Geology
AS Degree Earth Science · Sierra College · 2026-2027 Catalog
A two-year associate degree in Geology prepares students to work in entry-level technical positions in the geological profession, including such fields as environmental assessment and mitigation, hydrology, mining, agronomy, conservation and interpretation. Additional professional opportunities are available for students with advanced degrees. In all cases, students should consult with a counselor for more information on university admission and transfer requirements. Students must fulfill the following major requirements with grades of “C” or better, complete a minimum of 60 degree-applicable semester units (12 of which must be completed at Sierra College) with a grade point average of at least 2.0 and complete one of the following three general education patterns:
- Sierra College Associate Degree Requirements (Local General Education)
- California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)
Required Courses
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ESCI 0001 | Physical Geology | 3 |
| ESCI 0001L | Physical Geology Laboratory | 1 |
| ESCI 0003 | Historical Geology | 3 |
| ESCI 0003L | Historical Geology Laboratory | 1 |
| Select 1-2 units from the following: | 1-2 | |
| ESCI 0054A | Sierra Nevada and Western Basin and Range Provinces | |
| ESCI 0054B | Great Valley and Coast Range Provinces | |
| ESCI 0054C | Great Valley, Coast Ranges, and Sutter Buttes | |
| ESCI 0054D | Western Sierra Nevada and the Mother Lode | |
| ESCI 0054E | Major Rock Units of the Northern Sierra | |
| ESCI 0055C | Weekend Field Geology - Point Reyes | |
| ESCI 0055F | Weekend Field Geology | |
| ESCI 0056F | Field Geology of Western North America | |
| Select 4-6 units from the following: | 4-6 | |
| CHEM 0001A | General Chemistry I (OR) | |
| orCHEM 0003A & CHEM 0003B | General Chemistry I - Part 1and General Chemistry I - Part 2 | |
| PHYS 0010 & PHYS 0010L | Basic Concepts in Physicsand Basic Concepts in Physics Laboratory | |
| PHYS 0105 & PHYS 0105L | General Physics Iand General Physics I Laboratory | |
| PHYS 0205 & PHYS 0205L | Principles of Physics: Mechanicsand Principles of Physics Laboratory: Mechanics | |
| Select 6-8 units from the following: | 6-8 | |
| ASTR 0010 | Elementary Astronomy | |
| CHEM 0001B | General Chemistry II | |
| ESCI 0002 | California Geology | |
| ESCI 0015 | Introduction to Oceanography | |
| ESCI 0015L | Introduction to Oceanography Laboratory | |
| ESCI 0050 | Geology of National Parks and Monuments | |
| ESCI 0054A | Sierra Nevada and Western Basin and Range Provinces 1 | |
| ESCI 0054B | Great Valley and Coast Range Provinces 1 | |
| ESCI 0054C | Great Valley, Coast Ranges, and Sutter Buttes 1 | |
| ESCI 0054D | Western Sierra Nevada and the Mother Lode 1 | |
| ESCI 0054E | Major Rock Units of the Northern Sierra 1 | |
| ESCI 0055A | Weekend Field Geology - Eastern Sierra 1 | |
| ESCI 0055B | Weekend Field Geology - Yosemite 1 | |
| ESCI 0055C | Weekend Field Geology - Point Reyes 1 | |
| ESCI 0055D | Weekend Field Geology - Southern Coast Range 1 | |
| ESCI 0055E | Weekend Geology and Volcanoes of Northeastern California 1 | |
| ESCI 0056A | Field Geology of Western North America - Death Valley 1 | |
| ESCI 0056B | Field Geology of Western North America - Geology of Utah 1 | |
| ESCI 0056C | Field Geology of Western North America - Western Deserts 1 | |
| ESCI 0056D | Field Geology in the Sierra Nevada 1 | |
| ESCI 0056E | Geology of the Cascade Volcanoes 1 | |
| ESCI 0056G | Coastal Geology 1 | |
| ESCI 0055F | Weekend Field Geology 1 | |
| ESCI 0056F | Field Geology of Western North America 1 | |
| GEOG 0004 | Weather and Climate | |
| GEOG 0090 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) | |
| MATH 0029 | Pre-Calculus Mathematics | |
| MATH 0030 | Analytical Geometry and Calculus I | |
| PHYS 0110 & PHYS 0110L | General Physics IIand General Physics II Laboratory | |
| PHYS 0210 & PHYS 0210L | Principles of Physics: Electricity and Magnetismand Principles of Physics Laboratory: Electricity and Magnetism | |
| PHYS 0215 & PHYS 0215L | Principles of Physics: Heat, Waves and Modern Physicsand Principles of Physics Laboratory: Heat, Waves and Modern Physics | |
| Total Units | 19-24 | |
Only 3 units total may be taken from the field studies courses.