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    Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 Catalog 
    
2018-2019 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

General Studies, AA


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Program Information


The Associate of Arts (AA) in General Studies provides a well-rounded foundation of knowledge designed to prepare students for employability and/or further academic work. Students can focus their skill set by selecting courses specifically designed to support their professional goals. The AA is ideal for working adults with a minimal number of academic credits who seek a milestone of achievement while working toward the bachelor’s degree.

The AA program is taught by practicing professionals, with a curriculum that integrates the liberal arts with knowledge of management principles, leadership strategies and organizational theory. Coursework emphasizes practical business applications, while providing a strong educational foundation for lifelong learning. Students develop the capacity to think critically and creatively in preparation for a successful future in business or management.

GGU’s nationally recognized eLearning environment allows students to pursue a degree online, in person, or in combination.

Step up to a bachelor’s degree

In the process of completing the AA, students fulfill the general education and liberal studies requirements of GGU’s bachelor’s degrees, while also developing skills and knowledge outcomes in communication, critical thinking, information literacy, and quantitative fluency. A flexible course of study is designed to maximize the number of transfer credits counted toward degree completion.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the Associate of Arts in General Studies will be able to:

  • Communication: Communicate effectively to general and specialized audiences through structured written, oral and visual presentations
  • Critical thinking: Identify, categorize, and analyze problems and issues, and draw warranted conclusions
  • Quantitative fluency: Perform accurate calculations using symbolic operations, and provide accurate interpretations and explanations of data
  • Information literacy: Correctly identify, categorize, evaluate, and cite multiple resources to create projects, papers, or performances
  • Ethical reasoning: Describe ethical issues and apply ethical principles or frameworks in judgment and decision-making
  • Applied learning: Describe and analyze relationships between academic learning and problems outside the classroom
  • Broad integrative knowledge: Explore, connect, and apply concepts and methods across multiple fields of study
  • Lifelong learning: Examine connections between academic learning and professional goals and demonstrate attitudes such as curiosity, self-awareness, adaptability, and motivation

Requirements for the Associate of Arts in General Studies


The Associate of Arts in General Studies requires completion of 60 units as follows: 48 units of general education coursework (includes 21 units of liberal studies core and 12 units of foundation courses), 15 units required for the degree and 12 units of general elective units. Each course listed carries three semester units of credit, unless otherwise noted.

A cumulative grade-point average of 2.00 ( C ) or higher is required in all courses taken at Golden Gate University. Prerequisites to a course, if any, are listed in the course descriptions. All degree-seeking undergraduate students must complete their English, mathematics, and critical thinking basic proficiency requirements within their first 27 units at Golden Gate University. Placement tests must be taken prior to enrolling in ENGL 10A , ENGL 10B , or ENGL 1A  and MATH 10 , MATH 20  or MATH 30  to ensure proper placement in the sequences (see course descriptions in this catalog for details).

General Education Requirements - 48 units


Required Courses - 15 units

Liberal Studies Core - 21 units

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