Major-Specific Course Recommendations for Transfer Students

The following recommendations have been made with the Academic Pathway for each CNMS major and the coursework that is typically available to community college transfer students in mind. Transfer students from four-year institutions and from STEM-focused community colleges may find a greater selection of coursework available to take prior to transfer – see the bottom of the page (or the major’s Academic Pathway) for additional recommendations for students with those opportunities.
UMBC course numbers are shown in parentheses after each course title, so that students using Artsys or the TES Course Articulation Database can identify relevant courses more easily.

 

Major Entering UMBC with 30 transfer credits? Have these courses complete: Entering UMBC with 60 transfer credits? Complete all of the recommended courses for transfers with 30 credits, plus: Other Things to Know
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, BS (BIOC BS)
  • Principles of Chemistry 1 & 2 (CHEM101/102/102L)
  • Calculus & Analytic Geometry 1 & 2 (MATH151/152)
  • English Composition (ENGL100)
  • At least two (2) General Education Courses
  • Organic Chemistry 1 & 2 with labs (CHEM351/351L/352/352L)
  • Foundations of Biology 1 & 2 (BIOL140/141)
  • Introductory Physics 1 & 2 (Calculus-based)  (PHYS121/122)
  • At least three (3) General Education courses
  • Comprehensive Biochemistry 1 & 2 (CHEM437 – Fall only/438) and Biochemistry Laboratory (CHEM437L) must be taken at UMBC.
  • Offered only at Main Campus
Bioinformatics & Computational Biology, BS (BINF BS)
  • Principles of Chemistry 1 & 2 (CHEM101/102/102L)
  • Calculus & Analytic Geometry 1 & 2 (MATH151/152)
  • Foundations of Biology 1 & 2 (BIOL140/141)
  • English Composition (ENGL100)
  • At least two (2) General Education courses
  • Linear Algebra (MATH221)
  • Organic Chemistry 1 (CHEM351)
  • Computer Science for Majors 1 & 2 (CMSC201/202)
  • At least three (3) General Education courses

Students should investigate whether Organic Chemistry 2 (CHEM352/352L) will be required for their post-Bachelor’s-degree plans. If so, complete the Orgo “pair”  before transferring. Pre-Health Professions and Pre-Allied Health Professions students should be particularly aware of this potential need.
  • The Bioinformatics and Computational Biology major requires that at least six BIOL and/or CMSC courses required for the major to be completed at UMBC. Students whose transfer coursework exceeds the maximum allowable number of BIOL and/or CMSC transferred courses will be required to take additional BIOL and CMSC courses-in-residency to meet this requirement.
  • Offered only at Main Campus
Biological Sciences, BA or BS (BIOL BA or BS)
  • Applied Calculus (MATH155, BA only) or Calculus & Analytic Geometry 1 (MATH151, BA or BS)
  • Principles of Chemistry 1 & 2 (CHEM101/102/102L)
  • Foundations of Biology 1 & 2 (BIOL140/141)
  • English Composition (ENGL100)
  • Two (2) General Education Courses (Arts & Humanities or Culture)
  • Organic Chemistry 1 (CHEM351/351L)
  • Basic Physics 1 & 2 (PHYS111/112)
  • At least three (3) General Education courses

Students should investigate whether Organic Chemistry 2 (CHEM352/352L) will be required for their post-Bachelor’s-Degree plans. If so, complete the Orgo “pair”  before transferring. Pre-Health Professions and Pre-Allied Health Professions students should be particularly aware of this potential need.
  • The Biological Sciences Department requires that students complete at least FOUR of the courses fulfilling the BIOL coursework requirements for the Biological Sciences major to be completed at UMBC. Students whose transfer coursework exceeds the maximum allowable number of transferred courses applicable to BIOL course requirements (including Organic Chemistry 2 with lab for BIOL BS students) will be required to take additional upper-level BIOL electives in order to meet the BIOL courses-in-residency minimum. There are no limits on the institutional origin of CHEM (through Organic Chemistry 1), MATH, PHYS, or STAT coursework.
  • Offered only at Main Campus
Biology Education, BA (BIOE BA)
  • Applied Calculus (MATH155)
  • Principles of Chemistry 1 & 2 (CHEM101/102/102L)
  • Foundations of Biology 1 & 2 (BIOL140/141)
  • English Composition (ENGL100)
  • Introduction to Psychology (PSYC100)
  • Organic Chemistry 1 (CHEM351)
  • Basic Physics 1 & 2 (PHYS111/112)
  • If available, Molecular & General Genetics (BIOL302) and Cell Biology (BIOL303)
  • Psychology of Learning (PSYC210)

Check with your institution for the availability of transferable Education (EDUC) coursework. UMBC’s EDUC310 is typically taken by sophomores in the Secondary Science Teaching Certification programs (and, if possible, EDUC311), but confer with UMBC’s Department of Education for additional recommendations.
  •  Offered only at Main Campus
Chemistry, BA or BS (CHEM BA or BS)
  • Principles of Chemistry 1 & 2 (CHEM101/102/102L)
  • Calculus & Analytic Geometry 1 & 2 (MATH151/152)
  • English Composition (ENGL100)
  • At least two (2) General Education courses
  • Organic Chemistry 1 & 2 (CHEM351/351L/352/352L)
  • Introductory Physics 1 & 2 (Calculus-based) (PHYS 121/122)
  • Multivariable Calculus (MATH251, BS degree only)
  • At least three (3) General Education courses
  •  Offered only at Main Campus
Chemistry Education, BA (CHED BA)
  • Principles of Chemistry 1 & 2 (CHEM101/102/102L)
  • Calculus & Analytic Geometry 1 & 2 (MATH151/152)
  • English Composition (ENGL100)
  • Introduction to Psychology (PSYC100)
  • Organic Chemistry 1 & 2 with labs (CHEM351/351L/352/352L)
  • Introductory Physics 1 & 2 (Calculus-based) (PHYS121/122)
  • Western Civilizations 1 or 2 (HIST110 or 111)

Check with your institution for the availability of transferable Education (EDUC) coursework. UMBC’s EDUC310 is typically taken by sophomores in the Secondary Science Teaching Certification programs (and, if possible, EDUC311), but confer with UMBC’s Department of Education for additional recommendations.
  •  Offered only at Main Campus
Mathematics, BA or BS (MATH BA or BS)
  • Calculus & Analytic Geometry 1 & 2 (MATH151/152)
  • Linear Algebra (MATH221)
  • Computer Science for Majors 1 (CMSC201)
  • English Composition (ENGL100)
  • At least two (2) General Education courses
  • Multivariable Calculus (MATH251)
  • Introduction to Differential Equations (MATH225)
  • Introductory Physics 1 & 2 (PHYS121/122) – required for MATH BS, can be used as a supplementary elective for MATH BA
  • At least three (3) General Education courses
  •  Offered only at Main Campus
Physics, BS (PHYS BS)
  • Introductory Physics 1 & 2 (Calculus- based) (PHYS121/122)
  • Calculus & Analytic Geometry 1 & 2 (MATH151/152)
  • Computer Science for Majors 1 (CMSC201)
  • English Composition (ENGL100)
  • At least two (2) General Education courses
  • Linear Algebra (MATH 221)
  • Multivariable Calculus (MATH251)
  • Introduction to Differential Equations (MATH225)
  • At least three (3) General Education courses
  • Due to the limited availability of required sophomore-level PHYS courses at many community colleges, completion of a PHYS degree within two years of transfer is very challenging for students who transfer in at the 60-credit point. Students in this scenario should consider taking PHYS133L and/or PHYS 211 in Summer session prior to entering UMBC in order to ease their first-semester workload. More information about STEM courses routinely offered in summer can be found on the Summer STEM at UMBC program web site.
  • Offered only at Main Campus
Physics Education, BA (PHSE BA)
  • Introductory Physics 1 & 2 (Calculus- based) (PHYS121/122)
  • Calculus & Analytic Geometry 1 & 2 (MATH151/152)
  • Computer Science for Majors 1 (CMSC201)
  • English Composition (ENGL100)
  • Introduction to Psychology (PSYC100)
  • Two (2) General Education Courses (Arts & Humanities or Culture)
  • Linear Algebra (MATH 221)
  • Multivariable Calculus (MATH251)
  • Introduction to Differential Equations (MATH225)
  • Foundations of Biology 1 (BIOL141)
  • At least two (2) General Education courses (Arts & Humanities or Culture)

Check with your institution for the availability of transferable Education (EDUC) coursework. UMBC’s EDUC310 is typically taken by sophomores in the Secondary Science Teaching Certification programs (and, if possible, EDUC311), but confer with UMBC’s Department of Education for additional recommendations.
  • Due to the limited availability of required sophomore-level PHYS courses at many community colleges, and the timing of the Field Experience (student teaching) requirements for certification (which have some Fall-to-Spring course sequencing), completion of a PHSE degree within two years of transfer is very challenging for students who transfer in at the 60-credit point. Students in this scenario should consider taking PHYS133L and/or PHYS 211 in Summer session prior to entering UMBC, in order to ease their first-semester workload. More information about STEM courses routinely offered in summer can be found on the UMBC Summer STEM program web site.
  • Offered only at Main Campus
Statistics, BS (STAT BS)
  • Calculus & Analytic Geometry 1 & 2 (MATH151/152)
  • Linear Algebra (MATH221)
  • English Composition (ENGL100)
  • At least four (4) General Education courses
  • Multivariable Calculus (MATH251)
  • Public Communication (SPCH100)
  • At least three (3) General Education Courses

Students may also wish to consider taking Computer Science for Majors 1 (CMSC201), which may be used toward STAT major elective requirements
  •  Offered only at Main Campus
Translational Life Sciences Technology, BS (TLST BS)
  • Applied Calculus (MATH155) or Calculus & Analytic Geometry 1 (MATH151)
  • Principles of Chemistry 1 & 2 with labs (CHEM101/102/102L)
  • Foundations of Biology 1 & 2, with labs (BIOL140/141 & BIOL300L)
  • English Composition (ENGL100)
  • At least three (3) General Education courses
  • Organic Chemistry 1 with lab (CHEM351/351L)
  • Microbiology (BIOL273) *
  • Molecular & General Genetics (BIOL302)
  • Basic Physics 1 (PHYS111) *
  • At least five (5) General Education courses

* If these courses are not completed prior to enrollment at USG, students will need to complete the courses concurrently at either main campus or at another institution as they are prerequisites for BTEC coursework.
  • Offered only at Shady Grove Campus
  • General Education courses in the Social Sciences (SS) and Culture (C) categories are more readily available at the Shady Grove Campus. Students are encouraged to fulfill as much of the the Foreign Language Proficiency requirement (equivalent to the 201-level in a language other than English) and Arts & Humanities requirement (3 courses, from at least 2 different disciplines) prior to transfer.