Please review this page to learn about additional universal university policies and terms.

There are a variety of administrative forms students may complete based on their specific situation. These include petitions, appeal forms, academic renewal, early reinstatement, credit overload, and more. Students are encouraged to contact the front desk when they schedule an advising appointment to inform them about the form they would like to complete so that their advisor can prepare it in advance.

All Biological Sciences majors must complete a minimum of one upper-division Biology course from each of the following categories: List A - Cell Structure and Function, List B - Organismal Structure and Function, and List C - Biological Diversity. Please review the list guide for the most updated information about which courses satisfy these categories.

Students enrolled in a Biology course (abbreviated BIOL) are only able to attempt the course three times. If a student does not successfully complete the course within three attempts, that student will no longer be permitted to enroll in the course in the future. This includes attempts that are audited, grades and withdrawn.

Students who have reached the limit of retakes will be unable to transfer credit for these courses from another institution to complete a Biological Sciences degree at UNLV. If the courses cannot be retaken and are essential for completion of the degree, the student will be required to change their major when eligible. Successful course completion requires a letter grade of C or better for core Biology courses (BIOL 190A, 190L, 191A, 191L, 351, 300 or 304, & 415).

Please view the Resources webpage for links to various campus resources, including:

A minimum of 120 total credits are needed to graduate with any science degree. A minimum of 150 total credits are needed to graduate with two degrees of different disciplines. Please note that some students may exceed this minimum requirements depending on prerequisite, course repeat, and placement scenarios.

To learn more about a course, as well as its prerequisites, please consult the most updated UNLV undergraduate catalog.

Science-based courses expire upon admission to UNLV after 10 calendar years. Completed courses for active students will not expire during the duration of their studies as long as the student’s account status remains active at UNLV.

Credit overloads are approved on a case-by-case basis by the college that houses your major. Students in the College of Sciences should have a minimum 3.30 cumulative GPA and have earned 30 or more credit hours to be considered for a credit overload.

Please talk to your advisor if you would like to submit a credit overload request. All overload petitions are reviewed by the advising center and the Executive Associate Dean of the college.

The College of Sciences Advising Center assists current and prospective UNLV students pursuing a major or minor within one of the following science departments:

  • Biological Sciences
  • Chemistry
  • Geosciences
  • Mathematical Sciences
  • Physics

If you are an Exploring major, you must have also completed a First Year Seminar course and MATH 126.

The College of Sciences requires a 2.5 cumulative GPA and placement in MATH 126 or higher in order to declare a major in the College of Sciences.

Students who desire to declare a major or minor outside of the College of Sciences are advised to contact the specific advising center that houses that prospective major or minor. Students are unable to declare a major or minor, or any combination thereof, within the same department as their current major. Ex. a Biology major can’t minor in Biology.

Students who withdraw from a course are no longer be permitted to attend the course and will receive a W grade on their transcript. Students who audit a course will still be permitted to attend the course and will receive an AD grade on their transcript. W and AD grades count as attempted credits, but they will not impact a student’s UNLV GPA.

Auditing is helpful for students planning to retake the course in an upcoming semester. Please be aware of the drop/audit deadlines each semester and contact Financial Aid & Scholarships to discuss any financial consequences from dropping or auditing a course.

Some courses that are similar in content may be considered to be cross-listed or have duplicate credits with another course. This information will be displayed underneath the course description in MyUNLV or on the course catalog. Students are encouraged to talk to their academic advisor about the implications of enrolling in these types of courses.

Holds are placed by departments for a variety of reasons. Students who have an advising hold and are pursuing a major within the College of Sciences should contact their advising center. If another department placed the hold, they should contact that department directly. The contact information is displayed in the “hold description” section of the Rebel Homepage in MyUNLV.

Holds can restrict enrollment in courses. Students whose enrollment date has passed, have no holds on their account, and believe that they are eligible to enroll in the course should contact the department that houses that course (e.g. School of Life Sciences for Biology courses). The department will be able to verify course eligibility and assist with enrollment.

Enrollment in 12 or more credits is considered full-time status for undergraduate students at UNLV. Certain financial aid packages and scholarships require a student to be enrolled full time. Please contact Financial Aid & Scholarships for more information.

For an updated list of Multicultural and International course options, please click here.

Please note: There are double dipper options available to fulfill the Multicultural or International requirements while also fulfilling a Humanities, Fine Arts, or Social Science requirement. Please refer to this list for additional details. Please discuss double dipper options with your academic advisor before taking the class as some options are not available or applicable to all majors.

For an updated list of First Year Seminar (FYS), Second Year Seminar (SYS), English, Math, and US/NV Constitution core course options, please click here. Please note: Math course requirements for science majors are higher than the minimum math requirements for general education. Please consult with your advisor to clarify the math courses required for your science degree.

For an updated list of Humanities, Fine Arts, Life and Physical Science, Analytical Thinking, and Social Science Course options, please click here. Please note: Students solely pursuing an undergraduate degree within the College of Sciences do not require the completion of the Life and Physical Sciences and an Analytical Thinking course as these courses are embedded within the degree curriculum. If you are a dual major also completing a program in another college, please consult with your academic advisor in that program to determine the necessity of these specific general education courses.

Students must receive a 2.0 or higher cumulative GPA to stay in good academic standing within the College of Sciences and to graduate once all degree requirements are met. Some degree programs may have a major-specific GPA that must be met as well. Students can view their GPA through their Rebel Homepage via MyUNLV. Some scholarships may also be dependent on a certain cumulative or semester GPA.

Students’ semester GPA is calculated based on the courses completed in a given semester, while their cumulative GPA includes all courses completed at UNLV. Transfer courses may meet certain degree requirements, but will not factor into their UNLV GPA. Withdrawals and audits also do not factor into a student’s GPA.

Students who are interested in calculating their Sciences GPA for professional school preparation are encouraged to review the information available on the Pre-Professional Advising Center website.

2.000 or higher cumulative UNLV GPA is required for graduation. Some majors, like Biological Sciences, have a 2.000 subject-specific GPA requirement as well.

Students are unable to double major, double minor, or pursue a major and minor combo within the same College of Sciences department. For example, a student pursuing a Mathematics BS is unable to declare a Statistics Minor since both programs are contained within the Mathematics department. Additionally, Biochemistry BS majors are unable to declare a major or minor in Biology or Chemistry, and General Science BS majors are unable to declare a major or minor in any other College of Sciences discipline. Please consult with your advisor with any questions.

University Libraries has a plethora of research databases and resources to assist science students. The links below will provide great starting points for your research needs.

Students who have earned less than 30 credits may enroll in a maximum of 17 credits per semester. Students who have earned 30 or more credits may enroll in a maximum of 18 credits per semester. Earned credits include transfer and AP/IB credits.

Summer term I limits students to a maximum of 4 credits, while summer term II and III limit students to 7 credits per term. Students who wish to exceed these limitations must submit a credit overload form, which they can receive from their advising center.

Mid-semester courses are offered to students during the middle of each academic semester. These credit-bearing courses are five weeks long. The UNLV Academic Success Center has a webpage that provides more information about mid-semester courses.

Modular courses have non-standard start and end times. Students can determine whether a course is modular by reading its course description when searching for the course.

The summer term catalog releases around April of each year. Please view the summer term catalog to determine course offerings for the various summer terms (May through August).

Students who are at risk of probation or suspension are encouraged to make an appointment with an advisor as soon as possible to discuss their situation. Students who are suspended are not permitted to enroll in courses for a period of no less than one year.

  • Probation = warning of unsatisfactory academic progress. Occurs if cumulative Grade Point Average falls below a 2.0.
  • Suspension = restricts enrollment in courses for one academic year. Occurs if Grade Point Balance is -15 or greater

Students who were on university suspension and have since become eligible for reinstatement are required to contact the College of Sciences Advising Center to schedule an appointment with an advisor. Students will not be able to enroll in courses without consulting an advisor to remove their suspension hold.

Students who are under university suspension become eligible for automatic reinstatement after a one year period. Students who choose not to enroll in courses after this time frame may become discontinued from UNLV and will be required to reapply. The College of Sciences does not currently have a college suspension policy. Please refer to the Academic Success Center webpage for more information about the suspension process.

Students interested in attending professional school after their undergraduate studies are encouraged to visit the Pre-Professional Advising Center (PPAC) website to review information about common prerequisites and the application process.

Note: Students seeking admittance to a Nursing program are encouraged to speak with the Health Sciences Advising Center.

Students may repeat any UNLV course once at UNLV and not have the original grade included in the computation of the grade point average. When a course is repeated more than once, only the original grade is omitted in computing the grade point average. The repeat grade must be on the same grading option as the original grade.

All grades will remain on the student’s transcript with suitable notation to ensure an accurate academic record. For more information on the UNLV repeat policies, please review the most recent course catalog.

A candidate for the bachelor's degree must complete the last 30 UNLV semester credits in uninterrupted resident credit as a declared major in the degree-granting college. A student must declare a major prior to enrolling in the last 30 UNLV resident credits. Students are also not allowed to transfer equivalent courses from a non-NSHE school during their last 30 credits of their degree program, even with the appropriate grade. Failure to abide by this policy may result in a delayed graduation and additional coursework.

  • Honors students are encouraged to make an appointment with their Honors College advisor in addition to their College of Sciences advisor each semester. Their Honors College advisor will advise them about their Honors and general education requirements
  • International students are encouraged to check in with the International Students & Scholars office on a regular basis to ensure they are completing all required forms and maintaining their appropriate F-1 or J-1 status.
  • ROTC (Army & Airforce) students are encouraged to work closely with their ROTC Army Advisor or ROTC Airforce Advisor and their Sciences Advisor to ensure they are completing their coursework for both programs simultaneously.
  • Student athletes may have specific credit requirements to maintain their athletic scholarships and additional athletic obligations in addition to coursework. Please work with Student-Athlete Academic Services for additional guidance
  • Veteran students must complete a Semester Enrollment Form with their academic advisor each semester and submit it to the Military and Veteran Services Center by their specified deadline to receive funding benefits.

Students must meet with an advisor first to get a degree plan before meeting with OISS. Once students finalize their study abroad program, we then recommend that they meet with their College of Sciences advisor for assistance with course planning.

Consult your advisor for transfer policies prior to taking courses at another institution. C or better grade is required for science based transfer courses. Pre-approval may be needed depending on the course and institution. To review preapproved equivalencies, please visit Transferology.

40 total credits of upper-division courses are needed for graduation, in which 30 credits of upper-division courses must be taken at UNLV.