该主题课程为对集中于生物学的自然科学单学科教学证书感兴趣的生物学学生提供了最低限度的准备。该课程符合加利福尼亚教师资格认证委员会设定的学术准备标准，并让学生有资格在高中阶段教授涵盖所有四门自然科学和生物学的通识科学。生物科学系提供本科和研究生学位课程。在本科级别，学生可以获得文学学士学位，理学学士学位或生物科学辅修学位。在理学学士学位课程中，学生可以通过选择以下一种或多种浓度来专注于他们的工作：生物医学，细胞与分子生物学，临床实验室科学，生态学，进化与保存，法医生物学或微生物学，或者学生可以选择获得普通生
The Science Subject Matter Program (SSMP), with emphases in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, and Physics, leads to a BA degree in the area of emphasis. It also meets the latest California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) subject-matter requirement to enter a teaching credential program in California. In order to obtain a California K-12 Teaching Credential, a program of professional education preparation (a teaching credential program) is required in addition to completing the SSMP. Completing the SSMP and teaching credential program allows graduates to teach all four sciences (biology, chemistry, geoscience, and physics) at the general/integrated 7th-12th grade science level, in addition to the student's area of concentration at the advanced high school level. A typical credential might read, for example, SCIENCE: Chemistry. The Biology SSMP provides the minimum preparation for biology students interested in the single subject teaching credential in the sciences with a concentration in biology. This program meets the standards for academic preparation set by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and qualifies students to teach general science covering all four natural sciences and biology at the high school level. A grade of at least a C- in all required Science Subject Matter Program courses is necessary in order to meet subject matter requirements for admission to a teaching credential program. If a grade of C- is not achieved in all SSMP courses, then the current CTC approved subject matter exam must be successfully passed in order to be eligible for admission to a teaching credential program (the current exam is the CSET, tests I, II, and III). At least 15 units of the coursework or equivalent work experience must be current, i.e., completed within the past six years.