COS AA/AS Requirements
Policy 20100512-05
AA/AS Requirements for Graduation
The Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree will be awarded to students upon the satisfactory completion of the following requirements:
1. A minimum of 60 units of college-level courses (numbered from 1- 299), at least 15 of which must be taken in residence at COS, with a “C” (2.0) average.
2. Completion of all courses required for the desired majorwith a grade of “C” or better in each course(see AA/AS degree section of thecurrent catalog for details).
3. Competency Certification—Reading, Writing, Computation and Information
State law requires that the candidate for the Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree be certified as competent in the areas of Writing, Reading and Computation. Additionally, COS has established a local information competency requirement. Students may establish competency in each area as follows:
A. Writing and Reading:
ENGL 1 or an equivalent course at a regionally accredited college with a grade of “C” or better.
B. Mathematics:
1. Math 230 or 245 or a more advanced math course at COS, or an equivalent course at a regionally accredited college with a grade of “C” or better; or
2. Eligibility for MATH 10, 21, 70, or 154 based on COS Placement Procedures. Eligibility based on Assessment and Placement Testing must be established on students’ initial placement (retesting not permitted). Students with a substandard grade in MATH 230 or 245 or a more advanced math course at COS, or an equivalent course at a regionally accredited college may not use this option, unless the eligibility was established before enrollment in the course in which the substandard grade was earned.
C. Information:
1. One unit of information competency.
This may be satisfied by completion of LIBR 101, 102 or 103 with a grade of “C” or better or equivalent coursework or an equivalent course at a regionally accredited college with a grade of “C” or better.
2. Pass information competency examination with a score of at least 75%.
4. EightUnits of Subject Requirements:
A. Two units of Dance, Intercollegiate Athletics or Physical Education activity courses with a grade of “C” or better
Exemptions will be granted to veterans with an approved DD214, students who have completed a police or fire academy, and students with medical exemptions from qualified doctors.
B. Three units of Health and Wellness
Completion of HW 1 or 7 or an equivalent college courseat a regionally accredited college with a grade of “C” or better.
Exemptions will be granted to veterans with an approved DD214 and to students earning a degree in Registered Nursing.
C. Three units of American Institutions
Completion of HIST 17, 17H, 18, POLS 5, 5H or an equivalent course at a regionally accredited collegewith a grade of “C” or better.
5. Thirteen units of general education as listed in Areas A-Cbelow.
The additional 6 units required by Title 5 will be met with Health and Wellness and American Institutions subject requirements.
A-1: Written Communication (4 units minimum; grade of “C” or better required)
ENGL 1
A-2: Oral Communication and Analytical Thinking (3 units minimum; grade of “C” or better required)
“Courses fulfilling the communication and analytical thinking requirement include oral communication, mathematics, logic, statistics, computer languages and programming and related disciplines.”
AJ 25
BUS 20, 112, 119
COMM 1,1H, 4, 5, 7, 8, 112
COMP 5, 6
ENGL 2, 2H
JOUR 7
MATH 10, 21, 70, 75, 154
PHIL 20, 25
SSCI 25
B. Natural Sciences (3 units minimum; grade of “C” or better required)
These courses ”shall be designed to help the student develop an appreciation and understanding of the scientific method,* and encourage an understanding of the relationships between science and other human activities. This category would include introductory or integrative courses in astronomy, biology, chemistry, general physical science, geology, meteorology, oceanography, physical geography, physical anthropology, physics and other scientific disciplines.”
*The scientific method is a way of knowing through the processes of science usingevidence-based methodologies.Courses which satisfy this area requirement will have the scientific method embedded into all core aspects of the course. Course activities must involve discussion of how scientific research is and should be done and ask students to engage in design and discussion ofexperiments.
AG 2, 3, 4
ANTH 11
ASTR 10
BIOL 1, 20, 20H, 21, 22, 25, 30, 31, 40
CHEM 1, 20, 25, 30
GEOG 1
GEOL 1, 4, 4H, 12
MET 1
NUTR 18
PHYS 5,20
PLSI 1
PSCI 20
C. Humanities (3 units minimum; grade of “C” or better required)
These courses “shall be designed to help the student develop an awareness of the ways in which people throughout the ages and in different cultures have responded to themselves and the world around them in artistic and cultural creation and help the student develop aesthetic understanding and an ability to make value judgments. Such courses could include introductory or integrative courses in the arts, foreign languages, literature, philosophy and religion.”
AJ 123
ARCH 10, 20, 70, 71
ART 1, 2, 3, 3H, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11
ASL 1, 2, 3, 4
BUS 185
CINA 31, 32,
DRAM 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9
ENGL 4, 4H, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 30, 31, 44, 45, 46
ETHN 1,2,3,4
FREN 1, 2, 3, 4
HIST 25
LING 111
MUS 1, 10, 11, 13, 14
OH111
PHIL 1, 1H, 5, 12, 13, 14
PORT 1, 2
SPAN 1, 2, 3, 4, 12, 22, 23
D. Social/Behavioral Science
This area is satisfied by the American Institutions subject requirement above.
NOTES:
Completion of the CSU-GE, IGETC or general education requirements at any regionally accredited university will fulfill the COS general education, subject and competency requirements.
Students who have met the minimum admissions requirements for transferring to a UC or CSU campus in a major, such as Science or Engineering, where completion of the CSU GE or IGETC is not recommended, due to excessive units, will be granted an Associate degree (Transfer Studies, Engineering, Math, Science, etc.) with the completion of the COS Associate Degree General Education requirements instead of the CSU GE or IGETC.The information competency, physical education, and health and wellness requirements will be waived and the additional 3 units required per Title 5 will be met with numerous additional science and math courses required for these majors.
Proposed by the General Education CommitteeDecember 6, 2011