students counting microbes in biology lab

Biology

Explore the wonders of life with Butte College’s Biology program. Whether you're preparing for a career in healthcare, research, or environmental science, our engaging courses and lab experiences provide a strong foundation in the biological sciences.

Programs

Program Name
Goal
Length
Flexibility
AS-T AS

Goal

Career or Transfer

Length

2 years

Flexibility

  • Main Campus
AS-T

Associate Degree for Transfer in Biology

Students completing Associate Degrees for Transfer are guaranteed admission to the CSU system; see the beginning of the “Academic Programs” section for details. The AS-T in Biology requires completion and certification of the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC for STEM) in addition to the AS-T major requirements. Students are strongly encouraged to work with a counselor to identify major coursework that can also fulfill IGETC for STEM categories.

AS

Associate Degree in Biological Science

This program meets the lower division major preparation for a similar major at CSU, Chico. This major also serves as a basis for pre-medicine, pre-dentistry and pre-veterinarian students. Upon successful completion of the Associate Degree in Biology, students will be able to critically analyze and clearly communicate an understanding of scientific work within the framework of the scientific method. They will demonstrate the academic skills necessary for success in upper-division biology courses after transfer and apply foundational biological principles, including evolution, taxonomy, and ecological, physiological, and molecular processes.

Flexibility

Both programs in this cluster rely on Main Campus for all required science and major coursework, so plan on being there to complete either degree. The Chico Center, Glenn Center, and Online can help with general education classes, and the Chico Center offers a small portion of major coursework, but neither can replace Main Campus for the core requirements. Since offerings can shift, check with a counselor as you plan your schedule.

How this flexibility note was generated

⚠ AI-generated content can be wrong. This note was produced by Claude (Anthropic) by synthesizing the individual program flexibility statements in this cluster. Verify against the per-program reports before relying on it.
You are synthesizing a single cluster-level flexibility statement for a community college academic cluster (a group of related programs that share a department-page accordion).

CLUSTER
  Title: Biological Science
  Programs in cluster: 2

PER-PROGRAM STATEMENTS
  • Biology (AS-T Degree):
      For Biology, plan on being at Main Campus — that's where all your required coursework reliably runs, so you can complete the major there. The Chico Center only reliably covers a small piece of the requirements, so it can't stand alone; you'd still need Main Campus for the rest. Glenn Center and Online work fine for general education, but not for the biology requirements themselves. Check in with a counselor as you build your schedule, since course offerings can shift.
  • Biological Science (AS Degree):
      For your Biological Science AS, plan on being at Main Campus — that's where all of your required science and major coursework has been reliably offered. Chico Center, Glenn Center, and Online can help you knock out general education classes, but they won't cover the required biology coursework itself. Schedules can shift, so check in with a counselor as you map out your semesters.

WHAT TO WRITE
  Write 2 to 3 sentences — under 120 words total — that summarize the AVAILABILITY STORY shared by these programs. Most programs in a cluster will have similar availability — name the common pattern. Note distinct outliers ONLY if a program's availability story differs in a way that affects student decisions (e.g., one program is online-only, others are not).

  - Plain, student-facing language.
  - Refer to "the programs in this cluster" or "these programs" — don't list each program by name unless an outlier needs calling out.
  - If all programs share the same flexibility story, write one unified statement.
  - Do NOT list percentages, term codes, or jargon.
  - Lead with the most flexible/strongest availability and follow with caveats.
  - Refer to locations ONLY by official center names (Main Campus, Chico Center, Glenn Center, Skyway Center, Cosmetology Center, Online). NEVER use a city or town name — no Oroville, no Willows, and never "Chico" as a city. Write "at the Chico Center", never "in Chico" — even if a per-program statement below used a city name, do not repeat it.

OUTPUT
  Return ONLY the statement text. No preamble, no quotation marks, no markdown.
AS

Goal

Transfer or Career

Length

2 years

Flexibility

  • Main Campus
  • Glenn Center
AS

Associate Degree in Health Occupations Preparation

The Associate of Science in Health Occupations Preparation prepares students for entry into programs such as licensed vocational nursing, registered nursing, and respiratory therapy at Butte College. It also provides a foundation for transfer into healthcare-related programs at neighboring community colleges and four-year institutions. Students are encouraged to consult with a counselor to review requirements for their intended pathway.

Flexibility

The program in this cluster can be completed fully at either Main Campus or Glenn Center, so plan to base yourself at one of those locations. The Chico Center and Online each offer a substantial portion of the required coursework, but not all of it, so relying on either alone would leave gaps to fill elsewhere. Meet with a counselor to map out a course sequence that fits your schedule.

How this flexibility note was generated

⚠ AI-generated content can be wrong. This note was produced by Claude (Anthropic) by synthesizing the individual program flexibility statements in this cluster. Verify against the per-program reports before relying on it.
You are synthesizing a single cluster-level flexibility statement for a community college academic cluster (a group of related programs that share a department-page accordion).

CLUSTER
  Title: Health Occupations Preparation
  Programs in cluster: 1

PER-PROGRAM STATEMENTS
  • Health Occupations Preparation (AS Degree):
      You can plan to complete this degree with your required coursework fully available at either Main Campus or Glenn Center, so you'll want to base yourself at one of those. The Chico Center and Online each cover a good chunk of the required courses but not all, so relying on either alone would leave gaps you'd need to fill elsewhere. Check in with a counselor to map out the specific sequence that fits your schedule.

WHAT TO WRITE
  Write 2 to 3 sentences — under 120 words total — that summarize the AVAILABILITY STORY shared by these programs. Most programs in a cluster will have similar availability — name the common pattern. Note distinct outliers ONLY if a program's availability story differs in a way that affects student decisions (e.g., one program is online-only, others are not).

  - Plain, student-facing language.
  - Refer to "the programs in this cluster" or "these programs" — don't list each program by name unless an outlier needs calling out.
  - If all programs share the same flexibility story, write one unified statement.
  - Do NOT list percentages, term codes, or jargon.
  - Lead with the most flexible/strongest availability and follow with caveats.
  - Refer to locations ONLY by official center names (Main Campus, Chico Center, Glenn Center, Skyway Center, Cosmetology Center, Online). NEVER use a city or town name — no Oroville, no Willows, and never "Chico" as a city. Write "at the Chico Center", never "in Chico" — even if a per-program statement below used a city name, do not repeat it.

OUTPUT
  Return ONLY the statement text. No preamble, no quotation marks, no markdown.
Department Biology

Full Time Faculty

Cody Frazer

Biological Sciences Instructor

Melody Schmid

Biological Sciences Instructor

Shahroukh Mistry

Biological Sciences Instructor

Julie Jenks

Biological Sciences Instructor

Andrea White

Biological Sciences Instructor

Michael Matiasek

Biological Sciences Instructor

Mandeep Grewal

Biological Sciences Instructor

Suzanne Wakim

Biological Sciences Instructor

Gary Lechner

Biological Sciences Instructor

Jill Terra

Biological Sciences Instructor

Hannah Higuera

Biological Sciences Instructor

Shannamar Dewey

Biological Sciences Instructor

Kelly Wood

Biological Sciences Instructor

Nijmah Ali

Biological Sciences Instructor

Associate Faculty

Elizabeth Bianchini

Biological Sciences Instructor

David Donnell

Biological Sciences Instructor

Annabella Kraut

Biological Sciences Instructor

Kathy Stone

Biological Sciences Instructor

Thaddaeus Winzenz

Biological Sciences Instructor

Rachel Schleiger

Biological Sciences Instructor

Katherine Lucot Smith

Biological Sciences Instructor

Department Contacts

Office: SCI 120
Department phone: (530) 879-6106
Contact phone: (530) 895-2580

Looking for Something Else?

Other Departments in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics

Explore Other Communities of Interest

All Programs

Five Butte College graduates pose together in their caps and gowns.

Start Here Go Anywhere

Department Biology