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Associate in Science, Emphasis in Astronomy

The Associate in Science (AS), Emphasis in Astronomy provides the first two years of a four-year curriculum for students who intend to transfer to a four-year institution to specialize in Astronomy or a related field. Upon completion of a graduate degree, students may pursue a number of careers including astronomers, atmospheric and space scientists, physicists, and astronomy professors.

Details

Details iconImportant information you’ll need when applying for admission:
Field of Interest
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Type
Associate Degree
Academic Plan
Associate in Science, Emphasis in Astronomy (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
8605
Total Credits Required
60-64
Catalog Year
2022-2023
Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.
Effective term
Fall 2022
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses in the program.

What You'll Learn

This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:

  1. Engage and develop your curiosity of the natural world.
  2. Utilize laboratory equipment, telescopes, and software to gather data, observations, measurements in order to find patterns, correlations, and relationships related to our origins and place in the Universe and the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe.
  3. Clearly communicate scientific ideas to a diverse audience - qualitatively and quantitatively, in verbal, written, and visual formats, using an appropriate technical vocabulary.
  4. Implement a macro perspective to interpret, analyze, and engage with universal concepts.
  5. Critically assess problems using the principles, methodologies and perspectives of Astronomy.
  6. Evaluate published materials for scientific validity.
  7. Compare and contrast the perspectives of diverse societies and cultures.
  8. Demonstrate ethical practices in individual and collaborative work settings.
  9. Integrate and apply theory and observational data to develop solutions to societal problems.
  10. Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.
Career Opportunities

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based annual median wages* for this program. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information.

Astronomers

$103,850

Atmospheric and Space Scientists

$94,050

Physicists

$172,940

Physics Teachers, Postsecondary

$98,070

* Wage information sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Program. Updated May 2021.
Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Pathway Planner tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AST111 or
AST112		 Introduction to Solar System Astronomy or Introduction to Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology Critical course Gateway course SQ 4
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC 3
MAT220 or
MAT221		 Calculus with Analytic Geometry I or Calculus with Analytic Geometry I MA 4–5
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AST111 or
AST112		 Introduction to Solar System Astronomy or Introduction to Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology Critical course Gateway course SQ 4
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC 3
PHY115 or
PHY121		 University Physics I or University Physics I: Mechanics SQ 4–5
MAT230 or
MAT231		 Calculus with Analytic Geometry II or Calculus with Analytic Geometry II MA 4–5

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PHY116 or
PHY131		 University Physics II or University Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism SQ 4–5
MAT240 or
MAT241		 Calculus with Analytic Geometry III or Calculus with Analytic Geometry III MA 4–5
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication Recommend selecting a course that satisfies COM and SB or COM and L requirements simultaneously. SB or L 0–3
SB Social-Behavioral Sciences SB 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MAT261 or
MAT276 or
MAT277		 Differential Equations or Modern Differential Equations or Modern Differential Equations MA 3–4
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3
L Literacy & Critical Inquiry Recommend selecting a course that satisfies [L] Literacy and Critical Inquiry and [SB] Social-Behavioral Sciences or [L] Literacy and Critical Inquiry and [HU] Humanities, Arts & Design or [L] Literacy and Critical Inquiry and (COM) Oral Communications or [L] Literacy and Critical Inquiry and CRE101 requirements simultaneously. L 0–3
SB Social-Behavioral Sciences SB 3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AST111 or
AST112		 Introduction to Solar System Astronomy or Introduction to Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology Critical course Gateway course SQ 4
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MAT220 or
MAT221		 Calculus with Analytic Geometry I or Calculus with Analytic Geometry I MA 4–5
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC 3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
PHY115 or
PHY121		 University Physics I or University Physics I: Mechanics SQ 4–5
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM225 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Public Speaking or Small Group Communication Recommend selecting a course that satisfies COM and SB or COM and L requirements simultaneously. SB or L 0–3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
AST111 or
AST112		 Introduction to Solar System Astronomy or Introduction to Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology Critical course Gateway course SQ 4
MAT230 or
MAT231		 Calculus with Analytic Geometry II or Calculus with Analytic Geometry II MA 4–5

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SB Social-Behavioral Sciences SB 3
PHY116 or
PHY131		 University Physics II or University Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism SQ 4–5

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MAT240 or
MAT241		 Calculus with Analytic Geometry III or Calculus with Analytic Geometry III MA 4–5
L Literacy & Critical Inquiry Recommend selecting a course that satisfies [L] Literacy and Critical Inquiry and [SB] Social-Behavioral Sciences or [L] Literacy and Critical Inquiry and [HU] Humanities, Arts & Design or [L] Literacy and Critical Inquiry and (COM) Oral Communications or [L] Literacy and Critical Inquiry and CRE101 requirements simultaneously. L 0–3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MAT261 or
MAT276 or
MAT277		 Differential Equations or Modern Differential Equations or Modern Differential Equations MA 3–4
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
HU Humanities, Fine Arts & Design HU 3
SB Social-Behavioral Sciences SB 3
Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • C = Cultural Diversity in the US
  • CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
  • FYC = First Year Composition
  • G = Global Awareness
  • H = Historical Awareness
  • HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
  • L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
  • MA = Mathematics
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
  • SG = Natural Sciences General
  • SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
Disclaimer

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s curriculum website for the Associate in Science in Associate in Science, Emphasis in Astronomy (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm10?id=176512).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Associate in Science (AS) in Associate in Science, Emphasis in Astronomy