General Catalog 2007-2009

Department of Physical Sciences

Students who pursue one of the majors in the Physical Sciences Department will gain the skills that are increasingly demanded in today's highly technical world. It is the mission of the Physical Sciences Department to prepare students for a career in a scientific and/or technical field by developing their professional fitness, their proficiency with the problem-solving techniques of mathematics and science, and their expertise in using modern equipment and software. In keeping with the mission of the College to prepare students for their professional careers, our major programs also incorporate a variety of real-world projects, such as co-ops and internships, with our partners in local industry. The reward for the dedication and hard work required for successful completion of a major in this department is the key to enter the technical/professional world-in business or industry, in education, or further study in graduate school.

The Physical Sciences Department offers programs leading to the Bachelor of Science degree with majors in Chemistry, Clinical Laboratory Science, Computer Science, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Engineering Management, Forensic Chemistry, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Secondary Education General Science, and Secondary Education Mathematics. The Clinical Laboratory Science program includes three years of classroom and laboratory instruction followed by one year of hospital clinical study. (Two-year programs leading to the Associate of Science degree is offered in Chemistry and Physics.)

Baccalaureate Degree Programs

Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry

The Chemistry Major is designed to prepare students for graduate or professional studies or for employment as a chemist. The program of study follows guidelines outlined by the American Chemical Society.

Requirements For Graduation:

To be eligible for graduation, students majoring in Chemistry must complete a minimum of 124 credits, achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.0, satisfy the College's residency requirements, and complete the General Education Requirements of the College. Courses used to complete General Education Requirements may not be taken on a pass/fail basis, and credits earned in WRT100 may not be applied to degree requirements.

In addition, students majoring in chemistry must earn a 2.0 in all major courses.

The courses required for the Chemistry Major are:

Chemistry (suggested course sequence)

Bachelor of Science Degree in Clinical Laboratory Science

Students pursuing a B.S. in Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) complete three years of study at the College followed by a fourth clinical year of study in a hospital program for clinical laboratory science or medical technology technology. The hospital program must be accredited by NAACLS, the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science.

A clinical laboratory scientist performs tests under the direction of pathologists, physicians or scientists who specialize in clinical chemistry, microbiology, hematology, diagnosis of disease, and other clinical fields. Upon attaining the B.S. degree and passing the National Registry Examination, the clinical laboratory scientist is qualified to work in medical laboratories in hospitals or private facilities, research laboratories, industrial laboratories, and in a variety of other laboratory positions.

Application to hospital programs is initiated by the student during the summer before the junior year, students arrange with the clinical laboratory science coordinator to apply for the senior clinical year. While qualified applicants normally are accepted into a clinical year program, the College cannot guarantee acceptance because there may be an insufficient number of available openings in area programs. The College assists students throughout the selection process. Selection criteria used by hospitals for clinical year candidates include student's cumulative GPA, letters of recommendation, personal interviews, and college affiliation. For more details, see Requirements for Graduation which follow.

Should a student elect not to continue in the Clinical Laboratory Science Program or not be admitted to the hospital-based professional program, the student can changes majors or reapply the following year.

The clinical year is normally a twelve-month program beginning in August of a student's senior year. Students will register with the College during the clinical year of study; however, no tuition is remitted to the College. The College financial aid office remains available for assistance to students for paying tuition costs to the Clinical Laboratory Science school. Students are permitted to participate in the formal spring graduation ceremony at the College even though the clinical year program is still in progress.

York College is affiliated with York Hospital, York, PA; St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, Philadelphia, PA; Lancaster General College of Nursing and Health Science, Lancaster, PA.; and W Hospital, Jamestown, NY. The programs of study vary somewhat with each hospital. Students may pursue the senior clinical year of study at the affiliate hospitals or NAACLS accredited non-affiliate programs.

Requirements For Graduation:

To be eligible for graduation, students majoring in Clinical Laboratory Science must complete a minimum of 129 credits, achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.0, satisfy the College's residency requirements, and complete the General Education requirements of the College. Courses used to complete General Education requirements may not be taken on a pass/fail basis, and credits earned in WRT100 may not be applied to degree requirements.

In addition, students majoring in Clinical Laboratory Science must apply to a hospital clinical laboratory science or medical technology school (NAACLS accreditation required) the summer before the junior year, for admission to the senior clinical year program. A minimum 2.5 grade point average is required for eligibility: however, students are encouraged to maintain a 3.0 grade point average in order to be competitive for admission to the senior year programs. All General Education requirements and all required courses for the major (except CLS401-6) must be completed before the student enters the clinical year.

The courses required for the Clinical Laboratory Science major are:

Clinical Laboratory Science (suggested course sequence)

Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science

York College offers a full spectrum of academic opportunities for students interested in pursuing a career in the fast-growing and ever-changing field of computing. Students may choose to pursue the B.S. degree in Computer Science offered by the Physical Sciences Department, or the B.S. degree in either Information Systems/

Development or Information Systems/End User support offered by the Business Department. The major program in Computer Science is designed for those pursuing computing careers in a technical or scientific field, whereas the major programs in Information Systems are oriented toward those pursuing business computing careers.

The Computer Science program is built on guidelines recommended by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) computer society, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and it is also accreditable under the guidelines established by the ABET Computing Accrediting Commission (CAC). Consistent with the mission of the College to help students prepare for their post-graduate careers, the program blends the practical with the theoretical. Expertise and perspective gained from the business side of computing through several required and elective Information Systems courses augment the technical and scientific education gained through the required Computer Science and Physical Science courses. In their final year of study, students put together the technical, theoretical, and practical aspects of the program through industry internships and/or upper level projects and a required senior project.

Requirements For Graduation:

To be eligible for graduation, students majoring in Computer Science must complete a minimum of 128 credits, achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.0, satisfy the College's residency requirements, and complete the General Education Requirements of the College. Courses used to complete General Education Requirements may not be taken on a pass/fail basis, and credits earned in WRT100 may not be applied to degree requirements.

In addition, students majoring in Computer Science must achieve a grade of 2.0 or higher in all major requirements. At least four 300-400 level courses and one programming language course must be taken at York College.

The required courses for the Computer Science major are:

Computer Science (suggested course sequence)

Requirements of the Computer Science Minor:

CS200 Fundamentals of Programming and Algorithms I

And

CS201 Fundamentals of Programming and Alogrithms II

OR

IFS200 Introduction to Programming and Software Engineering I And

IFS201 Introduction to Programming and Software Engineering II

MAT171 Calculus I OR

MAT120 Applied Calculus

One of the following courses:

One of the following courses(must be different than the course selected from the above category):

Bachelor of Science Degree in Forensic Chemistry

The Forensic Chemistry major is designed to give students the rigorous scientific and other professional training needed for a forensic laboratory career in law enforcement or related fields and/or to pursue graduate studies in chemistry, forensic science, or law. Program graduates will additionally acquire expertise in scientifically analyzing forensic evidence and in explaining its technical significance in a mock court of law. The Forensic Chemistry degree program follows the guidelines recommended by the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC) and by the Technical Working Group for Education and Training in Forensic Sciences (TWGED).

Requirements For Graduation:

To be eligible for graduation, students majoring in Forensic Chemistry must complete a minimum of 126 credits, achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.0, satisfy the College's residency requirements, and complete the General Education Requirements of the College. Courses used to complete General Education Requirements may not be taken on a pass/fail basis, and credits earned in WRT100 may not be applied to degree requirements.

The required courses for the Forensic Chemistry major are:

Forensic Chemistry (suggested course sequence)

Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics

The major in Mathematics is based on the program recommended by the Mathematical Association of America. It is designed to prepare students for either a career in mathematics or a mathematics-related field, or to continue their studies in graduate school. We encourage undergraduate research experiences and/or industry internships to help our students prepare for their postgraduate careers.

Requirements For Graduation:

To be eligible for graduation, students majoring in Mathematics must complete a minimum of 124 credits, achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.0, satisfy the College's residency requirements, and complete the General Education Requirements of the College. Courses used to complete General Education Requirements may not be taken on a pass/fail basis, and credits earned in WRT100 may not be applied to degree requirements.

In addition, students majoring in Mathematics must maintain a 2.0 average in all major requirements.

The required courses for the Mathematics major are:

Mathematics (suggested course sequence)

The student may choose to complete courses from one of the following career-oriented tracks:

Main Menu