The WVC Earth Sciences Department is committed to offering comprehensive courses that promote understanding the Earth and the Universe. Courses range from those designed for the non-science major to Earth Science major transfer students in Geological Sciences, Astronomy, Meteorology, Climatology, and geological or hydrological Environmental Science. The department offers a wide variety of courses designed to meet the general educational, pre-professional and overall academic goals of WVC students.

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Astronomy is an area of study at WVC that is part of the Natural Sciences distribution requirements. All students from WVC and the colleges and universities they transfer to are required to take general university requirements (GURs) that involve the main disciplines of a liberal arts education. This education includes the natural and physical sciences taught at WVC.

Course outcomes

Upon completion of these courses, successful students will (be able to):

• Demonstrate understanding of theories and application of concepts pertinent to Earth Sciences and Astronomy, including the ability to make direct observations of the world and interpret the observations scientifically.
• Demonstrate competence and self-confidence required to gain a fuller practical and theoretical understanding of Earth Sciences. 
• Perform scientific research on terrestrial and astronomical phenomena using scientific methods.
• Know when and how to utilize and manipulate laboratory equipment, specimens, field observations, and numerical data to investigate phenomena of the Earth and Universe in a lab setting, in the field, and on a computing device.