Chemistry

About the Program

Program Goal: Local

GE Pattern(s): Butte Local, Cal-GETC

Program Code: 01358.00AS

This program meets the lower division major preparation for a similar major at CSU, Chico. Visit website for details www.assist.org

Chemistry is the study of the properties, composition, and transformations of all material substances. It supports and draws from biology, earth science, engineering, mathematics, medicine, and physics. Chemistry can be a rewarding and fascinating subject to study because it helps students understand these other fields and “how things work” in general. The Chemistry AS degree is appropriate for students planning to transfer to a university to major in chemistry or other closely related fields. A different set of courses is offered for students in other majors such as agriculture or allied health science including nursing, dental hygiene, physical therapy, or nutrition.

Medical personnel, technicians, engineers, and scientists identify and solve problems by applying logic, scientific thinking, and knowledge of natural laws. The study of chemistry is well suited to developing these skills, and many opportunities are available to those who have studied chemistry. Chemistry majors are employed in many fields, including agronomy, biotechnology, energy production, environmental science, material science, medicine, patent law and teaching. Note, however, that most careers associated with chemistry require a degree beyond the AS degree.

Program Learning Outcome(s): Upon successful completion of the program, the student will be able to:

1. Demonstrate basic experimental knowledge through data gathering, judging the accuracy and reliability of data, creating informative graphs, and discussing the limitations of experimental designs.
2. Demonstrate basic analytical skills by interpreting graphs and schematics and diagnosing realistic physical problems.
3. Demonstrate conceptual understanding by being able to describe qualitatively the underlying causes of basic physical phenomena.