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Associate in General Science - AS-T

Includes Chemistry, Biology, and Physics Education

(for future secondary science teachers)

  • General Science Education
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Physics

GENERAL DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

  • A minimum of 90 quarter hours of transferable credit.
  • A college cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 is required.
  • English 101 (Composition – Exposition) is required.
  • A minimum of 25 of the last 45 credits must be earned at Pierce College.
  • A 1.5 grade (C-) or better for all requirements is required unless prerequisites state otherwise.
  • “Pass” (P) grades may be used for General Elective credits only.
  • Independent Study credits may be used only for General Elective credits.
  • Cooperative work experience/work-based learning credits may be applied to the General Elective area only.
  • Once a course has been successfully completed, credits obtained may be used only once, even if that course is listed in more than one category.

A. BASIC REQUIREMENTS (20 credits)

  • Communication Skills (10 credits). Must include ENGL 101
  • Mathematics — 10 credits of calculus

B. DISTRIBUTION REQUIREMENTS

Humanities (HM) and Social Science (SS)

15 credits of humanities and social science with at least five credits taken from each. Three different subjects required. No more than five credits from performance/skills courses allowed. Credits must be GER approved as designated on the Pierce College AA degree.

Science Pre-Major Requirements

General Science

Chemistry for science majors sequence (15 credits); Statistics (5 credits); Biology for science majors sequence (15 credits); Physics sequence (15 credits); and Geology courses (10 credits).

Biology

Chemistry for science majors sequence (15 credits); Statistics; Biology for science majors sequence (15 credits); additional science major sequence course series (10-15 credits).

Chemistry

Chemistry for science majors sequence (33 credits); Statistics or third quarter calculus (5 credits); and Physics sequence (15 credits).

Physics

Physics for science majors sequence (15 credits); Chemistry for science majors (10 credits), MATH 126, 205, 224 and 238 and Computer Programming (4-5 credits).

C. EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

Introduction to Education and Education Field Experience required.

D. GENERAL ELECTIVES

Additional college-level courses so that total earned is at least 90 credits. May include prerequisites for major courses (e.g., pre-calculus), additional major coursework, or specific general education or other university requirements, as approved by the advisor. PSYCH 205 strongly recommended.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Communication Skills (10 credits)

  • ENGL 101, Composition – Exposition (required)
  • ENGL 102, English Comp. – Writing about Literature OR ENGL 103, Composition – Argumentation & Research

Mathematics (10 credits)

Prerequisites required.

  • MATH 124, Analytical Geometry & Calculus I (5)
  • MATH 125, Analytical Geometry & Calculus II (5)

Humanities & Social Science (15 credits minimum)

  • SPCH 110, Fundamentals of Public Speaking (5)
  • PSYCH 110, General Psychology (5)
  • Multicultural elective by advisement (GER) SS or HM (5)

*See AA Gen Core list for appropriate classes.

Specific Pre-Major Requirements (50 credits)

General Science

  • MATH 281, Intro to Statistics (or MATH 126) (5)

And 3 out of the 4 sequence areas listed below:

  • CHEM 140-160, General Chemistry (15)
  • BIOL 201-203, Principles of Biology I, II, III (15)
  • GEOL 101 & 103, Physical Geology & Earth History (15)
  • PHYS 114-116, General Physics I, II, III (or PHYS 121-123) (15)

Biology

  • CHEM 140-160, General Chemistry (15)
  • MATH 281, Intro to Statistics (5)
  • BIOL 201-203, Principles of Biology I-III (15)
  • CHEM 220-222, Organic Chemistry (18)
  • * PHYS 114-116, General Physics I, II, III (15) OR PHYS 121-123, Physics for Engineering & Science I, II, III (15)

*Optional. Some baccalaureate institutions require physics. Students should check major requirements prior to program planning.

Chemistry

  • CHEM 140-160, General Chemistry (15)
  • CHEM 220-222, Organic Chemistry (18)
  • MATH 281, Intro to Statistics (or MATH 126) (5)
  • PHYS 114-116, General Physics I, II, III (15) OR PHYS 121-123 Physics for Engineering & Science I, II, III (15)

Physics

  • CHEM 140/150, General Chemistry (10)
  • PHYS 121-123, Physics for Engineering & Science I-III (15)
  • MATH 126, Analytical Geometry & Calculus III (5)
  • MATH 205, Linear Algebra (5)
  • MATH 224, Multivariate Calculus (5)
  • MATH 238, Differential Equations (5)
  • CIS 201, Computer Science I (5)

Education Requirements (6-10 credits)

  • EDUC 201, Intro to Education (5)
  • EDUC 202, Education Practicum (1-5)

General Electives (0-5 quarter credits)

PSYCH 205 strongly recommended.

Additional college-level courses so that total earned is at least 90 credits. May include prerequisites for major courses (e.g., pre-calculus), additional major coursework, or specific general education or other university requirements, as approved by the advisor.

Total Credits Required 91-100

Notes

  1. Students completing this degree will receive the same priority consideration for admission to the baccalaureate institution as they would for completing the direct transfer associate’s degree and will be given junior status by the receiving institution.
  2. Courses in Humanities/Social Science must come from the current ICRC distribution list in order to count as General Education or General University Requirements (GERs/GURs) at the receiving institution. Additional general educational requirements, cultural diversity requirements, and foreign language requirements, as required by the transfer institution, must be met prior to the completion of a baccalaureate degree.
  3. Students should be advised that some baccalaureate institutions require physics with calculus to meet specific pre-major science category.
  4. Biology majors should select organic chemistry or physics for specific pre-major requirements.
  5. Pre-calculus cannot be used to satisfy the mathematics requirement (2 above).
  6. Students are responsible for checking specific major requirements of baccalaureate institutions in the year prior to transferring.

Program Outcomes

Associate in Elementary Education (DTA/MRP) Degree Outcomes:

  1. Graduates will be able to question, search for answers and meaning and develop beliefs of what it means to be a competent, ethical, professional elementary school teacher and the disposition to adhere to the professional, legal, and ethical responsibilities of being an elementary school teacher.
  2. Graduates will meet published requirements for entrance into participating state college or university elementary education programs at the junior level.

Associate in General Science Education (AS-T) Degree Outcomes:

  1. Graduates will be able to question, search for answers and meaning and develop beliefs of what it means to be a competent, ethical, professional secondary education general science teacher and the disposition to adhere to the professional, legal, and ethical responsibilities of being a secondary education general science teacher.
  2. Graduates will acquire the necessary knowledge base in sciences and mathematics, as recommended by participating state college or university teacher preparation programs, for future secondary education general science teachers.

Associate in Physics Education (AS-T) Degree Outcomes:

  1. Graduates will be able to question, search for answers and meaning and develop beliefs of what it means to be a competent, ethical, professional secondary education physics teacher and the disposition to adhere to the professional, legal, and ethical responsibilities of being a secondary education physics teacher.
  2. Graduates will acquire the necessary knowledge base in physics, mathematics and sciences, as recommended by participating state college or university teacher preparation programs, for future secondary education physics teachers.

Associate in Biology Education (AS-T) Degree Outcomes:

  1. Graduates will be able to question, search for answers and meaning and develop beliefs of what it means to be a competent, ethical, professional secondary education biology teacher and the disposition to adhere to the professional, legal, and ethical responsibilities of being a secondary education biology teacher.
  2. Graduates will acquire the necessary knowledge base in biology, mathematics and sciences, as recommended by participating state college or university teacher preparation programs, for future secondary education biology teachers.

Associate in Chemistry Education (AS-T) Degree Outcomes:

  1. Graduates will be able to question, search for answers and meaning and develop beliefs of what it means to be a competent, ethical, professional secondary education chemistry teacher and the disposition to adhere to the professional, legal, and ethical responsibilities of being a secondary education chemistry teacher.
  2. Graduates will acquire the necessary knowledge base in chemistry, mathematics and sciences, as recommended by participating state college or university teacher preparation programs, for future secondary education chemistry teachers.

Core Abilities Outcomes

Critical, Creative, and Reflective Thinking:
Graduates will be able to question, search for answers and meaning, and develop ideas that lead to action.

Responsibility:
Graduates will be able to respond by examining the relationship between self, community, and environments, evaluating potential impacts and consequences of actions, and making choices and contributions based on that examination and evaluation.

Information Competency:
Graduates will be able to seek, find, evaluate and use information and employ information technology to engage in lifelong learning.

Effective Communication:
Graduates will be able to exchange messages in a variety of contexts using multiple methods.

Multiculturalism:
Graduates will demonstrate knowledge of diverse ideas, cultures and experiences and the ability to examine their own attitudes and assumptions in order to engage others with civility and empathy.

Fundamental Areas of Knowledge Outcomes

Communication:
Graduates identify, analyze, and evaluate rhetorical strategies in one’s own and other’s writing in order to communicate effectively.

Humanities:
Graduates acquire skills to critically interpret, analyze and evaluate forms of human expression, and create and perform as an expression of the human experience.

Social Sciences:
Graduates use social science research methods and/or theory in order to analyze and interpret social phenomena.

Natural Sciences:
Graduates use the scientific method to analyze natural phenomena and acquire skills to evaluate authenticity of data/information relative to the natural world.

Quantitative & Symbolic Reasoning:
Graduates utilize mathematical, symbolic, logical, graphical, geometric, or statistical analysis for the interpretation and solution of problems in the natural world and human society.