Liberal Arts and Sciences: Mathematics and Science, AS

Contact Information

Program Requirements

Degree/Certificate:     Associate in Science
HEGIS Code:             5649
SUNY Code:              0645
Major Code:              LAMS

The NCCC Approach

The Liberal Arts and Sciences: Mathematics and Science program is both exciting and challenging. The required courses provide the necessary concepts and foundations for a variety of college majors. The program parallels the first two years of a baccalaureate program at many four-year institutions. Students in this curriculum are highly successful in transferring to baccalaureate programs in mathematics, sciences or engineering after completion of their studies at Niagara County Community College.

The Liberal Arts and Sciences: Mathematics and Science program provides students with a strong mathematics and science background, while offering an introduction to other disciplines in liberal arts including, humanities, arts and social sciences. When choosing electives from these areas, students are encouraged to consider those that meet the SUNY General Education Requirements. There are ten SUNY General Education Knowledge and Skills Areas and course work must be completed in at least seven of the ten areas to earn a SUNY bachelor’s degree.  Through consultation with an academic advisor and careful selection of courses, all ten knowledge and skill requirements can be met while completing the AS degree. For more information refer to the General Education Requirements and Courses  section of this catalog for specific information.

NCCC is distinguished by its nationally recognized faculty and modern teaching methodologies dedicated to the study of mathematics and science. The Liberal Arts and Sciences: Mathematics and Science curriculum is a broad-based program designed to educate students in the basic principles of mathematics and science and enable them to successfully transfer to four-year institutions.

Suggested Associate in Sciences Study Areas or Fields of Academic Interest

By appropriate course selection in consultation with an academic adviser, a student pursuing the Liberal Arts and Sciences: Mathematics and Science (LAMS) degree program may prepare for transfer to upper-division study in major subject areas such as those listed below:

Adolescent Education         (mathematics or science subject areas)
Biology	Mathematics
Chemistry	Pharmacy
Engineering	Physics
	Pre-Medicine

Admission

Students admitted in September and January. Because of the sequencing of courses, it may take more than four semesters of full-time study if a student begins this program in a spring semester.

Dual Admissions

SUNY College at Brockport	Canisius College
SUNY College at Buffalo	Daemen College
SUNY College at Fredonia	Medaille College
SUNY at Buffalo	Niagara University
SUNY College of Environmental Science

Articulation Agreements

Consult with the Admissions Office.

Program Goals and Objectives

Goal # 1
Students will be prepared for successful transfer to baccalaureate programs in mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, engineering or related areas of study.

Objectives for goal #1:

1. Students will transfer into a wide variety of baccalaureate programs upon completion of the Liberal Arts and Sciences:  Mathematics & Science, Associate in Science degree.
2. Students will have the opportunity to enter into a Dual Admissions agreement with a transfer institution.
3. Students will have the opportunity to use articulation agreements between NCCC and transfer institutions to select courses which can be used towards earning a baccalaureate degree.
4. Students can begin mathematics study below Calculus I and at a level appropriate to their ability.  This option may not be available to them at the freshman level at a four-year college or university.
5. Students will demonstrate competency at a level needed for transfer in computer applications.

Goal # 2
Students will be provided with a well-rounded liberal arts education.

Objectives for goal #2:

1. Students will complete coursework in the following areas of the liberal arts (as defined by the NYS Department of Education):
   1.  Mathematics
   2.  Natural Sciences
   3.  Humanities/Arts
   4.  Social Sciences
2. Students will complete a minimum of 46 credit hours in liberal arts.
3. Students will complete a maximum of 12 credit hours in free electives.

Goal #3
Students will be able to meet 7 of the 10 SUNY General Education requirements.

Objectives for goal #3:

1. Students will meet the SUNY General Education requirements in mathematics and natural science (2 of 10 requirements) through required coursework in the LAMS curriculum.
2. Students will be able to meet a minimum of an additional 5 of the 10 SUNY General Education Requirements through liberal arts and free electives.
3. Students will have the opportunity to meet all 10 of the SUNY General Education Requirements. 

Student Learning Outcomes

• Students will use differential or integral calculus to identify patterns and relationships that are linear, polynomial, exponential or periodic in nature when given numerical data or graphs.
• Students will use differential or integral calculus to draw meaningful conclusions, construct mathematical models and extract relevant information from given situations in the areas of physical sciences, business, engineering or the social and biological sciences.
• Students will use the methods employed by scientists to explore natural phenomena, including observation, hypothesis development, measurement and data collection, experimentation, evaluation of evidence and employment of mathematical analysis.
• Students will apply scientific data, concepts and models in one or more of the natural sciences.
• Students will demonstrate effective communication skills.
• Students will demonstrate a capacity for critical response to texts and for reasoned analysis and logical thinking.
• Students will demonstrate library research and information management skills.
• Students will integrate data from other applications into a computer spreadsheet or program and perform analysis consistent with the requirements of college-level mathematics and science courses.

Transfer

To promote the smooth transfer to a bachelor’s degree program, faculty members at NCCC have consulted with faculty at colleges to which our students transfer. Together, we have identified courses which meet the degree requirements for the Liberal Arts and Sciences: Mathematics and Science degree at NCCC and parallel required courses at the transfer college.

Students in mathematics, engineering or computer science related curricula should consider completing MAT 222, MAT 223 and MAT 230 as part of their mathematics and sciences electives. In addition, engineering  students may want to consider certain Computer Science (CPS) electives, as well as certain technology electives. Science electives are available from among the major disciplines of biology (BIO), chemistry (CHE), physics (PHY) and engineering sciences (ENS). The choice of which electives to take depends on the student’s orientation toward a particular career or major.

Graduates of the Liberal Arts and Sciences: Mathematics and Science curriculum have transferred to a wide-range of programs to pursue a bachelor’s degree. A sample of the colleges and programs to which they have transferred, based on follow-up studies of graduates and information from SUNY, is listed below:

SUNY College at Brockport

Meteorology

SUNY College at Buffalo

Adolescence Education
Biology
Earth Science
Forensic Chemistry
Mathematics

SUNY at Buffalo

Aerospace Engineering
Biology
Business Administration
Business Management
Chemistry
Civil Engineering
Economics
Electrical Engineering
Environmental Science
Forensic Chemistry
Geology
Industrial Engineering
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Nuclear Medicine Technology

SUNY at Fredonia

Biology

Cornell University

Animal Science
Mechanical Engineering

Daemen College

Physical Therapy

D’Youville College

Nutrition

Medaille College

Business Administration
Veterinary Technology

New York Institute of Massage

Massage Therapist

Niagara University

Biology
Secondary Education in Math

Rochester Institute of Technology

BioTechnology
Civil Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering