Coursework in earth science can include elements of the land, water, and air on Earth and beyond. It may concentrate on knowledge for scientific research, as well as applications to understand and improve life on the planet.

The United States of America commonly called the United States, is a federal republic consisting of fifty states and a federal district. The 48 contiguous states and the federal district of Washington, D.C. are in first North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in northwestern North America, west of Canada and east of Russia across the Bering Strait, and the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-North Pacific. The country also has five populated and nine unpopulated territories in the Pacific and the Caribbean.

An Associate of Arts degree is an undergraduate degree that is usually completed in two years. The degree gives students basic knowledge about their chosen field, so they can go on to further their studies or seek employment.