Associate in Science Degree for Transfer, Environmental Science
Huntington Beach, USA
Associate of Science
DURATION
4 semesters
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Aug 2026
TUITION FEES
USD 5,953 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* $11,906 per year
Key Summary
About: The Associate in Science in Environmental Science for Transfer at Golden West College, Huntington Beach, CA blends social science, policy and behavior with physical and biological sciences. Courses in biology, chemistry, geology, physics, calculus and statistics cover earth processes, resource use, pollution and environmental regulation. Students prepare to transfer to a bachelor's in Environmental Science or Environmental Studies.
Career Outcomes: Graduates can pursue careers in environmental analysis, resource management, environmental policy, pollution control and environmental education; roles include environmental technician, field scientist, regulatory specialist and environmental consultant. The degree also supports further study in ecology, geology and resource management.
The Associate in Science in Environmental Science for Transfer degree is an interdisciplinary degree that combines social science, policy, and human behavior with physical and biological sciences. The degree consists of earth sciences and economics with a focus on the environment. Students will learn how natural processes work with human behavior and resource use, and how productive activities degrade the environment. The program will also emphasize environmental policy and regulation as it relates to pollution. The degree emphasizes the enhancement of quantitative skills to be applied to environmental applications and decision-making. Courses in biology, chemistry, geography, geology, and physics explain the Earth's processes. Courses in social science examine human impacts on the environment, resource use, and regulation. The mathematical tools learned in calculus and statistics provide a foundation for measuring environmental impacts. Upon completion of the Associate in Science in Environmental Science for Transfer, the students will be prepared for transfer to pursue a baccalaureate degree in Environmental Science or Environmental Studies.
Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Develop an interdisciplinary perspective on the Earth's natural processes by applying the scientific method to environmental issues.
- Describe the role of humans' interaction with the environment through the use of natural resources and production.
- Compare and contrast global environmental policy in the aim of correcting market failures related to the environment.
- Explain how biological processes, such as water, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen cycles, source and sink functions, and population biology, affect resource use and sustainability.
- Analyze environmental patterns related to Earth's physical processes and geography, such as energy, heat, minerals, fossil fuels, landscape, and climate.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core | ||
| Select one option of the following: | ||
| Option 1: | ||
| BIOL G180 & BIOL G186 | Cell and Molecular Biology and Diversity of Organisms | 10 |
| CHEM G180 | General Chemistry A | 5 |
| Option 2: | ||
| BIOL G180 | Cell and Molecular Biology | 5 |
| CHEM G180 & CHEM G185 | General Chemistry A and General Chemistry B | 10 |
| List A | 14-15 | |
| BIOL G110 | Ecology and Field Biology | 3 |
| or ECON G130 | Environmental Economics and Policy | |
| GEOG G180 & G180L | Physical Geography and Physical Geography Laboratory | 4 |
| or GEOL G110 | Physical Geology | |
| MATH G180 | Calculus 1 | 4 |
| or MATH G140 | Business Calculus | |
| STAT C1000 | Introduction to Statistics | 3-4 |
| or SOC G125 | Introduction to Statistics in Sociology | |
| or ECON G160 | Statistics for Business and Economics | |
| or PSYC G140 | Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences | |
| List B | 11 | |
| ECON G170 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| PHYS G185 & PHYS G280 | Calculus Based Physics: Mechanics and Calculus Based Physics: Electricity/Magnetism | 8 |
| Or | ||
| PHYS G120 & PHYS G125 | Algebra Based Physics: Mechanics and Algebra Based Physics: Electricity/Magnetism | 8 |
| Major Total | 40-41 | |
| GE Pattern (CSU GE-Breadth or IGETC)* | 31-33 | |
| Transferable Electives (as needed to reach 60 units) | ||
| Total Units | 60 |