- Community of interest
- Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
- Award
- AS Degree
- Program code
- 15151.00AS
- Department
- Physical/Environment Sci
- CIP code
- 03.0104: Environmental Science.
- TOP code
- 0301.00 - Environmental Science
Program detailsAward, code, department, CIP/TOP
Program Snapshot
- Community of interest
- STEM Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
- Award
- AS Degree
- Program code
- 15151.00AS
- Department
- Physical/Environment Sci
- CIP code
- 03.0104: Environmental Science.
- TOP code
- 0301.00 - Environmental Science
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
Meets Area 5.
course details
Introduction to environmental issues from a scientific perspective, focusing on physical, chemical, and biological processes within the Earth system, the interaction between humans and these processes, and the role of science in finding sustainable solutions. Topics include ecological principles, biodiversity, climate change, sustainability, renewable and non-renewable energy, water resources, air and water pollution, and solid waste management. The concepts will be reinforced with an integrated laboratory program. (C-ID ENVS 100).
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 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.
Term 2
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 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
General Education: Area 3
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.
Graduation Requirement Choice (See GE Guide)
Term 3
Class Schedules
Meets Area 5.
course details
The study of soil physical, chemical and biological properties. Soil use and management including erosion, moisture retention, structure, cultivation, organic matter and microbiology. Laboratory topics include soil type, classification, soil reaction, soil fertility and physical properties of soil. (C-ID AG-PS 128L).
Meets Area 5.
course details
This course is a continuation of CHEM 1, General Chemistry I. Topics include chemical kinetics and equilibrium, acid-base and solubility equilibria, thermodynamics, oxidation-reduction, electrochemistry, coordination compounds, nuclear chemistry, introduction to organic chemistry and qualitative analysis. This is the second 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 120S) (C-ID CHEM 120S = CHEM 1 and CHEM 2).
Prerequisite: CHEM 1
Select one: Meets Area 5
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 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).
Meets Area 5.
course details
This course is an introduction to modern meteorology. Topics include air circulation, pressure and wind, temperature, moisture, fronts, storm systems, cloud types and air stability. The course will also include an introduction to interpreting weather maps, synoptic weather forecasting, and climate change. Math will be used at times during this course but emphasis will be on a conceptual understanding of basic meteorology. It is highly recommended that students also enroll in PSC 51.
Meets Area 5.
course details
This course will emphasize the practical concepts of physical science and weather using demonstration and experimentation. Topics include the scientific method, Newton's laws of motion, heat and energy transfer, the gas law, and fluid dynamics. Other experiments will demonstrate weather observation techniques, collection and analysis of atmospheric data, weather map study, cloud identification, interpretation of satellite imagery, and basic forecasting skills. This course may include a field trip to a local forecasting facility.
Prerequisite: PSC 50 (or concurrent enrollment)
Select one: Taking PHYS 21 requires PHYS 22; PHYS 41 requires PHYS 42. Meets Area 5.
General Education: Area 4
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.
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: 4
- Forest and Conservation Technicians
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
- Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health
Graduate School Paths
Advanced roles commonly associated with graduate, professional, or post-baccalaureate study.
Example roles: 1
- Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary
Local Job Market
Forest and Conservation TechniciansSOC 19-4071no nearby openings indexed
No nearby openings matched any of: forest and conservation technician, conservation technician. Browse this occupation on Adzuna for postings outside the mapped keyword set.
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthSOC 19-20412 nearby openings
Top employers in sample
- Ahtna 1
- Verdantas 1
Where the postings are
- Chico, Butte County 1
- Linda, Yuba County 1
Sample current postings
Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including HealthSOC 19-40424 nearby openings
Top employers in sample
- Verdantas 2
- Ahtna 1
- Forest Stewardship Council US 1
Where the postings are
- Linda, Yuba County 2
- Chico, Butte County 1
- Oregon, Butte County 1
Sample current postings
Compliance OfficersSOC 13-10413 nearby openings
Top employers in sample
- Butte-Glenn Community College District 1
- Team Member Services 1
- Tri Counties Bank 1
Where the postings are
- Chapmantown, Butte County 1
- Live Oak, Sutter County 1
- Thermalito, Butte County 1
Sample current postings
Environmental Science Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1053no nearby openings indexed
No nearby openings matched any of: Environmental Science instructor, Environmental Science teacher, environmental science teachers postsecondary, environmental science teacher. Browse this occupation on Adzuna for postings outside the mapped keyword set.
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 2026-07-05T16:58+00:00