How to read and understand the Associate Degree General Education Pattern

 If you plan to pursue an Associate Degree, and DO NOT have plans to transfer, you will want to follow the Associate Degree General Education Pattern (sample on next slide).  If you plan to pursue an Associate Degree and also transfer, you may use the General Education Pattern for the Associate Degree, but that will only meet your requirements for graduation. To transfer, you would still need to meet all requirements found on the CSU or IGETC major sheets. Click Major Sheets for the CSU GE pattern or IGETC.Major Sheets

Sample General Education Pattern

 The following slides will provide you with a step by step process for selecting classes from the AA/AS GE pattern.  The GE sheet utilized in this PowerPoint is the 08/09 GE sheet, and should be used as a demonstration only.  To access the appropriate GE sheet for your catalog year, click Major Sheets.Major Sheets

You must complete one course from each of the seven competency areas below (Area 6 requires 2 courses of PE) Areas 1,2,3,4, and 7 must be completed with a “C” or better. For students entering Fall 09 and after, or for students who have lost catalog rights, competency requirements for Writing and Reading will increase to English 1A. Math competency will increase to Math 103 or above.

Complete one course (3 units minimum) from Area A.

Complete one course from Area B1. If you eventually plan to transfer to a University, select Political Science 2. Complete one course from area B2.

Complete one course from Area C for a total of 3 units. Please note that some classes in this area are only worth 2 units, so more than one class may be required to meet the 3 unit requirement.

No extra classes are required from Area D. When you complete Your English and Math courses from the competency areas 1 and 4, these classes will also fulfill Area D.

 In addition to your GE requirements, you will also be required to complete major requirements for your degree.  To access the list of the required classes for your major, click Major Sheets. On this link, please read the information regarding selecting your appropriate catalog year. Then click on your intended major for the list of required classes.Major Sheets  It is recommended that you compare your required major classes to your General Education pattern because some classes may double count. (Example: See CIT 15 on sample major sheet on the next slide. This class can also be used to satisfy competency area 7 on the General Education Pattern).  See sample major sheet on next slide.

Sample Major Sheet

 In summary, to receive your Associate Degree, you need to complete two primary areas: GE requirements and major requirements.  You will also need to complete a total of 60 graduation applicable units with a “C” or better.  For a detailed list of all Associate Degree requirements, click FCC Associate Degree Requirements General Education.FCC Associate Degree Requirements General Education

 This PowerPoint tutorial is intended to be used as a guide to assist in course selection.  In order to ensure that you are selecting the appropriate classes, it is recommended that you discuss your education plan and goals with a counselor. Click here for Counseling Center Webpage.Counseling Center Webpage.  You may also utilize WebAdvisor to access a degree evaluation in order to check your progress on completing your intended degree. On WebAdvisor, under Academic Planning, click Degree Evaluation Progress Report.WebAdvisor