General Studies, Associate of Arts

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Overview

The Associate of Arts in General Studies (AA) is a collegiate degree program approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) consisting of lower-division courses intended for transfer to a baccalaureate program that best fits students' preferred academic majors or career paths for their own personality, interests, and goals.

The General Studies degree, as defined by THECB, is fully transferable to all Texas public universities. Because the General Studies degree fulfills the 60 hours of Core Curriculum classes and open electives, all Texas public universities must accept the General Studies curricula if they offer an applicable baccalaureate degree.

Students who complete the General Studies degree at San Jacinto College will be required to meet any and all entrance requirements of the receiving university, including grade point averages and/or testing requirements.

Campuses

Central Campus

Generation Park Campus

North Campus

South Campus

San Jac Online

Information

Four-year and upper-level colleges and universities offer majors within the baccalaureate degree. San Jacinto College offers many courses in the transfer path that would meet the requirements of a major. Students may prepare to transfer to a particular program at an upper-level institution by either:

  • Completing the 42-semester credit hour (SCH) core curriculum and an 18-hour transfer path, or
  • Selecting courses as specified in the transfer plans developed by San Jacinto College in cooperation with upper-level institutions to which students transfer.

Those plans, which are available in the Center for Advising, Career, and Transfer office on each campus as well as on the Transfer Plans tab for each Associate of Arts (AA) program page, are designed to prepare students to transfer to a particular four-year or upper-level college or university by specifying the courses required to complete the first two years of a baccalaureate degree in a particular major. Students choosing to pursue an AA degree should select from among the General Studies, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Business Administration, Fine Arts, or Communications programs.

Plan of Study (Degree Plan)

1G-STUDY

Transfer Path
18 total semester credit hours (SCH) with at least 12 SCH from Academic courses.12
The remaining hours will be selected to meet the student's specific transfer institution requirements.6
Total Credits18

Core Curriculum

Core Curriculum: 42 SCH of Core courses including EDUC 1100 Learning Framework/PSYC 1100 Learning Framework.

Communication (010)
Select two of the following courses for 6 SCH:6
Composition I
Composition II
Technical and Business Writing
Mathematics (020)
If you select a 4 SCH MATH course, the overflow hour may be accounted for in the Component Area Option of the Core or in the Transfer Path.
Select one of the following courses for 3 SCH:3
College Algebra
Plane Trigonometry
Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences 1
Calculus for Business and Social Sciences 1
Contemporary Mathematics (Quantitative Reasoning) 1
Elementary Statistical Methods (Statistics)
Linear Algebra
Differential Equations
Pre-Calculus Math
Calculus I
Calculus II
Life and Physical Science (030)
Labs for the sciences courses may be accounted for in the Component Area Option.
Select two of the following courses for 6 SCH: 26
Stars and Galaxies (lecture)
The Solar System (lecture)
Biology for Science Majors I (lecture)
Biology for Science Majors II (lecture)
Biology for Non-Science Majors I (lecture) 3
Biology for Non-Science Majors II (lecture) 3
Anatomy and Physiology I (Lecture) 4
Anatomy and Physiology II (Lecture) 4
Introductory Chemistry I (lecture) 3
General Chemistry I (lecture)
General Chemistry II (lecture)
Earth Sciences for Non-Science Majors I (lecture) 3
Physical Geology (lecture)
Historical Geology (lecture)
College Physics I (lecture)
College Physics II (lecture)
University Physics I (lecture)
University Physics II (lecture)
Language, Philosophy and Culture (Humanities) (040)
Select one of the following courses for 3 SCH:3
British Literature I
British Literature II
American Literature I
American Literature II
World Literature I
World Literature II
Forms of Literature: Literature and Film
Mexican American Literature
Human Geography
World Civilization I
World Civilization II
Introduction to the Humanities I
Introduction to Philosophy
Introduction to Ethics
Creative Arts (Fine Arts) (050)
Select one of the following courses for 3 SCH:3
Art Appreciation
Art History I (Prehistoric to the 14th century)
Art History II (14th century to the present)
World Dance
Dance Appreciation
Theater Appreciation
Film Appreciation
Music Appreciation
Music Literature
American Music
American History (060)
Select two of the following courses for 6 SCH:6
United States History I
United States History II
Texas History
Mexican American History I
Mexican American History II
African American History I
African American History II
Government/Political Science (070)
Select two of the following courses for 6 SCH:6
Federal Government (Federal Constitution and Topics) 5
Texas Government (Texas Constitution and Topics) 5
Social and Behavioral Sciences (080)
Select one of the following courses for 3 SCH:3
Introduction to Archaeology
General Anthropology
Cultural Anthropology
Introduction to Criminal Justice
Principles of Macroeconomics
Principles of Microeconomics
World Regional Geography
Introduction to Political Science
Western Civilization I
Western Civilization II
General Psychology
Introduction to Sociology
Minority Studies
Child Growth and Development
Component Area Option (090)
The following courses as well as courses not previously used from the other eight areas of the Core may be used to fulfill the Component Area Option requirement.
Select from the following courses for 6 SCH:6
Stars and Galaxies (lab)
The Solar System (lab)
Biology for Science Majors I (lab)
Biology for Science Majors II (lab)
Biology for Non-Science Majors I (lab)
Biology for Non-Science Majors II (lab)
Anatomy and Physiology I (Lab)
Anatomy and Physiology II (Lab)
Introductory Chemistry I (lab)
General Chemistry I (lab)
General Chemistry II (lab)
Beginning Chinese I
Beginning Chinese II
Learning Framework
Learning Framework
Beginning French I
Beginning French II
Earth Sciences for Non-Science Majors I (lab)
Physical Geology (lab)
Historical Geology (lab)
Beginning German I
Beginning German II
Federal and Texas Constitutions
Introduction to Physical Fitness and Wellness
College Physics I (lab)
College Physics II (lab)
University Physics I (lab)
University Physics II (lab)
Beginning American Sign Language I
Beginning American Sign Language II
Beginning Spanish I
Beginning Spanish II
Introduction to Speech Communication
Public Speaking
Interpersonal Communication
Business and Professional Speech
Total Credits42
1

MATH 1324 Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences, MATH 1325 Calculus for Business and Social Sciences, and MATH 1332 Contemporary Mathematics (Quantitative Reasoning) do not meet the requirements for students pursuing mathematics or science.

2

Students must be simultaneously co-enrolled in the co-requisite science lab.

3

BIOL 1308 Biology for Non-Science Majors I (lecture), BIOL 1309 Biology for Non-Science Majors II (lecture) and CHEM 1305 Introductory Chemistry I (lecture), and GEOL 1301 Earth Sciences for Non-Science Majors I (lecture) do not meet the requirements for science majors.

4

BIOL 2301 Anatomy and Physiology I (Lecture) and BIOL 2302 Anatomy and Physiology II (Lecture) are designed for allied health majors and not for academic transfer as science majors.

5

Students who have taken GOVT 2301 or GOVT 2302, but not both, should check with an educational planner on how to complete the 6 SCH.

If a student successfully completes San Jacinto College’s 42-hour Core Curriculum, that block of courses must be substituted for the receiving institution’s Core Curriculum. The receiving institution may not require a student to take additional Core Curriculum courses to meet the requirements of the Core. Students who transfer without completing the Core Curriculum shall receive academic credit in the Core Curriculum of the receiving institution for each of the courses the student has successfully completed in the San Jacinto College Core Curriculum. Students should plan Core Curriculum courses that would meet baccalaureate degree requirements at the four-year institution.