Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Sustainability and Environmental Studies

The Associate in Arts (AA), Emphasis in Sustainability and Environmental Studies provides the first two years of a four-year curriculum for students who intend to transfer to a four-year institution and specialize in areas of sustainability, environmental science, conservation, or resource management. Upon completion of a bachelor`s degree, students may pursue a number of careers including sustainability specialists, chief sustainability officers, compliance managers, environmental scientists, conservation scientists, soil and water conservationists, range managers, and city and regional planning aides. With a graduate degree, students may pursue a career in several areas including hydrology, urban and regional planning, and post-secondary teaching.

Details

Field of Interest
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Degree Type
Associate in Arts (AA)
Academic Plan
Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Sustainability and Environmental Studies (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
8123
Total credits required
60-64
Catalog Year
2024-2025
Effective Term
Fall 2023
Notes

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

Courses that can be used to fulfill a requirement of the Academic Certificate in Sustainability (Major Code 6240N), Environmental Science (Major Code 6227N), and CCL in Environmental and Natural Resource Conservation (Major Code 5824) while simultaneously fulfilling a requirement of the Associate in Arts, Emphasis in Sustainability and Environmental Studies are noted.

Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.

What You'll Learn

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

  1. Critique basic sustainability concepts, factual information, and practices.
  2. Analyze how social, environmental, and economic systems relate and interact.
  3. Evaluate the relationships between people and their natural and built environments.
  4. Recognize policy strategies and ethical considerations relevant in the field of sustainability.
  5. Examine the scope and complexity of social responsibility.
  6. Practice systems-thinking toward identifying a solution in a collaborative, interdisciplinary setting.
  7. Effectively communicate ideas among diverse stakeholders to build consensus for sustainability initiatives.
  8. Analyze and interpret data for sustainability research application.

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.

Business Operations Specialists, All Other

$79,780

Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary

$78,780

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

$64,090

* Wage information sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Program. Updated May 2022.

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.

Pathway Map Options

There are multiple options available for this pathway map. These options vary depending on the available transfer institutions and what degrees you may be able to transfer into.

These pathway map options may share some common coursework. To explore what additional coursework may be required, select your desired option from the list below. Once selected, the list of courses and any associated details will be automatically updated in the course sequence below. The differences between individual pathway map options may only be a few courses.

Note: You will have to select one of the options below to view available course sequences.

Pathway Map Option Details

No pathway map option has been selected. Please select from the pathway map options listed above.

Full-time Sequence

To view course sequences, select one of the pathway map options above.

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.

Part-time Sequence

To view course sequences, select one of the pathway map options above.

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.

Recommended Electives 

Recommend selection of the following courses:
+ MAT212 Brief Calculus OR
+ MAT213 Brief Calculus OR
+ MAT220 Calculus with Analytic Geometry I OR
+ MAT221 Calculus with Analytic Geometry I 

Recommend for students intending to transfer to University of Arizona to earn a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources with an emphasis in Conservation Biology:
GLG101 Introduction to Geology I - Physical Lecture AND
GLG103 Introduction to Geology I - Physical Lab OR
GLG101IN Introduction to Geology I - Physical

Recommend for students intending to complete the Academic Certificate in Sustainability to select 9 to 12 (9-12) credits of coursework from the following:
ASM104 Bones, Stones, and Human Evolution
BIO105 Environmental Biology

CHM107 Chemistry and Society AND
+ CHM107LL Chemistry and Society Laboratory

COM263 Elements of Intercultural Communication
ECN212 Microeconomic Principles
ENV101 Introduction to Environmental Science
EPS150 Introduction to Entrepreneurship
FON135 Sustainable Cooking

GLG110 Geological Disasters and the Environment AND
GLG111 Geological Disasters and the Environment Lab 

GPH113 Introduction to Physical Geography
PHI216 Environmental Ethics
PSY132 Psychology and Culture
SBU200 Society and Business
SCT100 Introduction to Sustainable Built Environments
SUS100 Introduction to Sustainability
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.

Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

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 official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm10?id=183564).

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.