PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The Associate in Arts Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences is a restricted program and cannot be declared as a major without special permission from the Director of Advising. It has been shown that students with declared majors are significantly more likely to graduate;therefore, GCCC strongly encourages students to declare a major by the end of their first semester. To further aid in this process, the Liberal Arts and Sciences program is available to students only under special circumstances to allow them to graduate and transfer without declaring a specific major. The Degree is an interdisciplinary program that provides an overview of the arts, humanities, social sciences, mathematics, and natural sciences. The liberal arts major coversa broad spectrum of subjects and may be tailored for each student to give emphasis in areas of interest. This degree fulfills the College’s mission of developing skills in written communication, oral communication, and critical thinking while advancing knowledge in diversity and social responsibility. The semester-by-semester plans described below are general guidelines. Students should work closely with their academic advisors to develop a plan that best meets their own individual needs and goals.
PROGRAM OUTCOMES AND CURRICULUM
Systemwide General Education Bucket Requirements (SGE)
Beginning in Fall 2024, GCCC will participate with all state universities, Washburn University and all community colleges in Kansas in the systemwide general education (SGE) framework for associate in arts (AA) and associate in science (AS) degrees. GCCC’s SGE framework includes 34-37 credit hours organized in 7 “buckets” identified by an individual SGE code. Any student who has completed the full credit hour requirement in all buckets will be considered to have completed the Kansas SGE framework for associate in arts (AA) and associate in science (AS) degrees. The completion of the 34-37 credit hour general education package will be noted on the student’s transcript.
Math Pathways
All public colleges and universities in Kansas follow Math Pathways guidance for satisfying general education math requirements as prescribed by the Kansas Board of Regents. All programs use one of three courses (College Algebra, Contemporary Mathematics or Fundamentals of Statistics), but also recognize other advanced math courses as acceptable. The course listed in the degree plan for your program is the course recommended by the Kansas Board of Regents. College Algebra can be substituted for Contemporary Mathematics or Fundamentals or Statistics.
Articulation Agreements for Bachelor Degree Completion: