General Studies, AGS

Program Description

The Associate Degree in General Studies serves both as a stand-alone two-year degree and as a transferable degree program for students wishing to move forward into a Baccalaureate program after graduating from SoLAcc. It is designed to meet the needs of students who have a variety of backgrounds and interests and is intended for students seeking a broad General Studies curricula. The program also appeals to those to those who need to explore interests and test their potential for satisfactory performance in selected areas of a curriculum as they determine their future educational paths. Students, in conjunction with an advisor, can design a unique program by selecting courses from among several different disciplines while fulfilling the basic degree requirements of the College. The AGS degree also provides guidance on transfer tracks for a variety of potential intended majors after completion of their Associate degree at SoLAcc.

Program Goals

• To provide access for students to complete the general education competencies and course requirements for all SoLAcc Associate Degree programs.

• To provide students with a 60-credit General Studies degree that forms a well-rounded education in both Core general studies skills and in engaging students in learning a broad-based interdisciplinary breadth of knowledge that will serve both in moving into the workforce and in pursuing further educational endeavors.

• To provide coursework that will allow students to transfer with minimal or no loss of credit to a variety of baccalaureate degree programs offered by public 4-year institutions

• To provide students the opportunity to develop unique career goals and marketable skills for both the ability to complete a four-year degree or enter the workplace directly upon graduation from SoLAcc.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students completing the Associate of General Studies degree will attain outcomes in learning across five General Education areas through the completion of core general education requirements and from further elective credit courses.

• Critical Thinking - Students will integrate knowledge using critical thinking and experience to produce and explore discipline content across a variety of genres.
• Quantitative Reasoning - Students will use quantitative reasoning to interpret data, and gather statistical information in solving discipline-specific problems.
• Communication & Expression - Students will communicate clearly to persuade or inform, interpret thoughtfully and logically, and engage actively in dialogue and discussion. Communication and expression may be written or oral, verbal or nonverbal, informational or artistic, print or digital, academic or professional.
• Interpretation - Students will apply critical interpretation and thinking to the subject matter of any discipline, with the ability to identify and understand both theory and practice of that discipline’s content.
• Global Awareness - Students will apply critical interpretation of diverse cultural contexts, including different histories, worldviews, group and individual experiences.