Physical Sciences

Discover the forces that shape our world with Butte College's Physical Sciences programs. Whether you're studying physics, chemistry, or environmental science, our hands-on approach and expert faculty will prepare you for careers in science, engineering, and beyond.

Programs

Program Name
Goal
Length
Flexibility
AS

Goal

Career or Transfer

Length

2-2.5 years

Flexibility

  • Main Campus
AS

Associate Degree in Physical Science

The Associate of Science in Physical Science degree prepares students to be able to investigate and describe the evidence used to develop core scientific principles and use those principles to explain fundamental biological and physical phenomena. They will apply scientific methodologies to solve problems and analyze the relationships among the different areas of physical science, recognizing both their connections and distinctions. In addition, students will demonstrate an understanding of how the physical sciences differ from the biological and social sciences in scope, method, and focus.

AS

Associate Degree in Environmental Science

This Environmental Science program promotes an understanding of the basic operational principles of the biosphere and ecosystems through a transdisciplinary approach that examines interactions among the biological world, the physical environment, and human institutions. Students gain an understanding of essential biological and physical processes, analyze human–environment interactions, and explore different cultural perspectives on the environment. The program emphasizes critical thinking, sound decision-making, and value-based judgment while also developing specialized analytical skills in at least one area of environmental science. Students build teamwork, leadership, and conflict resolution skills, along with effective written and oral communication abilities.

Flexibility

The programs in this cluster allow you to complete your major coursework at Main Campus while taking general education requirements at Main Campus, the Chico Center, Glenn Center, or Online. This means you can design a schedule that balances focused major study with flexible general education options across multiple locations.

How this flexibility note was generated

⚠ AI-generated content can be wrong. This note was produced by Claude (Anthropic) by synthesizing the individual program flexibility statements in this cluster. Verify against the per-program reports before relying on it.
You are synthesizing a single cluster-level flexibility statement for a community college academic cluster (a group of related programs that share a department-page accordion).

CLUSTER
  Title: Physical and Environmental Science
  Programs in cluster: 2

PER-PROGRAM STATEMENTS
  • Physical Science (AS Degree):
      You can complete all your required coursework for the Physical Science AS degree at Main Campus. This gives you the flexibility to take your major courses in one reliable location while completing your general education requirements at any of our centers or online.
  • Environmental Science (AS Degree):
      You can plan to complete all of your Environmental Science major requirements at Main Campus. Your general education coursework can happen at Main Campus, at the Chico Center, at Glenn Center, or Online — whichever works best for your schedule.

WHAT TO WRITE
  Write 2 to 3 sentences that summarize the AVAILABILITY STORY shared by these programs. Most programs in a cluster will have similar availability — name the common pattern. Note distinct outliers ONLY if a program's availability story differs in a way that affects student decisions (e.g., one program is online-only, others are not).

  - Plain, student-facing language.
  - Refer to "the programs in this cluster" or "these programs" — don't list each program by name unless an outlier needs calling out.
  - If all programs share the same flexibility story, write one unified statement.
  - Do NOT list percentages, term codes, or jargon.
  - Lead with the most flexible/strongest availability and follow with caveats.
  - Refer to locations ONLY by official center names (Main Campus, Chico Center, Glenn Center, Skyway Center, Cosmetology Center, Online). NEVER use a city or town name — no Oroville, no Willows, and never "Chico" as a city. Write "at the Chico Center", never "in Chico" — even if a per-program statement below used a city name, do not repeat it.

OUTPUT
  Return ONLY the statement text. No preamble, no quotation marks, no markdown.
AS

Goal

Transfer or Career

Length

2-2.5 years

Flexibility

  • Main Campus
AS

Associate Degree in Chemistry

This Chemistry program centers on the study of the properties, composition, and transformations of all material substances, supporting and drawing from biology, earth science, engineering, mathematics, medicine, and physics. Chemistry is a rewarding and fascinating field that helps students understand these disciplines and “how things work” in general. Chemistry majors find opportunities in agronomy, biotechnology, energy production, environmental science, material science, medicine, patent law, teaching, and more; however, most careers in chemistry require education beyond the associate degree.

Flexibility

You'll need to base yourself at Main Campus for the Chemistry major's required courses, since that's where they're reliably offered. Your general education requirements can be completed at any of our centers or online, which gives you some flexibility around your schedule.

How this flexibility note was generated

⚠ AI-generated content can be wrong. This note was produced by Claude (Anthropic) by synthesizing the individual program flexibility statements in this cluster. Verify against the per-program reports before relying on it.
You are writing a brief, student-facing flexibility note for a Butte College program. Imagine you are a counselor sitting across from the student. The student is trying to decide WHERE they will physically have to be to finish this degree.

PROGRAM
  Title: Chemistry
  Award: AS Degree

LOCATIONS
  - Main Campus — Butte's main campus.
  - Chico Center — general center; many transfer-degree courses run there.
  - Glenn Center — satellite center.
  - Skyway Center — the dedicated home of the Auto Technology and
    Industrial / Power Pathway programs.
  - Cosmetology Center — the dedicated home of the Cosmetology and
    Barbering programs.
  - Online means a student can take it from anywhere with internet.
  - Dual Enrollment sections are taught at participating high schools
    across the region (NOT at Butte's centers). Coverage varies by HS.

LOCATION NAMING — HARD RULE
  Refer to locations ONLY by the official names exactly as listed above
  (Main Campus, Chico Center, Glenn Center, Skyway Center, Cosmetology
  Center, Online). NEVER mention a city or town name — no Oroville, no
  Willows, no Paradise, and never "Chico" as a city — not even
  alongside a center name. Students read a city name as the town
  itself, and Butte's campuses don't sit where the names suggest (Main
  Campus is not "in Oroville" in any practical sense). Write "at the
  Chico Center", never "in Chico". Write "at Main Campus", never "in
  Oroville".

RELIABLE REQUIRED-COURSE OFFERINGS BY LOCATION (last two academic years)
A required course counts as "reliably offered" at a location only if it
showed a REGULAR PATTERN — at least one section in BOTH window falls or
in BOTH window springs. A one-off section doesn't count: the student
can't bank on it coming back. For Select-N slots (e.g. "Select two"),
the slot is reliably satisfied at a location only when ≥N of its
options are reliably offered there.

  Main Campus:    Yes      (9 of 9 required slots reliably satisfiable here)
  Chico Center:   Partial  (1 of 9 required slots reliably satisfiable here)
  Glenn Center:   GE only  (0 of 9 required slots reliably satisfiable here)
  Online:         GE only  (0 of 9 required slots reliably satisfiable here)

WHAT EACH STATUS MEANS
  - "Yes"     — every required slot has reliable coverage at this location. A student can plan to take their major coursework here.
  - "Partial" — SOME required slots are reliably covered here, but not all. A student who wants to attend mostly at this location will have to combine it with another location or with Online for the gaps.
  - "GE only" — NO required slots are reliably covered here. The student can complete GE breadth here, but for the major's required courses they'll have to go elsewhere.

GROUND TRUTHS YOU MUST RESPECT
  - For Associate degrees, GE breadth requirements can be completed at ANY Butte center or online. That's a given for every Associate program — you don't have to belabor it, but you may briefly mention it when the student's location story for required courses is unfavorable.
  - When a Skyway-Center or Cosmetology-Center program shows "Yes" at its specialized center, LEAD with that — those programs are housed there by design, and the student should plan on being at that center (not Main Campus) for the bulk of their major coursework.
  - Don't tell a student to come to Main Campus when the program's specialized center has full reliable coverage. Main might still be useful for GE; the major work is at the specialized center.
  - "GE only" is NOT "Partial". Don't soften it. Say plainly the program's required coursework isn't taught there.
  - Online is a real option for some programs, but ONLY when its column is "Yes". Don't promise online completion based on "Partial".
  - Dual Enrollment coverage is an aggregate across participating high schools — at any single HS the available courses are typically far fewer. If you mention dual enrollment, mention that "what's offered at your high school will vary."
  - Even "Yes" is "has been reliably available recently" — future schedules can shift. The student should still meet with a counselor.

WHAT TO WRITE
  Two to three short, plain sentences in second person ("you can…", "you'll need to…"). Lead with where the major's required coursework actually runs reliably — that's what determines where the student has to be. Be honest, not promotional.

  - Do NOT list percentages or course counts.
  - Do NOT promise future schedules.
  - Do NOT use the words "completability", "completable", "AY", or "primary location".
  - Do NOT call a "GE only" location a place to "complete the program" — they can't.

OUTPUT
  Return ONLY the statement text. No preamble, no quotation marks, no markdown headers.
AS-T AS

Goal

Career or Transfer

Length

2-3 years

Flexibility

  • Main Campus
AS-T

Associate Degree for Transfer in Physics

The Associate in Science in Physics for Transfer degree is designed for students planning to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Physics at a CSU campus. Physics majors build a foundation for advanced study and careers in research, engineering, teaching, technology, and other science-related fields. Students completing an Associate Degree for Transfer are guaranteed admission to the CSU system, though not to a specific campus or major. This degree may not be the best option for students intending to transfer to a particular CSU campus or to a university or college that is not part of the CSU system.

AS

Associate Degree in General Physics

The Associate in Science in General Physics is designed for students planning to transfer to a university and major in Physics or a related discipline. Students who complete this program may transfer into the General Physics program at CSU, Chico or into related fields aligned with their degree breadth. Physics is the study of the relationships among time, space, motion, matter, and energy, representing both a record of humanity’s evolving understanding of the universe and a set of strategies for mathematically modeling and analyzing physical systems. Preparation in Physics provides a strong foundation for multidisciplinary studies and success in other scientific fields. Physics is a mathematically demanding field; to begin this degree, students must have the prerequisites for college-level calculus, though many students start below calculus and progress successfully to advanced degrees.

Flexibility

Both Physics programs require their major coursework at Main Campus, where the program's core courses run reliably. Your general education requirements offer more flexibility and can be completed at any of Butte's centers or online. We recommend meeting with a counselor to map out your specific course sequence and confirm upcoming offerings.

How this flexibility note was generated

⚠ AI-generated content can be wrong. This note was produced by Claude (Anthropic) by synthesizing the individual program flexibility statements in this cluster. Verify against the per-program reports before relying on it.
You are synthesizing a single cluster-level flexibility statement for a community college academic cluster (a group of related programs that share a department-page accordion).

CLUSTER
  Title: Physics
  Programs in cluster: 2

PER-PROGRAM STATEMENTS
  • Physics (AS-T Degree):
      You'll need to plan on attending Main Campus for your required Physics courses, as that's where the program's major coursework runs reliably. Your general education requirements can be completed at any of Butte's centers or online, which gives you flexibility there. Check in with a counselor to map out your specific course sequence and confirm upcoming offerings.
  • General Physics (AS Degree):
      You can complete all the required courses for the General Physics degree at Main Campus. Your general education requirements can be taken at any of our centers or online, giving you flexibility there, but plan on Main Campus for your major coursework.

WHAT TO WRITE
  Write 2 to 3 sentences that summarize the AVAILABILITY STORY shared by these programs. Most programs in a cluster will have similar availability — name the common pattern. Note distinct outliers ONLY if a program's availability story differs in a way that affects student decisions (e.g., one program is online-only, others are not).

  - Plain, student-facing language.
  - Refer to "the programs in this cluster" or "these programs" — don't list each program by name unless an outlier needs calling out.
  - If all programs share the same flexibility story, write one unified statement.
  - Do NOT list percentages, term codes, or jargon.
  - Lead with the most flexible/strongest availability and follow with caveats.
  - Refer to locations ONLY by official center names (Main Campus, Chico Center, Glenn Center, Skyway Center, Cosmetology Center, Online). NEVER use a city or town name — no Oroville, no Willows, and never "Chico" as a city. Write "at the Chico Center", never "in Chico" — even if a per-program statement below used a city name, do not repeat it.

OUTPUT
  Return ONLY the statement text. No preamble, no quotation marks, no markdown.
AS-T

Goal

Transfer

Length

2 years

Flexibility

  • Main Campus
AS-T

Associate Degree for Transfer in Geology

The Associate in Science in Geology for Transfer degree (AS-T in Geology) is designed for students planning to complete a bachelor’s degree in Geology at a CSU campus. Students completing this degree are guaranteed admission to the CSU system, though not to a specific campus or major, and will be required to complete no more than 60 additional units after transfer. This degree may not be the best option for students intending to transfer to a university outside the CSU system.

Flexibility

You can complete all of your Geology major coursework at Main Campus. Your general education requirements can be taken at any of our centers or online, giving you flexibility there, but plan on Main Campus for the courses you need in your major.

How this flexibility note was generated

⚠ AI-generated content can be wrong. This note was produced by Claude (Anthropic) by synthesizing the individual program flexibility statements in this cluster. Verify against the per-program reports before relying on it.
You are writing a brief, student-facing flexibility note for a Butte College program. Imagine you are a counselor sitting across from the student. The student is trying to decide WHERE they will physically have to be to finish this degree.

PROGRAM
  Title: Geology
  Award: AS-T Degree

LOCATIONS
  - Main Campus — Butte's main campus.
  - Chico Center — general center; many transfer-degree courses run there.
  - Glenn Center — satellite center.
  - Skyway Center — the dedicated home of the Auto Technology and
    Industrial / Power Pathway programs.
  - Cosmetology Center — the dedicated home of the Cosmetology and
    Barbering programs.
  - Online means a student can take it from anywhere with internet.
  - Dual Enrollment sections are taught at participating high schools
    across the region (NOT at Butte's centers). Coverage varies by HS.

LOCATION NAMING — HARD RULE
  Refer to locations ONLY by the official names exactly as listed above
  (Main Campus, Chico Center, Glenn Center, Skyway Center, Cosmetology
  Center, Online). NEVER mention a city or town name — no Oroville, no
  Willows, no Paradise, and never "Chico" as a city — not even
  alongside a center name. Students read a city name as the town
  itself, and Butte's campuses don't sit where the names suggest (Main
  Campus is not "in Oroville" in any practical sense). Write "at the
  Chico Center", never "in Chico". Write "at Main Campus", never "in
  Oroville".

RELIABLE REQUIRED-COURSE OFFERINGS BY LOCATION (last two academic years)
A required course counts as "reliably offered" at a location only if it
showed a REGULAR PATTERN — at least one section in BOTH window falls or
in BOTH window springs. A one-off section doesn't count: the student
can't bank on it coming back. For Select-N slots (e.g. "Select two"),
the slot is reliably satisfied at a location only when ≥N of its
options are reliably offered there.

  Main Campus:    Yes      (6 of 6 required slots reliably satisfiable here)
  Chico Center:   Partial  (2 of 6 required slots reliably satisfiable here)
  Glenn Center:   GE only  (0 of 6 required slots reliably satisfiable here)
  Online:         GE only  (0 of 6 required slots reliably satisfiable here)

WHAT EACH STATUS MEANS
  - "Yes"     — every required slot has reliable coverage at this location. A student can plan to take their major coursework here.
  - "Partial" — SOME required slots are reliably covered here, but not all. A student who wants to attend mostly at this location will have to combine it with another location or with Online for the gaps.
  - "GE only" — NO required slots are reliably covered here. The student can complete GE breadth here, but for the major's required courses they'll have to go elsewhere.

GROUND TRUTHS YOU MUST RESPECT
  - For Associate degrees, GE breadth requirements can be completed at ANY Butte center or online. That's a given for every Associate program — you don't have to belabor it, but you may briefly mention it when the student's location story for required courses is unfavorable.
  - When a Skyway-Center or Cosmetology-Center program shows "Yes" at its specialized center, LEAD with that — those programs are housed there by design, and the student should plan on being at that center (not Main Campus) for the bulk of their major coursework.
  - Don't tell a student to come to Main Campus when the program's specialized center has full reliable coverage. Main might still be useful for GE; the major work is at the specialized center.
  - "GE only" is NOT "Partial". Don't soften it. Say plainly the program's required coursework isn't taught there.
  - Online is a real option for some programs, but ONLY when its column is "Yes". Don't promise online completion based on "Partial".
  - Dual Enrollment coverage is an aggregate across participating high schools — at any single HS the available courses are typically far fewer. If you mention dual enrollment, mention that "what's offered at your high school will vary."
  - Even "Yes" is "has been reliably available recently" — future schedules can shift. The student should still meet with a counselor.

WHAT TO WRITE
  Two to three short, plain sentences in second person ("you can…", "you'll need to…"). Lead with where the major's required coursework actually runs reliably — that's what determines where the student has to be. Be honest, not promotional.

  - Do NOT list percentages or course counts.
  - Do NOT promise future schedules.
  - Do NOT use the words "completability", "completable", "AY", or "primary location".
  - Do NOT call a "GE only" location a place to "complete the program" — they can't.

OUTPUT
  Return ONLY the statement text. No preamble, no quotation marks, no markdown headers.
AA-T

Goal

Transfer

Length

2 years

Flexibility

AA-T

Associate Degree for Transfer in Geography

The Associate in Arts in Geography for Transfer (AA-T in Geography) creates a transfer pathway for students who plan to complete a bachelor’s degree in Geography at a California State University. This program provides students with a strong foundation in both Physical and Cultural Geography, along with additional coursework in the discipline, including opportunities to earn a certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Geography explores spatial relationships that make places unique, including physical characteristics, cultural traditions, and economic and governmental structures, while examining the dynamic connections between humans and their environment.

Flexibility

You'll need to piece together your major coursework across multiple locations, since no single campus reliably offers all required courses. Main Campus and Online each have solid coverage of some requirements, so you could plan to split your time between them—or combine either one with the Chico Center—depending on which courses fit your schedule. Once you've picked a general plan, sit down with a counselor to map out your specific semesters and make sure the courses you need are actually running when you need them.

How this flexibility note was generated

⚠ AI-generated content can be wrong. This note was produced by Claude (Anthropic) by synthesizing the individual program flexibility statements in this cluster. Verify against the per-program reports before relying on it.
You are writing a brief, student-facing flexibility note for a Butte College program. Imagine you are a counselor sitting across from the student. The student is trying to decide WHERE they will physically have to be to finish this degree.

PROGRAM
  Title: Geography
  Award: AA-T Degree

LOCATIONS
  - Main Campus — Butte's main campus.
  - Chico Center — general center; many transfer-degree courses run there.
  - Glenn Center — satellite center.
  - Skyway Center — the dedicated home of the Auto Technology and
    Industrial / Power Pathway programs.
  - Cosmetology Center — the dedicated home of the Cosmetology and
    Barbering programs.
  - Online means a student can take it from anywhere with internet.
  - Dual Enrollment sections are taught at participating high schools
    across the region (NOT at Butte's centers). Coverage varies by HS.

LOCATION NAMING — HARD RULE
  Refer to locations ONLY by the official names exactly as listed above
  (Main Campus, Chico Center, Glenn Center, Skyway Center, Cosmetology
  Center, Online). NEVER mention a city or town name — no Oroville, no
  Willows, no Paradise, and never "Chico" as a city — not even
  alongside a center name. Students read a city name as the town
  itself, and Butte's campuses don't sit where the names suggest (Main
  Campus is not "in Oroville" in any practical sense). Write "at the
  Chico Center", never "in Chico". Write "at Main Campus", never "in
  Oroville".

RELIABLE REQUIRED-COURSE OFFERINGS BY LOCATION (last two academic years)
A required course counts as "reliably offered" at a location only if it
showed a REGULAR PATTERN — at least one section in BOTH window falls or
in BOTH window springs. A one-off section doesn't count: the student
can't bank on it coming back. For Select-N slots (e.g. "Select two"),
the slot is reliably satisfied at a location only when ≥N of its
options are reliably offered there.

  Main Campus:    Partial  (3 of 5 required slots reliably satisfiable here)
  Chico Center:   Partial  (2 of 5 required slots reliably satisfiable here)
  Glenn Center:   Partial  (1 of 5 required slots reliably satisfiable here)
  Online:         Partial  (3 of 5 required slots reliably satisfiable here)
  Dual Enrollment:       Partial  (1 of 5)  ← specialized center

WHAT EACH STATUS MEANS
  - "Yes"     — every required slot has reliable coverage at this location. A student can plan to take their major coursework here.
  - "Partial" — SOME required slots are reliably covered here, but not all. A student who wants to attend mostly at this location will have to combine it with another location or with Online for the gaps.
  - "GE only" — NO required slots are reliably covered here. The student can complete GE breadth here, but for the major's required courses they'll have to go elsewhere.

GROUND TRUTHS YOU MUST RESPECT
  - For Associate degrees, GE breadth requirements can be completed at ANY Butte center or online. That's a given for every Associate program — you don't have to belabor it, but you may briefly mention it when the student's location story for required courses is unfavorable.
  - When a Skyway-Center or Cosmetology-Center program shows "Yes" at its specialized center, LEAD with that — those programs are housed there by design, and the student should plan on being at that center (not Main Campus) for the bulk of their major coursework.
  - Don't tell a student to come to Main Campus when the program's specialized center has full reliable coverage. Main might still be useful for GE; the major work is at the specialized center.
  - "GE only" is NOT "Partial". Don't soften it. Say plainly the program's required coursework isn't taught there.
  - Online is a real option for some programs, but ONLY when its column is "Yes". Don't promise online completion based on "Partial".
  - Dual Enrollment coverage is an aggregate across participating high schools — at any single HS the available courses are typically far fewer. If you mention dual enrollment, mention that "what's offered at your high school will vary."
  - Even "Yes" is "has been reliably available recently" — future schedules can shift. The student should still meet with a counselor.

WHAT TO WRITE
  Two to three short, plain sentences in second person ("you can…", "you'll need to…"). Lead with where the major's required coursework actually runs reliably — that's what determines where the student has to be. Be honest, not promotional.

  - Do NOT list percentages or course counts.
  - Do NOT promise future schedules.
  - Do NOT use the words "completability", "completable", "AY", or "primary location".
  - Do NOT call a "GE only" location a place to "complete the program" — they can't.

OUTPUT
  Return ONLY the statement text. No preamble, no quotation marks, no markdown headers.
Department Physical Sciences

Full Time Faculty

Brittany Harding

Chemistry Instructor - Unit

Carlos Vasquez

Chemistry Instructor

Thea Wilson

Chemistry Instructor

Lisa Nichols

Chemistry Instructor

Penny Lillie

Chemistry Instructor

Elizabeth Wannenmacher

Chemistry Instructor

Cheetar Lee

Chemistry Instructor

Sarah McArthur

Chemistry Instructor

Danielle Gray

Chemistry Instructor

Valeria Martinovic

Chemistry Instructor

Marty Wallace

Chemistry Instructor

Colin Ferguson

Geology Instructor

Patrick McDougall

Physics Instructor

Yaghmorassene Hebib

Physics Instructor

Alessandro Baldi

Physical Science Instructor

Michael Panunto

Physics Instructor

Jason Trento

Physical Science Instructor

Brian Reinbold

Physical Science Instructor

Thomas Cox

Chemistry Instructor

Associate Faculty

Tiffani Anderson

Chemistry Instructor

Sisarie Sherry

Chemistry Instructor

Jess Vickery

Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness & Planning

Rebecca Schmidt

Geography Instructor

Belinda Stevens

Geography Instructor

Bob Pierce

Geography Instructor

Sarah Baum

Geology Instructor

Stephen Coates

Geology Instructor

David Haasl

Physical Science Instructor

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Department Physical Sciences