Role Descriptions

The General Studies Program is designed to meet the needs of students wanting to focus their studies in an area of personal choice across multiple disciplines.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students who complete this degree should be able to:

1. Communicate effectively by determining the purpose, audience and context of communication, and respond to feedback to improve clarity, coherence and effectiveness in workplace, community and academic pursuits.

2. Apply scientific, cultural and political perspectives to natural and social systems and use an understanding of social change and social action to address the consequences of local and global human activity.

3. Identify and investigate problems, evaluate information and its sources, and use appropriate methods of reasoning to develop creative and practical solutions to personal, professional and community issues.

4. Use an understanding of the variations in human culture, perspectives and forms of expression to constructively address issues that arise out of cultural differences in the workplace and community.

5. Assess, examine and reflect on one’s own academic skill, professional competence and personal beliefs and how these impact others.

6. Fulfill their educational needs using a variety of college level courses including lower division collegiate and career technical.

The Associate of General Studies degree is designed for students wishing to acquire a broad education, rather than pursuing a specific college major or career technical program. Because of the flexibility of this degree, it may not fulfill requirements for transfer to a four-year institution. The Associate of General Studies is awarded to students who meet the following requirements: Associate Degree Comprehensive Requirements: refer to comprehensive requirements section.   

Institutional Requirements

1. General Education Requirement: Students must earn a minimum of 16 credits of General Education taken from the General Education Distribution/Discipline Studies List. These credits must come from courses taken in the following categories:

• Arts and Letters
• Social Sciences
• Mathematics, Science and Computer Studies The 16 credits must include at least one course with a minimum of three credits from each category of the General Education/Discipline Studies categories. The General Education requirements for the AGS degree will be waived for students who enroll at OCCC with an AA, AAS, AGS, AS, BA, BS degree or higher from a regionally accredited United States institution.

2. Basic Competency Requirements in writing and math for AGS Degree:

Writing

Competency in writing must be demonstrated by either:

Completing WR 121 with a C or better, or

Passing a lower division collegiate* writing course for which WR 121 is a prerequisite with a C or better

Students with AA, AAS, AGS, AS, BA, BS, degrees or higher from a U.S. regionally accredited institution will have the basic competency in writing (WR 121) waived. Other writing requirements specified by the program remain in effect.

Math

Competency in mathematics must be demonstrated by

Completing MTH 65 or MTH 63 with a C or better, or

Passing the competency exam for MTH 65, or

Passing a mathematics course (minimum of 3 credits) for which MTH 65 is a prerequisite with a C or better.

Elective Credit Requirements

All students must complete elective credits to meet the overall requirement of 90 credits for this degree. Elective credits may apply from any course numbered 100 or higher (either lower division collegiate or career technical). Elective credit limitations are:

• Maximum of six credits (100 level and above) of physical education (PE) may apply

• Maximum of six credits of one credit MSD workshops may apply

• Maximum of 24 credits of occupational skills classes (OST) may apply

Additional Requirements

• Complete a minimum of 90 credits of approved coursework which include alpha-numeric course and designated non-transfer courses.

• Have earned a “C” grade or better on all coursework transferred from other accredited colleges and universities to be included in the degree.

• Earn a grade point average of 2.00 or above for all Oregon Coast Community College coursework.

• Apply no more than a maximum of 24 credits of pass grades toward the degree.

• Complete at least 30 credits at Oregon Coast Community College.

 

About the AGS

The Associate of General Studies (AGS) degree provides students flexibility in using a variety of college-level courses (generally 100-level or above) to design a two-year degree program in broad interdisciplinary areas. These courses can come from general education, academic, or collegiate-level professional-technical courses to the meet Oregon Coast Community College’s associate degree requirements.

OCCC Cost of Attendance Page

The AGS is tailored to your needs and interests while maintaining high general education standards. Students will need to work closely with an academic advisor at Oregon Coast in designing their individual degree plan of study. At least 24 of the credits earned for the AGS must be taken at Oregon Coast Community College.

Please note: Students planning to transfer to a public four-year institution within Oregon should complete the Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer (AAOT) degree, which is articulated statewide with the Oregon University System four-year colleges and universities.

Scheduling requirements and limited resources prevent all courses from being offered every term or every year. Some courses may be offered exclusively via distance delivery. Course numbers, titles, course and program applicability, prerequisites, instructional format, delivery methods, and content may change without notice. Students are advised to consult with an advising specialist each term to select courses, create and maintain personal educational plans, and obtain the most current information.