Associate of Arts in General Education

Graduation Requirements – Associate of Arts

• A minimum of 60 credits is required.
• Completion of degree program requirements.
• 15 credits in residence.
• 2.0 minimum cumulative grade point average.
• Degree requirements cannot be waived by the CSU or IGETC certification (CA), Washington and Oregon state-approved Direct Transfer degrees, Associate Degrees for Transfer or other state's equivalent transfer certification.
• LBSU 100 Student Success Strategies and LBSU 105 Academic Foundations cannot be satisfied in transfer.

The Associate of Arts (A.A.) in General Education is designed to familiarize students with a broad range of subjects, including written and oral communication, liberal studies, mathematics, history, art, philosophy, social sciences, and natural sciences. Students are introduced to diverse cultures, histories, and traditions, and provided with the tools and strategies to communicate effectively, reason critically, and comprehend basic mathematical applications.

The A.A. Degree requires successful completion of 60 credit hours with a minimum cumulative 2.0 G.P.A. Successful completion of the A.A. Degree satisfies the Basic Skills and Breadth requirements in the General Education program for University of Massachusetts Global bachelor’s programs.

Students who are admitted to the program will begin their studies with the following sequence of courses: LBSU 100 Student Success Strategies, ENGU 103 Writing and Rhetoric, ENGU 104 Writing About Literature, LBSU 105 Academic Foundations. LBSU 100 Student Success Strategies and ENGU 103 Writing and Rhetoric may be taken concurrently; and ENGU 104 Writing About Literature and LBSU 105 Academic Foundations may be taken concurrently. ENGU 103 Writing and Rhetoric and ENGU 104 Writing About Literature may be satisfied in transfer.

Program Mission Statement

The Associate of Arts (AA) degree provides an academic foundation for future student success in baccalaureate studies, career advancement, and informed citizenship.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Written Fluency: Compose written arguments that are coherent, grammatically correct, and rhetorically aware.
• Oral Fluency: Present effective, audience-appropriate oral presentations that develop and support a point.
• Quantitative Fluency: Explain how accurate calculations and symbolic operations are used in interpreting social and economic trends.
• Applied Learning: Evaluate a scenario in which academic knowledge and skills could be applied to a work or community issue.
• Innovation and Creativity: Discuss a novel or unique idea, question, format, or product.
• Global Cultures/Engaging Diverse Perspectives: Explain how knowledge from different cultural perspectives would affect one’s interpretation of prominent problems in politics, society, the arts, and/or global relations.
• Information Literacy: Evaluate and cite various information resources necessary to complete an academic research essay.