Soon, you will meet with your AMP advisor to register for your first courses as a Beloiter. Do you have an interest in the sciences? At Beloit, students experience active, hands-on learning and hypothesis testing in their science coursework. You have direct access to instrumentation and equipment in our world-class, LEED-certified science center. Our professors are an active part of our community, so you will see them in the lab and at dance performances, lacrosse games, and other campus events. Our science courses emphasize quantitative reasoning, and communication and writing skills.
Let’s explore what you need to know about the sciences at Beloit.
What introductory science courses are offered in the fall semester?
Introductory science courses are open to all first-year students. This semester, you’ll have the opportunity to take Botany, Aquatic Biology, Human Biology, Chemistry, Earth: Exploring a Dynamic Planet, Evolution of the Earth, General Physics 1, Introduction to Astronomy, and Introduction to Engineering Design.
Should I take more than one science course in my first semester?
Yes. If you know you like science, but are unsure which discipline most interests you, then taking two science courses in different areas is an excellent way to explore. Alternatively, if you know you want to major in biology, then taking a chemistry course or a mathematics course in addition to biology is a good way to start making progress on your major. Making progress early on will allow flexibility to add a minor, another major, and/or study abroad later.
Why are science courses longer than others (e.g., the workshop format)?
Science courses are hands-on, and require more lab time to allow you to learn in a collaborative, supervised, and safe environment.
You will be using instrumentation and equipment that cannot be removed from lab spaces (e.g., chemicals, microscopes, electronics equipment, rare fossils, or mineral and rock samples).
Why do some classes have multiple meeting times?
All science courses are taught so that lecture, discussion, lab, and field work can happen at any time and during any time slot. However, some activities do require a longer time period than a one- or two-hour time slot — like a future chemistry experiment that has a longer reaction time, a field exercise that requires a van to travel to the field site, or your and your peers presenting your findings to your class.
I took an AP science course in high school. How does that count?
If you’ve scored a 4 or 5 on an AP exam, that course will count toward your Beloit College degree and may count as a prerequisite for more advanced courses and/or toward a major.
- AP Biology - May replace an introductory Biology course; contact department chair
- AP Chemistry - Credit for Introductory Chemistry, student may enroll in Chem 220 or 230, contact department chair
- AP Physics C: Mechanics - Credit for PHYS 101
- AP Physics C: Elec & Mag - Credit for PHYS 102
- AP Physics 1 - Credit for PHYS 101
- AP Physics 2 - Credit for 100-level Physics elective
If you have AP credit, be sure that your AP scores and/or transcripts are sent directly to the Registrar as soon as possible.
Interested in exploring the sciences at Beloit? Visit https://www.beloit.edu/academics/majors-minors/ to get started.
July 08, 2021
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