PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) has added a new associate in science degree in Natural & Physical Sciences (NPS), available beginning in the fall 2023 semester. 

 

The NPS program was developed as an opportunity to offer students studying the sciences an associate in science degree that included meta-major style pathways in biology, biotechnology, chemistry and physics. Previously, students studying biology and biotechnology earned an associate in arts degree in the liberal arts program. 

 

These pathways will allow students the ability to explore the sciences while staying aligned with their degree program, saving the student time and money while increasing overall degree attainment, explained Associate Professor of Life Sciences Gina Foley, the NPS program advisor. All pathways explore science as a way of learning about the natural, physical and technological worlds.  

 

"When I discuss the future with my students, they often tell me they are unsure about what they want to do, but they like science," Foley said. "The new NPS program provides students with a unique opportunity to explore the sciences while working toward a fully transferrable associate in science degree within the UMass system." 

 

Through the process of scientific inquiry, especially in the laboratory, students will learn to use observation, testing, data analysis and interpretation as essential tools for making personal and public policy decisions. Each biology, biotechnology, chemistry and physics lab course will contain a minimum of one lab-based or observational experiment that requires the student to question, construct a hypothesis, conduct an experiment or observations, collect data, analyze the data, draw conclusions and write a formal lab report.  

 

Foley said the "truly exciting part" about the new degree program is its built-in flexibility to move from one pathway to another. For example, a student can start in the biology pathway and discover they prefer the hands-on nature of biotechnology or the fundamental connections of life in the chemistry lab. In most situations, students do not lose time toward their degree or the cost of additional courses if they change pathways in the first year.  

 

"We created this program by listening to our students and put forward a program that encourages scientific exploration and flexibility," she said. 

 

Students graduating from the NPS program are encouraged to continue their education at a four-year state institution. Careers fields include medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, genetics counseling, medical laboratory work, chemical analysis, materials science, forensics, engineering, science writing and more.