- Community of interest
- Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
- Award
- AS Degree
- Program code
- 01357.01AS
- Department
- Physics
- CIP code
- 40.0801: Physics, General.
- TOP code
- 1902.00 - Physics, General
Program detailsAward, code, department, CIP/TOP
Program Snapshot
- Community of interest
- STEM Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
- Award
- AS Degree
- Program code
- 01357.01AS
- Department
- Physics
- CIP code
- 40.0801: Physics, General.
- TOP code
- 1902.00 - Physics, General
Next Steps
AS Degree — expand to learn about this award
The Associate of Science is typically awarded for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) and Career Technical Education (CTE) programs. Like every Butte College associate degree, it has two parts: a general-education curriculum that gives you a broad base of knowledge, and an academic program where you specialize.
About General Education. GE is an integrated program of learning designed to foster intellectual curiosity, cultural understanding, critical thinking, creative reasoning, oral and written communication, and the capacity for ethical reasoning. By graduation, you'll have developed the ability to think critically, communicate clearly, apply quantitative reasoning, understand how the major academic disciplines ask their questions, comprehend diverse cultures and historical periods, and assess ethical problems — alongside the depth you build in your major.
Semester-by-Semester Map
Term 1
Class Schedules
Select one: Meets Area 2
General Education: Area 1A
about Area 1A
English Composition
Baccalaureate-level academic writing — expository and argumentative. The foundation for every other course you'll write in.
General Education: Area 3
Department recommends ART 1, MUS 1, or HIST C1001.
about Area 3
Arts and Humanities
How people and cultures, across time, respond to themselves and the world through artistic and cultural creative production. Visual and performing arts, art history, foreign languages, literature, philosophy, religion.
General Education: Area 6
about Area 6
Ethnic Studies
The histories, experiences, and contributions of the four autonomous disciplines: Black / African American / Africana studies, Native American studies, Chicano/a/x and Latino/a/x studies, and Asian American studies.
Graduation Requirement Choice (See GE Guide)
Department recommends CSL 20.
Term 2
Class Schedules
Meet Area 5.
course details
This course introduces students to the basic principles of chemistry with a quantitative emphasis. Topics include atomic theory, chemical bonding, molecular geometry, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, gases, thermochemistry, intermolecular forces and solutions. This is the first semester of a one-year course in chemistry intended for majors in the natural sciences (chemistry, biochemistry, biology, physics, pre-medicine), mathematics, and engineering. The two-semester sequence of CHEM 1 and CHEM 2 provides the basic chemical background needed for further investigations into our physical environment. Graded only. (C-ID CHEM 110/CHEM 120S).
Prerequisite: CHEM 11 or CHEM 51 or one year of high school Chemistry; and Intermediate Algebra or equivalent
Meet Area 5.
course details
This course introduces students to the internal and external processes that are at work changing the earth today. Within the context of modern plate tectonics theory, students will explore the origins of rocks and minerals and dynamic earth processes such as volcanism, seismicity and mountain building that are driven by the release of Earth's internal heat. It also examines how wind, running water, and glaciers move in response to gravity and energy from the sun and the sculpting of Earth's surface by erosion. These concepts as well as the interpretation of topographic and geologic maps will be reinforced with an integrated laboratory program. (C-ID GEOL 101).
Select one: Meets Area 2
Term 3
Class Schedules
Meets Area 5.
course details
This course is an introductory study of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell structure and function as well as basic viral structure and reproduction. Attention is given to life processes within cells and to interactions between cells. Coverage includes experimental design and statistical analysis; basic biotechnology concepts and techniques; DNA structure, function, and gene expression; enzyme function; energetics; nutrient cycles in ecosystems; transport mechanisms; cytoskeletal components; cell communication (including nerve impulse conduction and signal transduction); cell reproduction; Mendelian and population genetics; cell evolution; and modern concepts of molecular biology. This course is designed for biology majors. (C-ID BIOL 190/BIOL 135S).
Prerequisite: CHEM 1 and Intermediate Algebra or equivalent
Meets Area 2.
course details
A second course in differential and integral calculus of a single variable. Topics include applications of integration, techniques of integration, infinite sequences and series, and the calculus of parametric and polar equations. This course is primarily intended for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors. (C-ID MATH 220).
Prerequisite: Calculus I: Early Transcendentals (MATH C2210), or equivalent, or placement as determined by the college’s multiple measures assessment process.
Meet Area 5.
course details
This course, intended for students majoring in physical sciences and engineering, is part of a three-semester course whose contents may be offered in other sequences or combinations. Core topics include an introduction to kinematics, dynamics, work and energy, momentum, gravitation and simple harmonic motion. Graded only. (C-ID PHYS 205/PHYS 100S).
Prerequisite: MATH C2210 or MATH C2210E
General Education: Area 1B
about Area 1B
Oral Communication and Critical Thinking
Baccalaureate-level oral communication and/or critical thinking — speaking with structure to a live audience, analyzing arguments, identifying assumptions.
Term 4
Class Schedules
Meets Area 2.
course details
Vector valued functions, calculus of functions of more than one variable, partial derivatives, multiple integration, Green’s Theorem, Stokes’ Theorem, divergence theorem. (C-ID MATH 230).
Prerequisite: MATH C2220
Meet Area 5.
course details
This course, intended for students majoring in physical sciences and engineering, is part of a three-semester course whose contents may be offered in other sequences or combinations. Core topics include electrostatics, magnetism, DC and AC circuits, and Maxwell's equations. Graded only. (C-ID PHYS 210/PHYS 200S).
Prerequisite: PHYS 41, MATH C2220
General Education: Area 4
Department recommends POLS C1000.
about Area 4
Social and Behavioral Sciences
The systematic study of people as members of society — cultural anthropology, cultural geography, economics, history, political science, psychology, sociology — and the methods these disciplines use to ask their questions.
Select One Option:
Biology Option
Chemistry Option
Geology Option (Group 1)
Geology Option (or Group 2)
Mathematics Option
Term 5
Class Schedules
Meets Area 5.
course details
This course, intended for majors, examines the basic principles governing evolution of organisms and interactions between organisms and the environment, and emphasizes ecological principles and mechanisms of evolution. (C-ID BIOL 130S/BIOL 135S).
Prerequisite: Intermediate Algebra or equivalent
Meets Area 2.
course details
The course is an introduction to ordinary differential equations including both quantitative and qualitative methods as well as applications from a variety of disciplines. Introduces the theoretical aspects of differential equations, including establishing when solution(s) exist, and techniques for obtaining solutions, including, series solutions, and singular points, Laplace transforms and linear systems. (C-ID MATH 240).
Prerequisite: MATH C2220
Meets Area 5.
course details
This course, intended for students majoring in physical sciences and engineering, is part of a three-semester course whose contents may be offered in other sequences or combinations. Core topics include optics and modern physics. Graded only. (C-ID PHYS 215) (C-ID PHYS 200S = PHYS 41, PHYS 42, and PHYS 43).
Prerequisite: PHYS 41, MATH C2220
Select One Option:
Mathematics Option
Biology Option
Chemistry Option
Geology Option (Group 1)
Geology Option (or Group 2)
Career Connections
2-Year Degree Paths
Entry points students may pursue after associate-level study, technical preparation, or licensure pathways.
No locally mapped occupations in the current dataset point cleanly to an immediate 2-year outcome for this program.
4-Year Degree Paths
Roles that more often open up after transfer and a bachelor's degree.
Example roles: 3
- Secondary School Teachers
- Natural Sciences Managers
- Chemists
Graduate School Paths
Advanced roles commonly associated with graduate, professional, or post-baccalaureate study.
Example roles: 1
- Physics Teachers, Postsecondary
Local Job Market
Secondary School TeachersSOC 25-20312 nearby openings
Top employers in sample
- Amergis 1
- E Center 1
Where the postings are
- Linda, Yuba County 1
- Thermalito, Butte County 1
Sample current postings
Natural Sciences ManagersSOC 11-91212 nearby openings
Top employers in sample
- Consolidated Municipality of Carson City 1
- State of Nevada 1
Where the postings are
- Mound House, Carson City 2
Sample current postings
ChemistsSOC 19-20126 nearby openings
Top employers in sample
- TruRoots 3
- Ahtna 1
- Enloe Health 1
- Enloe Medical Center 1
Where the postings are
- Chico, Butte County 5
- Chapmantown, Butte County 1
Sample current postings
Physics Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-10541 nearby opening
Top employers in sample
- Yuba Community College District 1
Where the postings are
- Yuba City, Sutter County 1
Sample current postings
Posting counts come from Adzuna's index of US job boards, covering the last up to 90 days within up to 100 miles of ZIP 95965. Coverage and salary visibility vary by employer. Empty searches expand the radius and posting window before the section gives up.
Source Notes
Course sequencing is generated from the Acadia Program Mapper cache. Career groupings use local CIP-to-SOC mappings and BLS occupation data when available. Confirm education plans with Counseling and Advising.
Live wage data was not available from the BLS helper for the mapped occupations, so some pay fields may be blank.
Last generated 2026-07-05T16:59+00:00