The purpose of the A.S. degree is to provide a clear, explicit, and coherent pathway for students intending to transfer into STEM majors at baccalaureate institutions. The A.S. degree provides targeted advising and appropriate course sequencing for efficient transfer of our STEM students. The degree also provides a focus for the College to identify, recruit, counsel, and retain STEM students. The degree marks the endpoint for students who have moved through the curricular pathways. The degree facilitates articulation and transfer agreements between Kapi‘olani Community College and four-year STEM programs at UH Manoa (UHM), UH Hilo (UHH), as well as programs on the U.S. mainland.
Below are links to several useful downloadable forms related to the ASNS degree:
- ASNS degree advising sheets (3 pathways/concentrations to choose from):
- Change of Major form (PDF)
In addition, the STEM Program now has two full-time counselors. They are located on the KapCC campus in the Maida Kamber Center and are available to meet with students on a weekly basis. Their contact information and walk-in hours can be downloaded here and are also displayed below:
Karmi Minor-Flores
Walk-in hours:
Tuesday: 8:30-12:30
Wednesday: 8:30-10:30
Thursday 8:30-10:30
karmi@hawaii.edu
Lori Sakaguchi
Walk-in hours:
Monday: 12:30-2:30
Tuesday: 12:30-2:30
Wednesday: 8:30-12:30
LLsakagu@hawaii.edu
STEM students working in a lo’i patch
The A.S. in Natural Science degree reinforces and deepens STEM learning across the curriculum, supports and strengthens the STEM infrastructure of the University, and allows Kapi‘olani Community College to become a salient incubator of science talent. By enhancing the STEM curriculum through various pathways and offering a focused degree program, more of the College’s students will pursue STEM majors and successfully complete their degrees. Early introduction of STEM-oriented 2nd-year courses allows students to experience their chosen discipline beyond the survey-course level and it also allows the students to determine if the STEM Program is the correct educational direction for them. In addition, by introducing the courses at an earlier point in the student’s college career, both the college and the student are able to assess whether or not he/she has the talent and skills needed to succeed in the STEM Program. The A.S. degree complements Kapi‘olani Community College’s mission on several levels. First, the degree provides open access to all students. Second, the degree promotes student progress, learning, and success while maintaining a low level of tuition and a high level of quality in the college’s instructional programs. Third, the A.S. degree fosters student development and enhances support services offered to students. Fourth, the degree helps to prepare students to meet rigorous baccalaureate requirements and personal enrichment goals by offering a high quality liberal arts program. Fifth, the degree utilizes human, physical, technological, and financial resources effectively and efficiently to achieve ambitious educational goals.
Although students are traditionally taught to enroll in primarily core general-education courses when they first enter college, it is extremely important to expose them to first- and second-year STEM courses early in their college careers. Early exposure to STEM courses also allows STEM students to have access to STEM content that is vital to the success of their early research experiences, to broaden their third and fourth years of college to include liberal arts courses, and to have a more manageable third and fourth year class schedule.
The A.S. degree program in Natural Science with a concentration in Life Science or Physical Science includes a core curriculum for all students in the program, as well as additional specific courses for two areas of concentration: Life Science transfer and Physical Science transfer. The shared and specialized curricula are reflected in the tables below.
A.S. Degree in Natural Science with a concentration in Life Science or Physical Science
(Total credits: 60 credits)
Shared Curriculum
| General Education Courses | Title | CR | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| Foundation | FW ENG100 | Composition I | 3 | * | |||
| Foundation | FS MATH205 | Calculus I | 4 | * | |||
| Foundation | FG Group A, B, or C | FG 2 courses from 2 groups A, B, C | 6 | * | * | ||
| Diversification | DA, DL, DH | 1 course from DA, DL, DH | 3 | * | |||
| Diversification | DB, DP* | 1 course from DB or DP | 3 | * | |||
| Diversification | DS | 1 course from DS | 3 | * | |||
| Note: The above schedule assumes that two Writing-Intensive courses and one HAP course are taken as diversification courses. *LS concentration students need to take one DP that may also be part of the required or elective courses for the degree.Total Number of Shared General Education Credits |
22 | ||||||
FW = Foundations Writing
FS = Foundations Symbolic Reasoning
FG = Foundations Global/Multicultural Issues; Courses are in three groups, A, B and C
DA = Diversification Arts
DL = Diversification Literature
DH = Diversification Humanities
DB = Diversification Biological Sciences
DP = Diversification Physical Sciences
DS = Diversification Social Sciences
| Shared Program Courses
Common to the A.S. with a concentration in Life Science or Physical Science |
||||||
| Alpha # | Title | CR | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| CHEM 161 | General Chemistry I | 3 | * | |||
| CHEM 161 L | General Chemistry I Lab | 1 | * | |||
| CHEM 162 | General Chemistry II | 3 | * | |||
| CHEM 162 L | General Chemistry II Lab | 1 | * | |||
| ICS 101 | Tools for the Information Age | 3 | * | |||
| Total Shared Program Credits | 11 | |||||
| COURSES REQUIRED for Concentration in LS | ||||||
| BIOL 171 | General Biology I | 3 | * | |||
| BIOL 171 L | General Biology I Lab | 1 | * | |||
| BIOL 172 | General Biology II | 3 | * | |||
| BIOL 172 L | General Biology II Lab | 1 | * | |||
| Total Credits Required for Concentration in LS | 8 | |||||
| COURSES REQUIRED for Concentration in PS | ||||||
| MATH 206 | Calculus II | 4 | * | |||
| PHYS 170 | Physics I | 4 | * | |||
| PHYS 170 L | Physics I Lab | 1 | * | |||
| PHYS 272 | Physics II | 3 | * | |||
| PHYS 272 L | Physics II Lab | 2 | * | |||
| Total Credits Required for Concentration in PS | 13 | |||||
| ELECTIVE COURSES for Both Concentrations
(for 60 credit degree, LS=19 credits of electives; PS=14 credits of electives) *Strongly Recommended for A.S. in Natural Science with a concentration in LS or PS LS =Strongly Recommended for A.S. LS PS =Strongly Recommended for A.S. PS |
|||
| ASTR 280 (3) | Evolution of the Universe | ICS 212 (3) | Program Structure |
| BIOC 241 (3) | Fundamentals of Biochemistry | ICS 241 (3) | Discreet Mathematics for Computer Science II |
| BIOC 244 (3) | Essentials of Biochemistry | MATH 206 (4) | Calculus II* |
| BIOL 171 (3) | General Biology I | MATH 206 L (1) | Calculus II Lab |
| BIOL 171 L (1) | General Biology I Lab | MATH 231 (4) | Calculus III PS |
| BIOL 172 (3) | General Biology II | MATH 232 (4) | Calculus IV PS |
| BIOL 172 L (1) | General Biology II Lab | MICR 130 (3) | General Microbiology |
| BIOL 275 (3) | Cell and Molecular Biology LS | MICR 140 (2) | General Microbiology Lab |
| BIOL 275 L (2) | Cell and Molecular Biology Lab LS | MICR 161 (2) | Immunology and Protein Chemistry |
| CHEM 272 (3) | Organic Chemistry I LS | MICR 230 (3) | Molecular Biology |
| CHEM 272 L (1) | Organic Chemistry I Lab LS | MICR 240 (2) | Cell Biology and Tissue Culture |
| CHEM 273 (3) | Organic Chemistry II LS | OCEAN 201 (3) | Science of the Sea |
| CHEM 273 L (1) | Organic Chemistry II Lab LS | PHYS 151 (3) | College Physics I |
| CE 113 (3) | Introduction to Computer and Design | PHYS 151 L (1) | College Physics I Lab |
| CE 270 (3) | Applied Mechanics I | PHYS 152 (3) | College Physics II |
| CE 271 (3) | Applied Mechanics II | PHYS 152 L (1) | College Physics II Lab |
| EE 160 (4) | Programming for Engineers PS | PHYS 170 (4) | General Physics I |
| EE 211 (4) | Basic Circuit Analysis | PHYS 170 L (1) | General Physics I Lab |
| EE 260 (4) | Introduction to Digital Design | PHYS 272 (3) | General Physics II |
| ESS 254 (2) | Physiological Basis for Exercise | PHYS 272 L (1) | General Physics II Lab |
| ESS 254 L (1) | Physiological Basis for Exercise Lab | PHYS 274 (3) | General Physics III PS |
| ESS 263 (3) | Sport Biomechanics | PHYL 160 (3) | The Science of Sleep |
| ESS 288 (1) | Body Composition and Weight Management | ZOOL 141 (3) | Human Anatomy and Physiology I |
| GEOL 101 L (1) | Introduction to Physical Geology Lab | ZOOL 141 L (1) | Human Anatomy and Physiology I Lab |
| GEOL 103 (3) | Geology of the Hawaiian Islands | ZOOL 142 (3) | Human Anatomy and Physiology II |
| ICS 111 (3) | Introduction to Computer Science I | ZOOL 142 L (1) | Human Anatomy and Physiology II Lab |
| ICS 141 (3) | Discreet Mathematics for Computer Science I | ZOOL 200 (2) | Marine Biology |
| ICS 211 (3) | Introduction to Computer Science II | ZOOL 200 L (1) | Marine Biology Lab |
|
SAMPLE Elective Choices for STEM KCC Pathways These Kapi‘olani Community College Elective Courses are unique to various STEM Programs at UHM and UHH |
|||||||
| Life ScienceWAIKIKI WATERSHED ECOLOGY | CR | Life ScienceBIOTECHNOLOGY & MOLECULAR SCIENCE | CR | Life SciencePHYSIOLOGY & EXERCISE SCIENCE | CR | Physical Science ENGINEERING & SPACE SCIENCE | CR |
| BIOL 275 + LAB | 5 | MICRO 130/140 | 5 | BIOL 130 OR ZOOL 141/142 + LABS |
3 OR 8 |
PHYS 274 | 3 |
| ZOOL 200 + LAB OR OCN 201 |
3 | MICRO 161/230 | 5 | BIOC 241 | 4 | EE 160 | 4 |
| CHEM 272 + LAB | 4 | BIOL 275 + LAB | 5 | FSHE 185 | 3 | CE 270 OR ASTR 280 |
3 |
| BOT 130 + Lab OR GG 103 |
4 OR 3 |
CHEM 272 + LAB | 4 | ESS 254 OR ESS 280 OR PHYL 160 |
3 | EE 211 | 4 |