Gwynedd Mercy Academic University Criteria for Admission , Progression and Retention AY2023-2024 Undergraduate Academic Catalog
Program Admissions Requirements and Procedures : Biology applicants are required to have units in biology , chemistry , algebra I , algebra II and geometry or equivalent within the required 16 high school units . Biology students who opt to submit SAT scores are required to have an SAT score of 530 or higher in math . Students who do not submit test scores must submit at least one letter of recommendation from a science teacher and may be required to schedule an admissions interview .
Internal / External Transfers : Students transferring to the Biology Program at GMercyU from outside the institution must apply to the University and meet the minimum program requirements . To receive credit for courses taken elsewhere , submission of a transcript must be submitted , and the program may request a course syllabus to appropriately evaluate course equivalency . Once accepted , students will meet with the program coordinator to determine the appropriate time expected to graduation given the student ’ s prior coursework .
Students transferring into the Biology Program from another program at GMercyU must meet with the coordinator of the program to discuss the program and determine whether they qualify for acceptance into the program and , if so , what the timeline to degree completion would be . If accepted , the student must submit a change-of-major form . At that time , they will be assigned an academic advisor who will work with the student to plan their degree progress .
Academic Standards / Grade Requirements : Grades of “ C ” or higher are required in each major course in the Natural Sciences Department . A student may achieve less than a “ C ” grade in only two major courses , including mathematics requirements , and their prerequisites , and they may repeat these courses only once . If a student , regardless of cumulative grade point average , achieves less than a “ C ” grade on the third major course , or fails to bring all grades up to a “ C ” with one repeat , the student may be dismissed from the program .
Attendance Policies : Students are expected to adhere to the attendance policies outlined by course instructors in individual courses . Attendance is required in all laboratory courses .
Academic Progress , Probation , and Program Dismissal : At the end of each academic semester , your progress toward the bachelor ’ s degree in biology will be reviewed by a committee composed of the full- time faculty of the biology program . If your progress toward the degree is considered unsatisfactory , the committee will examine your transcript in detail . If the unsatisfactory final grade is a first-time occurrence , you will receive a letter from the program coordinator notifying you of your unsatisfactory progress . If the unsatisfactory grade is a second occurrence involving two different courses , you will receive a letter from the program coordinator notifying you of your continued unsatisfactory progress and placing you on program probation , with a strong warning of the consequences of a third unsatisfactory grade . If the unsatisfactory grade is a third occurrence or if it is a second unsatisfactory grade in a course you have repeated , this is grounds for dismissal from the program .
You may appeal the dismissal decision in writing and the committee will consider all circumstances before deciding whether the dismissal decision should be upheld or if you should continue program probation . Information provided by relevant faculty will be considered during the committee ’ s deliberations on dismissal . If you are facing dismissal from the biology program for academic
deficiencies , you may petition for a suspension from the program for one academic year instead of 94