General Studies A.A.

Program Description

This program is for students interested in transferring to a four-year institution. The program introduces a broad range of the liberal arts and sciences while providing a thorough preparation in verbal, mathematical, and critical-thinking skills. General studies include courses in humanities, social sciences, English, science, and math, which enable students to sample various subject matters and methodologies so they can make informed education and career choices. This program is designed to transfer to four-year colleges or universities. The various concentrations of the General Studies Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree are listed under the Programs of Study  link. Students should consult with an advisor about transfer requirements.

Program Outcomes

Graduates of the General Studies A.A. will be able to:

• Synthesize information and content across multiple disciplines
• Apply student core competencies in the development of a culminating project/assignment
• Analyze perspectives on key issues within the concentration

General Education Courses

The list of general education courses appears in the General Education List . Some programs recommend or require specific courses to fulfill general education requirements. Please check your program’s sequence of study for this information.

Sequence of Study - General Studies A.A.

Below are 32 credits of the required courses for your program arranged in a suggested sequence. In addition to the courses listed below, an additional 28 credits is required to fulfill the program total of 60 credits hours. Please meet with an advisor to determine those courses.

Please note that the sequence does not include developmental coursework. See Academic Preparation  for the developmental course sequence if applicable to you.

Required Courses

• PAS-1000 First Year Experience Credits: 1 (Institutional Requirement)
• EGL-1010 Composition I: Expository Writing Credits: 3 (English General Education Requirement)
• INT-1010 Introduction to Information Technology Credits: 3 (Computer Literacy Institutional Requirement)

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• Select one course from the approved Mathematics Gen. Ed. Course List  (Math Gen.Ed. Elective) Credits: 3-4 
• Select two courses from the approved Social Sciences Gen. Ed. Course List  (Social Sciences Gen. Ed. Elective) Credits: 6

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• EGL-1020 Composition II: Writing About Literature Credits: 3 (English General Education Elective) or
• EGL-1100 Composition II: Writing About Issues and Ideas Credits: 3 (English General Education Elective) or
• EGL-1320 Composition II: Writing for Business Credits: 3 (English General Education Elective) or
• EGL-1340 Writing About Technical Topics Credits: 3

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• Select two courses from the approved Science Gen. Ed. Course List  (Science General Education Electives) Credits: 7-8 At least one of these courses must carry a laboratory credit.
• Select two courses from the approved Arts/Humanities Gen. Ed. Course List  (Arts/Humanities General Education Electives) Credits: 6
   
• Select additional courses appropriate for the planned transfer program to reach a total of 60 credits for the program. Credits: 26-28 (Program Electives) Please meet with an advisor to determine these courses.

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  Note: GEO-1010 by itself can be used to fulfill either the Science or Social Science General Education requirement. If taken with GEO-1020, GEO-1010 can be used to fulfill the Science w/ Lab General Education requirement.

Program Total: 60 Credits

Transferability

Credit earned at any public institution in the state shall be transferable to any other institution if the:

• Credit is from a college or university parallel course or program;
• Grades in the block of courses transferred average 2.00 or higher; and
• Acceptance of the credit is consistent with the policies of the receiving institution governing students following the same program. Refer to ARTSYS at artweb.usmd.edu and the receiving institution’s catalog to select transferable courses.

Need Help?

For help selecting an academic program or courses, consider using Career Coach, available at www.pgcc.edu/go/careercoach.