The Academy of Biological Sciences offers students a comprehensive, academically rigorous high school experience with a focus on the biological sciences. Courses in the Academy of Biological Sciences have been selected and sequenced to provide students with a strong fundamental knowledge of biology and scientific principles, providing them the best possible foundation for success in medicine and biological research. GCIT’s unique partnership with Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ), Rowan University, Rowan School of Medicine, and the Inspira Health System has been designed to offer our students unique learning experiences, ranging from biological lab certifications to the opportunity to perform an original biological research project in the system of their choice. This program is the only high school program in the country with a partnership with a school of medicine.
Beginning in freshman year, students will study laboratory research methods and learn how to effectively problem solve in applied scientific situations. For example, students will immerse themselves in a forensic crime scene investigation where they will analyze everything from trace evidence to genetic fingerprints to solve a crime. In addition, students will practice stabilizing a patient during an emergency; and collaborate with peers to research illnesses. As students advance to sophomore year, they will study the molecular structure and function of cells. Students will research how to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases, model robotic and laparoscopic surgery techniques and experiment with the concepts behind creating prosthetic limbs. In their junior year, our students will apply the skills and knowledge they have learned in their classes to complete their own research projects. By reading current scientific literature and networking with their teachers and professors, students will formulate an original research question and hypothesis. Students will then budget for and acquire materials according to their experimental design and test their hypotheses by running their own experiments over the course of the semester using a model of their choice. They will gather data and problem solve as their experiment runs, analyze their data, and present their results in person to our teachers, students, and administrators. Significant findings from their research will be submitted to a range of high school science research journals for potential publication. In senior year, students will have the opportunity to branch away from the GCIT campus and take the diverse array of classes offered on the RCSJ campus, allowing them to experience more specialized fields of biology.
This challenging academic program will prepare GCIT graduates for college programs and research across the biological landscape. The collaboration between GCIT and RCSJ allows our students to earn between thirty and sixty college credits by the time they graduate with their high school diploma (sixty credits is enough to merit an associate degree from RCSJ) by the time they graduate with their high school diploma. The knowledge and highly transferrable skills learned in this program will prepare our students for future success in a myriad of different careers in the biological sciences, from research to medicine.
