1. College Success

• COLLG 110 College Success (3 credits)

• Course purpose: A foundational course to explore and affirm a career choice and build upon the skills, knowledge, and resources that will support you at Pierce College and beyond.

2. Chemistry Course Recommendation

Take one course per quarter until sequence is finished.

• CHEM& 139 General Chemistry Prep (5 credits)
• CHEM& 161 General Chemistry with Lab I (5 credits)
• CHEM& 162 General Chemistry with Lab II (5 credits)
• CHEM& 163 General Chemistry with Lab III (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Knowledge of chemical theory and practice is essential to any understanding of oceanography, since the physical and biological phenomena of the world ocean are intimately tied to chemical processes. In this course sequence you will learn about the fundamental principles of chemistry and the properties of inorganic chemicals while also gaining valuable laboratory experience.

3. Math Course Recommendation

Choose One Group

Action Item: Meet with Advisor

Use your Success Network!  In your first quarter, meet with your advisor to revisit your career and transfer path, make adjustments to your goals as needed, and plan for your next steps. 

4. Biology Course Recommendation

Take one course per quarter until sequence is finished.

• BIOL& 160 General Biology w/Lab (5 credits)
• BIOL& 211 Majors: Cellular (5 credits)
• BIOL& 212 Majors: Animals (5 credits)
• BIOL& 213 Majors: Plant (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Oceanographers require a detailed understanding of the biological processes that allow marine organisms to function. This sequence of courses will provide you with fundamental knowledge about the biology of cells, plants, and animals, while also introducing you to biological laboratory techniques. 

5. Introduction to Oceanography

• OCEA& 101 Introduction to Oceanography (5 credits)

• Course purpose: This introductory course in oceanography will provide you with an overview of how the ocean works and what oceanographers actually do to study it. Taking this course will therefore allow you to affirm and/or reassess your interest in the discipline.

Action Item: Attend Transfer Fair

1. Attend a transfer fair and determine which universities offers Oceanography and choose an institution to which you want to transfer.
2. Go to the website of your chosen university, go to the School of Oceanography, and look over the specializations of the professors who teach within that department.
3. Find a professor who does research in an area that you’re interested. Using Google Scholar, find one or two papers that this professor has written and read them.
4. Using email, contact the professor and make an appointment to meet with her/him.
5. Arrive at the professor’s office before the time of the meeting. Meet with the professor, introduce yourself, tell her/him that you’re interested in her/his research, mention the paper(s) you read and that you would like to attend the university. Ask if she/he has any advice that might increase your chances of being accepted into the Oceanography Department as a transfer student.
6. Make an appointment with an advisor at the university to which you would like to transfer in order to a) make sure you have or will be taking all of the prerequisites for admissions and, b) ask about the application process and application deadlines for transfer into the School of Oceanography.

6. English Composition I

• ENGL& 101 English Composition I (5 credits)

• Course purpose: An oceanographer must be able to write grant and research proposals, summarize research, and effectively communicate in writing to various target audiences. The skills you will learn and practice in ENGL& 101 are therefore foundational for your future coursework and oceanographic career.

7. Humanities Course Recommendation

Choose one

• CMST 105 Intercultural Communication (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Oceanographers conduct their research all over the world, and invariably end up working with people from a variety of different cultures. This course will help you to communicate more effectively across these cultural lines.

8. Physics Course Recommendation

Take one course per quarter until sequence is finished.

• PHYS 139 Preparation for Physics (3 credits)
• PHYS& 221 Engineering Physics I (6 credits)
• PHYS& 222 Engineering Physics II (6 credits)

• Course purpose: Oceanographers use a great deal of physics in their work, since oceans are dominated by the extraordinary physical movements of winds, waves, currents, tides, water masses, and tectonic plates. In these two courses you will learn to solve complex physical problems involving fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, waves, and other important physical phenomena.

Action Item: Apply for Graduation

Way to go!  It is time to apply for graduation.  Visit the Pierce College Graduation website for details.  https://www.pierce.ctc.edu/graduation

9. Anthropology/Archaeological Course Recommendation

Choose one

• ANTH& 100 Survey of Anthropology (5 credits)

• Course purpose: In this course you will learn to apply various analytical frameworks to the study of human cultural patterns. 

• ANTH& 204 Archaeology (5 credits)

• Course purpose: In this course you will learn how anthropologists construct knowledge about past cultures at archaeological sites.

• ANTH& 206 Cultural Anthropology (5 credits)

• Course purpose: In this course you will learn to think scientifically how human behavior and belief varies across cultures.

• ANTH& 216 Northwest Coast Indians (5 credits)

• Course purpose: In this course you will learn about the culture—including the subsistence methods—of native peoples in the Pacific Northwest.

10. Introduction Physical Geology

• GEOL& 101 Introduction to Physical Geology (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Oceanographers must understand the geological processes that occur at the seafloor, including the creation and destruction of oceans themselves. This course will help you to understand the dynamic processes that shape the seafloor and coasts over time.

11. Humanities Course Recommendation

Choose one

• ART 107 Photography, Beginning (5 credits)
• ART 111 Drawing, Beginning (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Oceanographers must be able to effectively communicate in a variety of ways and with a wide range of audiences. This course will provide you with instruction and practice in photography, a skill that will help you to visually illustrate oceanographic observations and concepts.

• MUSC 100 Introduction to Rock & Roll (5 credits)
• MUSC 103 Introduction to Jazz (5 credits)
• MUSC 106 World Music (5 credits)

• Course purpose: These courses may provide you with an opportunity to use different parts of your brain and avoid the fatigue that comes from endless math and science classes. It may also challenge you to think in novel ways that may directly apply to acoustic marine phenomena!

Total Credits 113

12. Additional Recommended Courses

World Language (2)

• ASL& 122 American Sign Language II (5 credits)
• FRCH& 122 French II (5 credits)
• GERM& 122 German II (5 credits)
• JAPN& 122 Japanese II (5 credits)
• KREA& 122 Korean II (5 credits)
• RUSS& 122 Russian II (5 credits)
• SPAN& 122 Spanish II (5 credits)

• Course purpose: Oceanographers conduct their research all over the world, and invariably end up working with people from a variety of different cultures. This world language course will help you to communicate more effectively with your future colleagues and research participants.

Adjusted Credit Total 118