Academic Catalog

2024-2025

College of Sciences

Department website: http://sci.odu.edu

Gail Dodge, Dean
Joshua Wallach, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies
Lesley Greene, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies
Jingdong Mao, Associate Dean for Research
Wayne Hynes, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs

The College of Sciences degree programs are designed to prepare students for careers in the sciences or to lay broad foundations for specialized training in these fields of knowledge.

The college is comprised of the Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics and Statistics, Ocean and Earth Sciences, Physics, and Psychology. The Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics and Statistics, Ocean and Earth Sciences, and Physics cooperate with the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies to provide the necessary courses for certification to teach in the Commonwealth.

Undergraduate Degree Requirements for all Majors in the College of Sciences

Core Requirements

Fulfilling the University General Education Requirements for a specific program satisfies the degree requirements for the College of Sciences. Refer to the University General Education section of this Catalog for details about which courses satisfy the skills, ways of knowing, and upper-division requirements of the General Education program.

Additional major requirements are listed under the various departmental programs.

General Requirements

  1. Students wishing to take a major or a minor in the College of Sciences must declare with the appropriate department.
  2. The College of Sciences allows a maximum of four hours of activity credit to be applied toward any degree granted by the college. Activity credit beyond the four-hour maximum may be permitted in unusual circumstances with the written approval of the dean of the college. Activity credit required by a student's major department will not be counted toward the credit limitation. (See the Catalog section on Activity Credits for the definitions and other restrictions on activity course credits.)

College of Sciences Degree Programs

SubjectBSMSPhD
BiologyXXX1
BiochemistryXX2X3
ChemistryXXX
Clinical PsychologyX4
Computer EngineeringX5X5
Computer ScienceXXX
Computer Science (Computer Information Sciences)X6
MathematicsXX7X7
Ocean and Earth ScienceXX
OceanographyX
PhysicsXXX
PsychologyXXX8
1

Ecological sciences.  Training opportunities are available with faculty in the Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Ocean and Earth Sciences.

2

Emphasis area within chemistry master's degree program.

3

Emphasis area within chemistry Ph.D. program.

4

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) offered through the Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology, sponsored by Norfolk State University and Old Dominion University.

5

Offered jointly with the College of Engineering and Technology.

6

Offered jointly with the Strome College of Business.

7

Computational and applied mathematics, with emphases in applied mathematics and statistics/biostatistics.

8

Health psychology, human factors psychology, and industrial/organizational psychology.

Old Dominion University/Eastern Virginia Medical School Early Assurance Program in Medicine

The Early Assurance Program in Medicine is designed to encourage highly qualified students to receive a BS from Old Dominion University and an M.D. from Eastern Virginia Medical School. Students apply during their sophomore semester at Old Dominion University. Upon successful completion of the program requirements and graduation from Old Dominion University, a student accepted into the ODU/EVMS Early Assurance Program in Medicine will be guaranteed admission to Eastern Virginia Medical School. Additional information and admission requirements can be found at the following address: https://www.odu.edu/sci/academics/advising/bsmd.

Policy for the Awarding of Bachelor's Degrees To Students Attending Professional School in Medically Related Fields

Old Dominion University students attending an accredited medical, dental, pharmacy, or veterinary school without a bachelor's degree shall be given the opportunity of receiving the bachelor's degree in accordance with the prescribed criteria as follows:

  1. The student applying for the degree must complete a minimum of 90 semester hours of undergraduate credit prior to attending professional school.
  2. The student must fulfill the General Education requirements of the University and the College of Sciences.
  3. Thirty of the last thirty-six hours prior to professional school must be taken at Old Dominion University. A minimum of 12 hours at the 300/400 level in the major program must be taken at Old Dominion University.
  4. This policy is applicable to any bachelor's degree offered by Old Dominion University. It must be kept in mind, however, that all departmental requirements must be met either prior to professional school or by using courses taken during the first year of professional school. This latter course of action requires written petition to and approval by the appropriate departmental chair. In either case the student must complete at least two-thirds of the major requirements for the degree prior to attending professional school.
  5. The degree is to be awarded only after completion of one year of professional school with acceptable academic performance (to be determined by a letter from the professional school stating that the student is eligible to matriculate for the second year).
  6. The student would apply for the bachelor's degree on completion of one year of professional school. Certification by the appropriate department chair is required as usual.

Prehealth Advisement–Prehealth Advisory Committee

Students seeking careers in medicine, dentistry, osteopathy, optometry, podiatry, veterinary medicine, or pharmacy should request advisement as early as possible from the Prehealth Advisory Committee, as well as from their major or other academic advisor. This is to obtain general information of value in gaining acceptance to the professional school of choice, such as how and when to apply for admission, preparation for preprofessional tests and interviews, obtaining letters of evaluation and recommendation, and choosing among the many different schools and professions. Advice is also given on course selection, although only the academic advisor can formally approve these selections.

Students seeking admission to medical, dental and other medically related professional schools should confer with the Prehealth Advisory Committee in their junior year concerning the preparation of letters of evaluation by the Committee.

To receive prehealth advisement, please contact Reneldo Randall, Chair of the Prehealth Advisory Committee located in MGB 236, (757) 683-6790.