Associate in Science, Emphasis in Secondary Education

The Associate in Science (AS), Emphasis in Secondary Education provides the first two years of a four-year curriculum for students who wish to transfer to a four-year institution and earn a bachelor's degree in secondary education leading to teacher certification for grades 6-12 in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Foundational education courses and discipline specific courses are designed to provide future teachers with the knowledge and skills related to educational philosophies, policies, attitudes, behaviors, and instruction in order to effectively perform the duties associated with the position of a classroom teacher. Students will participate in classroom field experiences to connect theory with practice.

Details

Field of Interest

Education

Degree Type

Associate in Science (AS)

Academic Plan

Associate in Science, Emphasis in Secondary Education (DEG)

Academic Plan Code

8609

Total credits required

60-64

Catalog Year

2025-2026

Effective Term

Fall 2025

Notes

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

State certification requirements include demonstration of proficiency in the constitutions of the United States and Arizona. Proficiency can be demonstrated via the Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessments (AEPA) Constitutions of the United States and Arizona test or by taking appropriate coursework: GCU113, POS113, HIS103 and POS221, POS221 and POS222, or POS220.

Identity Verified Prints (IVP) Fingerprint Clearance Card is required for participation in field experiences and for admission to a university teacher education program. Applicants must present an IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card to be copied by the advisor or designee. Please contact your advisor for information about obtaining the IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card.

This emphasis is intended to align with the degree requirements for the following transfer partners:

NAU, Secondary Education - Chemistry, BS in Education

NAU, Secondary Education - Physics, BS in Education

Refer to the for more information: .

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

What You'll Learn

Demonstrate a foundational knowledge of secondary education content area.
Synthesize knowledge of current and historical influences on education at the local, state, federal and/or global levels.
Advocate for the role of education in a democratic society through participation in community activities, demonstrating respect for differing cultures and values.
Describe accepted professional and ethical standards of conduct that guide interactions with peers, students, teachers, administrators, and community members.
Apply relevant knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to seek career opportunities in the field.

Career Statistics

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 wages* for this degree. 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. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary

$81,410

Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors

$54,280

Instructional Coordinators

$58,250

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$55,180

There are additional career opportunities associated with this degree that do not have occupational data available for Arizona at this time. These occupations are listed below:

Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources.

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 Degree Progress Report Tool in your 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 locations, partners, and available tracks of the award.

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.

Associate in Science, Emphasis in Secondary Education
Chemistry
Physics

Full-time
Part-time

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.

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1Term 1
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
( and ) or or ( and ) or	( and ) or or ( and ) or	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [( and ), or , or one year of high school chemistry taken within the last five years] and (a grade of C or better in or higher level mathematics course, or satisfactory placement), or permission of the Instructor, or Department or Division Chair. and Prerequisites or Corequisites: or . or Prerequisites: C or better in [( & ), or , or 1 yr of high school chemistry taken within the last 5 yrs] & C or better in or higher or satisfactory score on placement exam or permission of the Instructor or Dept or Div Chair. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [( and ) or or one year of high school chemistry taken in the last five yrs] and ( or higher or satisfactory placement) or permission of the Instructor or Department or Division Chair. and Prerequisites or Corequisites: or . or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [( and ), or , or one year of high school chemistry taken within the last five years] and (a grade of C or better in or higher level mathematics course, or satisfactory placement), or permission of the Instructor, or Department or Division Chair.		SQ in combo w/ CHM151LL and SQ in combo w/ CHM150 or CHM151 or SQ or SQ in combo w/ CHM151LL and SQ in combo w/ CHM150 or CHM151 or SQ	4–5
or	or	Prerequisites: Writing placement or (C/ better in or ) or (B/better in ) or (C in & Corequisites: or or or ) or (C/better in & Corequisites: or or or ). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C/better in or ),or (B/better in ) or (C in & Corequisites: or or or ) or (C/better in and Corequisites: or or or ).	Critical course	FYC or FYC	3
or	or	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or an appropriate District placement. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or an appropriate District placement.	Critical course Gateway course	MA or MA	4–5
or	or				1–3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or or or completion of higher level mathematics course, or satisfactory score on placement exam.		SQ	4
or	or	Prerequisites: Writing placement or (C/ better in or ) or (B/better in ) or (C in & Corequisites: or or or ) or (C/better in & Corequisites: or or or ). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C/better in or ),or (B/better in ) or (C in & Corequisites: or or or ) or (C/better in and Corequisites: or or or ).	Critical course	FYC or FYC	3
or	or	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or an appropriate District placement. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or an appropriate District placement.	Critical course Gateway course	MA or MA	4–5
or	or				1–3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2Term 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
( and ) or	( and ) or	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [( or ) and ], or , or , or permission of the Instructor, or Department or Division Chair. and Prerequisites or Corequisites: . or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [( or ) and ], or , or , or permission of the Instructor, or Department or Division Chair.		SQ in combo w/ CHM152LL and SQ in combo w/ CHM152 or SQ	4
or	or	Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in . or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in .		FYC or FYC	3
or ( and ) or	or ( and ) or		Students must petition NAU to accept GCU/ OR ( and ) for	H, SB or H, HU, SB or None	3–4
and	and		Any approved general education courses in the Humanities, Arts and Design [HU] area with the Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] designation.	HU and L	3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [( or ) and (, or , or , or , or )], or a grade of B or better in , or an appropriate district placement, or permission of Instructor.	OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment	L	0–3
or	or	Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in . or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in .		FYC or FYC	3
or	or	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or equivalent. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or equivalent.		MA or MA	4–5
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or permission of Department or Division. One year of high school physics suggested but not required.		SQ	4
and	and		Any approved general education courses in the Humanities, Arts and Design [HU] area with the Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] designation.	HU and L	3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [( or ) and (, or , or , or , or )], or a grade of B or better in , or an appropriate district placement, or permission of Instructor.	OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment	L	0–3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3Term 3
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or higher, or eligibility for . One year of high school or one semester of college-level biology and chemistry is strongly recommended.		SQ	4
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or , or permission of the Instructor, or Department or Division Chair.			3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or Corequisites: . Completion of prerequisites within the last two years recommended.			1
or or or	or or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or equivalent. or No requisites	, or , or satifies SB; satifies L	SB or SB or L or SB	3
or	or	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or equivalent. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or equivalent.		MA or MA	4–5
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or permission of Department or Division. One year of high school physics suggested but not required.		SQ	4
or or or	or or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or equivalent. or No requisites	, or , or satifies SB; satifies L	SB or SB or L or SB	3
or	or	Prerequisites: Grade of "C" or better in or . or Prerequisites: Grade of "C" or better in or .		MA or MA	4–5
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or or permission of Department or Division and . Corequisites: or permission of Department or Division.		SQ	4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4Term 4
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ) or , or permission of the Instructor, or Department or Division Chair.			3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or Corequisites: . Completion of prerequisites within the last two years recommended.			1
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or or permission of Department or Division and . Corequisites: or permission of Department or Division.		SQ	4
			May be met by	HU	0–3
and	and		Any approved general education courses in the Social-Behavioral Sciences [SB] area with Cultural Diversity in the US [C] designation.	SB and C	3
Elective	General Elective		Recommend ( and ) or		0–4
or ( and ) or	or ( and ) or		Students must petition NAU to accept GCU/ OR ( and ) for	H, SB or H, HU, SB or None	3–4
or	or	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or or permission of Department/Division Chair. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or or permission of Department/Division Chair.		MA or MA	3–4
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.			4
and	and		Any approved general education courses in the Social-Behavioral Sciences [SB] area with Cultural Diversity in the US [C] designation.	SB and C	3
			May be met by	HU	0–3

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.

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1Term 1
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
or	or	Prerequisites: Writing placement or (C/ better in or ) or (B/better in ) or (C in & Corequisites: or or or ) or (C/better in & Corequisites: or or or ). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C/better in or ),or (B/better in ) or (C in & Corequisites: or or or ) or (C/better in and Corequisites: or or or ).	Critical course	FYC or FYC	3
or	or	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or an appropriate District placement. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or an appropriate District placement.	Critical course Gateway course	MA or MA	4–5
or	or				1–3
or	or	Prerequisites: Writing placement or (C/ better in or ) or (B/better in ) or (C in & Corequisites: or or or ) or (C/better in & Corequisites: or or or ). or Prerequisites: Writing test score or (C/better in or ),or (B/better in ) or (C in & Corequisites: or or or ) or (C/better in and Corequisites: or or or ).	Critical course	FYC or FYC	3
or	or	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or an appropriate District placement. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or an appropriate District placement.	Critical course Gateway course	MA or MA	4–5
or	or				1–3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2Term 2
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Area	Credits
( and ) or or or ( and ) or	( and ) or or or ( and ) or	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [( and ), or , or one year of high school chemistry taken within the last five years] and (a grade of C or better in or higher level mathematics course, or satisfactory placement), or permission of the Instructor, or Department or Division Chair. and Prerequisites or Corequisites: or . or Prerequisites: C or better in [( & ), or , or 1 yr of high school chemistry taken within the last 5 yrs] & C or better in or higher or satisfactory score on placement exam or permission of the Instructor or Dept or Div Chair. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [( and ) or or one year of high school chemistry taken in the last five yrs] and ( or higher or satisfactory placement) or permission of the Instructor or Department or Division Chair. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [( and ) or or one year of high school chemistry taken in the last five yrs] and ( or higher or satisfactory placement) or permission of the Instructor or Department or Division Chair. and Prerequisites or Corequisites: or . or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [( and ), or , or one year of high school chemistry taken within the last five years] and (a grade of C or better in or higher level mathematics course, or satisfactory placement), or permission of the Instructor, or Department or Division Chair.	SQ in combo w/ CHM151LL and SQ in combo w/ CHM150 or CHM151 or SQ or SQ in combo w/ CHM151LL or SQ in combo w/ CHM151LL and SQ in combo w/ CHM150 or CHM151 or SQ	3–5
or	or	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or equivalent. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or equivalent.	MA or MA	4–5
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or or or completion of higher level mathematics course, or satisfactory score on placement exam.	SQ	4
or	or	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or equivalent. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or equivalent.	MA or MA	4–5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3Term 3
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
( and ) or	( and ) or	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [( or ) and ], or , or , or permission of the Instructor, or Department or Division Chair. and Prerequisites or Corequisites: . or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [( or ) and ], or , or , or permission of the Instructor, or Department or Division Chair.		SQ in combo w/ CHM152LL and SQ in combo w/ CHM152 or SQ	4
and	and		Any approved general education courses in the Humanities, Arts and Design [HU] area with the Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] designation.	HU and L	3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [( or ) and ( or or or or or )] or a grade of B or better in or an appropriate district placement or permission of Instructor.	OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment	L	0–3
or	or	Prerequisites: Grade of "C" or better in or . or Prerequisites: Grade of "C" or better in or .		MA or MA	4–5
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or permission of Department or Division. One year of high school physics suggested but not required.		SQ	4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4Term 4
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Area	Credits
or	or	Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in . or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in .	FYC or FYC	3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or higher, or eligibility for . One year of high school or one semester of college-level biology and chemistry is strongly recommended.	SQ	4
or	or	Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in . or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in .	FYC or FYC	3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or or permission of Department or Division and . Corequisites: or permission of Department or Division.	SQ	4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5Term 5
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
and	and	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ), or , or permission of the Instructor, or Department or Division Chair. and Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or Corequisites: . Completion of prerequisites within the last two years recommended.			4
or ( and ) or	or ( and ) or		Students must petition NAU to accept GCU/ OR ( and ) for	H, SB or H, HU, SB or None	3–4
			May be met by	HU	0–3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or permission of Instructor.			4
and	and		Any approved general education courses in the Humanities, Arts and Design [HU] area with the Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] designation.	HU and L	3
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in [( or ) and (, or , or , or , or )], or a grade of B or better in , or an appropriate district placement, or permission of Instructor.	OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment	L	0–3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6Term 6
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
and	and	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in ( and ) or , or permission of the Instructor, or Department or Division Chair. and Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or Corequisites: . Completion of prerequisites within the last two years recommended.			4
or or or	or or or	No requisites or No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or equivalent. or No requisites	, or , or satifies SB; satifies L	SB or SB or L or SB	3
or	or	Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or or permission of Department/Division Chair. or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or or permission of Department/Division Chair.		MA or MA	3–4
or or or	or or or	No requisites or Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or equivalent. or No requisites or No requisites	, or , or satifies SB; satifies L	SB or L or SB or SB	3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7Term 7
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in , or , or permission of Department or Division. One year of high school physics suggested but not required.		SQ	4
and	and		Any approved general education courses in the Social-Behavioral Sciences [SB] area with Cultural Diversity in the US [C] designation.	SB and C	3
or ( and ) or	or ( and ) or		Students must petition NAU to accept GCU/ OR ( and ) for	H, SB or H, HU, SB or None	3–4
			May be met by	HU	0–3
and	and		Any approved general education courses in the Social-Behavioral Sciences [SB] area with Cultural Diversity in the US [C] designation.	SB and C	3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number	Course Name	Requisites	Notes	Area	Credits
		Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in or or permission of Department or Division and . Corequisites: or permission of Department or Division.		SQ	4
Elective	General Elective		Recommend ( and ) or		0–4

General Electives

Select additional courses 100-level or higher to complete a minimum of 60 semester credits but no more than a total of 64 semester credits. Consult with a faculty advisor, program director, and/or academic advisor to identify coursework that best aligns with academic and professional goals.

Recommend for Chemistry discipline:
Physical Geology: Dynamic Earth Lecture (3) AND
Physical Geology: Dynamic Earth Lab (1) OR
Physical Geology: Dynamic Earth (4) 4

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
FYC = First Year Composition
H = Historical Awareness
HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design

L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
MA = Mathematics
SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative

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 for additional details regarding the requirements of this award .

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.

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