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Poughkeepsie High School

Together, We Are Champions for Children in Poughkeepsie City Schools

Overview

Welcome to the Science Department

A group of students work on a science project in a classroom, with a fish tank and other lab equipment on the table.

Science involves studying the world around us and covers topics ranging from biology to chemistry, earth science to physics and beyond.

New York State requires students to complete three science credits and pass one science Regents exam to earn a Regents Diploma. If a student wants to obtain an advanced Regents diploma, they will need to pass two science Regents exams.

We offer a variety of science courses to appeal to all interests:

  • Conceptual Biology
  • ENL Conceptual Biology
  • Conceptual Earth Science
  • Regents Living Environment
  • ENL Regents Living Environment
  • Stretch Living Environment
  • Regents Earth Science
  • Regents Earth Science Honors
  • ENL Regents Earth Science
  • Regents Chemistry
  • Regents Physics
  • Anatomy & Physiology
  • ENL Anatomy & Physiology
  • Environmental Science
  • Forensics
  • ENL Forensics
  • AP Biology

See the 2025-26 PHS Course Catalog, beginning on page 22 for details on classes.

Science faculty

Pathways

There are four pathways students may pursue:

  1. Conceptual Biology⇒ Living Environment⇒ science elective
  2. Living Environment⇒  Earth Science⇒  science elective
  3. Living Environment⇒  Earth Science⇒  Chemistry⇒  science elective or Physics or AP Biology
  4. Earth Science⇒  Chemistry⇒  Physics⇒  AP Biology

Clubs

PHS offers three science-related programs/clubs in addition to the classes above:

  • Eel Project with the Department of Environmental conservation
  • Vassar Science Scholars
  • Science Olympiad

Two people wearing face masks and waders examine a fish in a bucket by a river.