courses, students must have completed the following prerequisite courses (9 credits) with grades of at least C: Microcomputers and Applications, College Writing, and College Algebra.