Associate in Science, Emphasis in Astronomy

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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.

Note: Because you are viewing this pathway map on a mobile device, some columns below have been hidden. To view all columns, please rotate your device or view this page on a device with a larger screen.

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.

Note: Because you are viewing this pathway map on a mobile device, some columns below have been hidden. To view all columns, please rotate your device or view this page on a device with a larger screen.

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