Environmental Science

The Associate in Science degree in Environmental Science for Transfer (AS-T) is intended to provide students with the first two years of core curriculum leading to a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science at a California State University. This interdisciplinary field focuses on how humans interact with their surroundings. Careers in environmental science include conducting research or advising policy at government agencies (such as the National Park Service or Environmental Protection Agency), environmental consulting, or conducting health inspections.

Students who complete an Associate Degree for Transfer (AA-T or AS-T) will receive guaranteed admission with junior status to the California State University System and priority admission consideration to a major that is deemed similar to their community college transfer degree major. This priority does not guarantee admission to specific majors or campuses. Students transferring to a CSU campus that accepts the transfer degree will be required to complete no more than 60 units after transfer to earn a bachelor's degree in the same major. Students should consult a counselor for more information on specific university admission and transfer requirements.

The following are required for all AA-T or AS-T degrees:

• Completion of 60 CSU transferable semester units
• Obtainment of a minimum grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 in all CSU-transferable coursework
• Completion, with a grade of “C” or better OR “P” (Pass), of each course used to satisfy major requirements AND the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) requirements.

Students who complete this program should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of topics revolving around the interactions between humans and their environment. This could be illustrated by knowledge of species interactions, natural cycles, environmental issues, or other topics.
2. Apply the scientific method by creating or assessing hypotheses, conducting experiments, correctly analyzing and interpreting data, and effectively communicating findings.
3. Practice decision making and problem solving by applying existing scientific research to environmental issues.

Required courses

Students earning an AA-T/AS-T degree must complete 60 semester units of coursework eligible for transfer to the CSU including the Cal-GETC, all courses in the major with “C” or better or “P” (pass) grades, and achieve a minimum transferable cumulative GPA of 2.0.