Program Overview

The Natural Science and Mathematics are a gateway to a very large number of occupations, many of which require specific coursework for transfer and/or admission to professional schools. In general, careers in the natural sciences require strong computational, communication and analytical thinking skills.

The degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with emphasis in Natural Science and Mathematics prepares students for further study and employment as life and physical scientists, health practitioners, engineers and science technicians.

The Interdisciplinary Studies major is designed for students pursuing broad areas of study and exploration in an area of emphasis as described below. Option 2 enables students to complete the requirements for the Associate degree and to fulfill the general education requirements for the California State University, University of California, or some private and out-of-state universities.

Important: Completion of the CSU or UC patterns does not guarantee admission to any of these institutions. Consult with a counselor for further information.

Option 2, Transfer Pattern: California State University, University of California, or some private and out-of-state universities.
Intended for students who are planning to transfer to a four-year university. Courses should be chosen carefully in consultation with a counselor.

A. Choose a General Education Pattern

  • Complete 39 units of the CSU GE requirements (a C or better grade is required in Areas A1, A2, A3 and B4)
    OR
  • Complete 34-37 units of the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) for UC or CSU (all courses must be completed with a C or better grade)

B. Complete 18 units in the Natural Science and Mathematics Areas of Emphasis as shown below.

C. Remaining 3 to 5 units should be chosen in consultation with a counselor to fulfill Associate Degree competency and specific area requirements and lower-division preparation and/or electives for a total of 60 degree applicable units for an Associate Degree.

Requirements

AA Degree Requirements Major: Core and Selective Requirements Selective Courses, choose a minimum of 18 units from the following:
I. Introductory Science Courses**, select a minimum of 9 units: Units
1. Biology: a student may choose up to 2 of the following courses to meet this requirement:
BIOL 110 Principles Of Biology 4 units
BIOL 130 Human Biology 3 units
BIOL 132 Human Biology Laboratory 1 unit
BIOL 310 Nutrition 3 units
2. Chemistry: a student may choose 1 of the following courses to meet this requirement:
CHEM 192 Elementary Chemistry 4 units
CHEM 210 General Chemistry I 5 units
CHEM 410 Chemistry for Health Sciences 4 units
3. Physics: a student may choose 1 of the following courses to meet this requirement:
PHYS 210 General Physics I 4 units
PHYS 250 Physics with Calculus I 4 units
4. Other sciences: a student may choose up to 3 of the following courses to meet this requirement:
ANTH 125 Biological Anthropology 3 units
ASTR 100 Introduction to Astronomy 3 units
AND
ASTR 101 Astronomy Laboratory 1 unit
CIS 118 Introduction to Computer Science 4 units
OR
CIS 122 Introduction to Programming: Python 3 units
ENGR 100 Introduction to Engineering 3 units
ENVS 115 Environmental Science 3 units
GEOG 100 Physical Geography 3 units
GEOL 100 Introduction to Geology 3 units
AND
GEOL 101 Geology Laboratory 1 unit
HSCI 100 General Health Science 3 units
OR
HSCI 116 Women's Health Issues 3 units
METE 100 Meteorology - Weather and Climate 3 units
OCEN 100 Oceanography 3 units
AND
OCEN 101 Oceanography Lab 1 unit
**At least one introductory OR advanced course MUST have a laboratory experience included or a laboratory course must be taken.
II. Mathematics Competency, select a minimum of 3 units: Units
MATH 125 Elementary Finite Mathematics 3 units
MATH 130 Analytical Trigonometry 4 units
MATH 200 Elementary Probability and Statistics 4 units
MATH 225 Path to Calculus 6 units
MATH 241 Business Calculus I 5 units
MATH 251 Analytical Geometry and Calculus I 5 units
III. Advanced Courses**, select a minimum of 6 units: Units
BIOL 225 Biology Of Organisms 5 units
BIOL 230 Cell and Molecular Biology 5 units
BIOL 240 General Microbiology 4 units
BIOL 250 Human Anatomy 4 units
BIOL 260 Human Physiology 5 units
CHEM 220 General Chemistry II 5 units
CHEM 231 Organic Chemistry I 5 units
CIS 242 Computer Architecture and Assembly Language 3 units
CIS 262 Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science 3 units
MATH 252 Analytical Geometry and Calculus II 5 units
MATH 253 Analytic Geometry and Calculus III 5 units
PHYS 220 General Physics II 4 units
PHYS 260 Physics with Calculus II 4 units
PHYS 270 Physics with Calculus III 4 units
**At least one introductory OR advanced course MUST have a laboratory experience included or a laboratory course must be taken.
Total Required Major Units: 18

Refer to Option 2 listed above for information on degree requirements that must be fulfilled in order to complete the total of 60 degree applicable units for an Associate Degree.

Please refer to the AA/AS Degree Requirements for more information.