Physical Science

• Mission Statement

  This AAS in Physical Science program is meant to provide an associates-degree pathway for students who are interested in obtaining a four-year degree in Physics, EES, Chemistry, or a closely related field.

• Student Learning Outcomes
  • Certificate (Not Applicable)

     

  • Associate Degree

    Students completing the Associate of Applied Science in Physical Science will demonstrate the following outcomes:

    • 1. Students can trace scientific understandings, theory, and models back to their sources in their primary discipline.
    • 2. Students demonstrate how scientific knowledge is derived, reviewed, and communicated.
    • 3. Nature of science. Scientific knowledge is based on evidence that is repeatedly examined, and can change with new information. Scientific explanations differ fundamentally from those that are not scientific.
    • 4. Integration of science. All natural phenomena are interrelated and share basic organizational principles. Scientific explanations obtained from different disciplines should be cohesive and integrated.
    • 5. Science and society. The study of science provides explanations that have significant impact on society, including technological advancements, improvement of human life, and better understanding of human and other influences on the earth’s environment.
    • 6. Problem solving and data analysis. Science relies on empirical data, and such data must be analyzed, interpreted, and generalized in a rigorous manner.
    • 7. Organization of systems: The universe is scientifically understandable in terms of interconnected systems. The systems evolve over time according to basic physical laws.
    • 8. Matter: Matter comprises an important component of the universe, and has physical properties that can be described over a range of scales.
    • 9. Energy: Interactions within the universe can be described in terms of energy exchange and conservation.
    • 10. Forces: Equilibrium and change are determined by forces acting at all organizational levels.

     

  • Bachelor Degree (Not Applicable)

     

• Curriculum Grid

   

• Program and Contact Information

  1. The AAS in Physical Science will be a post-secondary credential for a variety of science technician jobs that require an associate degree (e.g., physical science technician; geoscience technician; chemical technician; environmental science technician; forensic science technician; materials testing technician, etc.). Unlike the AS in General Studies, the AAS in Physical Science is a STEM degree that will specifically prepare students for STEM jobs and the degree name communicates the degree's emphasis to potential employers.
  
  2. The AAS in Physical Science will serve as a curricular scaffold, providing an initial 2-year program of study for students who may choose to go on for a bachelor's degree in chemistry, geology, or physics.
  
  3. The AAS in Physical Science will prepare students to participate in robust undergraduate research experiences during their junior and/or senior years of a bachelor's degree program. Students wanting to join a research program can be directed to the AAS in Physical Science, and the new Elements of Research in the Sciences course, as the corresponding academic training that will help them get the most out of undergraduate research as a high-impact educational experience (HIEE).
   

  Contact Information
  Colin Inglefield
  Chair, Department of Physics and Astronomy
  Weber State University
  Tracy Hall Room 325
  801-626-6127
  Program Website

• Assessment Plan

  The program has had zero graduates.  

  The one course added for the program (PHYS/CHEM/GEO 2820) was taught once (in AY 21/22) by the Physics and Astronomy department with an enrollment of 2 students.  In addition, at least one transfer student was given credit for 2820 based on an equivalent course at another institution.  It was offered one other time (by the Chemistry department) but was cancelled due to low enrollment.  We will commit to offering the course again the in AY24/25, with an appropriate advertising campaign to attract students.

  We have not attracted students to the program, in effect it is dormant, despite the fact that the enrollment in the four-year degree programs of the three associated departments (EES, Chemistry, Physics) are holding steady or growing based on the most recent data.

  Nonetheless, the original justification for the new program (Approved 6/21) remains.  “The proposed AAS in Physical Science will build on the success of the relatively new AAS in Chemical Technician and AS in Biology. In addition, this new degree will be distinctly interdisciplinary, sponsored by the Departments of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Earth & Environmental Sciences, and Physics, similar to the interdisciplinary AS in Biology and BS in Environmental Science.”  That is, we have created a map for students interested in Physics/Astronomy, Geosciences, or Chemistry/Biochemistry that steers them toward the general education and foundational courses that most efficiently provide pathways to those fields.  The value of the program as an advising tool alone is justification for its continuation.
   

• Assessment Report Submissions
  2023-24

• Program Review
   

This information is part of the cyclical program review process. Details such as mission statements, learning outcomes, etc., are updated as part of the biennial assessment reporting process, an integral component of program review.