Associate Degree (A.S./A.A.) General Education Requirements
2024-2025
This plan meets the minimum 18-unit general education requirement for an associate degree awarded by Southwestern College. A minimum of 60 total units should include general education courses, degree/program course requirements and elective courses are required to earn an associate degree. Additional competency and graduation requirements are available at the end of this page. Students are strongly advised to see a counselor for assistance in developing an educational plan.
ATTENTION: The Southwestern College Associate Degree Requirements will change in next year's 2025-2026 catalog due to updated Title 5 (55061) California Code of Regulations. Consult with an academic counselor regarding catalog rights.
Code | Title | Units |
---|---|---|
A. LANGUAGE AND RATIONALITY | 6-8 | |
A1: ENGLISH COMPOSITION | ||
A minimum of 6 units must be distributed as follows: Select one course from A1 and one course from A2. | ||
COLLEGE COMPOSITION: READING AND WRITING ANALYTICALLY | ||
HONORS COLLEGE COMPOSITION: READING AND WRITING ANALYTICALLY | ||
COLLEGE COMPOSITION FOR MULTILINGUAL STUDENTS [FA21] | ||
A2: COMMUNICATION AND ANALYTICAL THINKING | ||
STRUCTURES [FA18] | ||
BIOSTATISTICS [FA20] | ||
BUSINESS MATHEMATICS [FA19] | ||
INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS | ||
ORAL COMMUNICATION | ||
PUBLIC SPEAKING | ||
ARGUMENTATION AND DEBATE | ||
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION * | ||
CRITICAL THINKING AND ARGUMENT | ||
INTRODUCTION TO MAPPING AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS) | ||
EXPLORING OUR WORLD-MAPS AND GEOSPATIAL SCIENCE | ||
MATHEMATICS FOR GENERAL EDUCATION (or any higher-numbered math course, except support courses) [FA23] + | ||
LOGIC AND CRITICAL THINKING | ||
STATISTICS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES | ||
STATISTICAL METHODS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES [FA22] | ||
COLLEGE READING AND CRITICAL THINKING [FA19] | ||
STATISTICS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES | ||
STATISTICAL METHODS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES [FA22] | ||
B. NATURAL SCIENCES | 3 | |
A minimum of 3 units must be distributed as follows: select one course. | ||
BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY | ||
PRINCIPLES OF ASTRONOMY | ||
SOLAR SYSTEM ASTRONOMY | ||
DISCOVERY OF THE COSMOS | ||
THE RADICAL UNIVERSE | ||
LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE | ||
ELEMENTARY ASTROPHYSICS | ||
PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY | ||
CANCER BIOLOGY [FA24] + | ||
ANIMAL BIOLOGY: A BEHAVIORAL APPROACH | ||
ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY | ||
BIOLOGY, OCEANOGRAPHY, AND GEOSCIENCE OF BAJA CALIFORNIA [FA22] " | ||
ECOMUNDO: ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE | ||
NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS [FA19] lec & lab | ||
INTRODUCTION TO FERMENTATION SCIENCE [FA18] ^ | ||
MARINE BIOLOGY | ||
HUMAN HEREDITY, EVOLUTION, AND SOCIETY | ||
BIOLOGY OF ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS | ||
HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY lec & lab | ||
GENERAL ZOOLOGY lec & lab | ||
INTRODUCTION TO CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY lec & lab | ||
BIOLOGY OF PLANTS lec & lab | ||
HUMAN ANATOMY lec & lab | ||
PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY lec & lab | ||
GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY lec & lab | ||
INTRODUCTION TO GENERAL CHEMISTRY lec & lab | ||
GENERAL, ORGANIC, AND BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY [FA19] lec & lab | ||
ELEMENTARY ORGANIC AND BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY lec & lab | ||
INTRODUCTION TO FERMENTATION SCIENCE [FA18] ^ | ||
INTRODUCTORY BIOCHEMISTRY | ||
PREPARATION FOR GENERAL CHEMISTRY lec & lab | ||
GENERAL CHEMISTRY I lec & lab | ||
GENERAL CHEMISTRY II lec & lab | ||
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I lec & lab | ||
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II lec & lab | ||
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY lec & lab | ||
INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY | ||
INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHY---PHYSICAL ELEMENTS | ||
INTRODUCTION TO OCEANOGRAPHY | ||
WEATHER AND CLIMATE | ||
GEOGRAPHY OF CALIFORNIA | ||
PRINCIPLES OF GEOLOGY | ||
INTRODUCTION TO EARTH SCIENCE | ||
INTRODUCTION TO OCEANOGRAPHY | ||
DINOSAURS AND THE STORY OF EARTH | ||
PLANT AND HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE lec & lab | ||
INTRODUCTION TO THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES | ||
INTRODUCTION TO OCEANOGRAPHY | ||
FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICS I [FA18] | ||
FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICS II [FA18] | ||
PRINCIPLES OF PHYSICS I | ||
PRINCIPLES OF PHYSICS II | ||
PRINCIPLES OF PHYSICS III | ||
C. HUMANITIES | 3 | |
Select 3 units, one course of the following: | ||
INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE [FA21]* | ||
WORLD ARCHITECTURE I | ||
WORLD ARCHITECTURE II | ||
DRAWING I | ||
DESIGN I | ||
INTRODUCTION TO ART | ||
LIFE DRAWING I | ||
PAINTING I | ||
SCULPTURE I | ||
ARTS OF AFRICA, OCEANIA, AND INDIGENOUS NORTH AMERICAS | ||
ART AND CULTURE OF PRE-HISPANIC MEXICO | ||
COLOR THEORY | ||
PRINTMAKING I | ||
DARKROOM AND DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY I | ||
ASIAN ART | ||
HISTORY OF FILM AS ART | ||
INTRODUCTION TO MOTION PICTURE PRODUCTION | ||
MOTION PICTURE PRODUCTION I | ||
WOMEN IN WESTERN ART HISTORY, 1550- PRESENT | ||
ART HISTORY SURVEY---STONE AGE TO THE AGES OF FAITH | ||
ART HISTORY-RENAISSANCE TO CONTEMPORARY | ||
HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
NINETEENTH THROUGH TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY ART | ||
GRAPHIC DESIGN---TYPOGRAPHY | ||
GRAPHIC DESIGN | ||
BEGINNING CERAMICS | ||
DESIGN IN WOOD I | ||
JEWELRY AND METALWORK I | ||
JEWELRY AND METALWORK II | ||
FILM AND DARKROOM PHOTOGRAPHY I [FA18] | ||
FILIPINO-AMERICAN CULTURE [FA21]* | ||
ASIAN AMERICAN MEDIA & FILM [FA24] + | ||
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE I | ||
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE II | ||
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE III | ||
DEAF CULTURE | ||
MANDARIN CHINESE I | ||
MANDARIN CHINESE II | ||
ORAL HISTORY | ||
INTRODUCTION TO ELECTRONIC MEDIA | ||
CINEMA AS A FORM OF EXPRESSION AND COMMUNICATION | ||
DANCE HISTORY AND APPRECIATION | ||
ADVANCED CREATIVE WRITING: CREATIVE NONFICTION I | ||
INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE | ||
INTRODUCTION TO CHILDREN'S LITERATURE | ||
WORLD LITERATURE I | ||
WORLD LITERATURE II | ||
ENGLISH LITERATURE I | ||
ENGLISH LITERATURE II | ||
AMERICAN LITERATURE I | ||
AMERICAN LITERATURE II | ||
TWENTIETH CENTURY LITERATURE | ||
INTRODUCTION TO SHAKESPEARE | ||
MYTHOLOGY IN LITERATURE | ||
LITERATURE AND FILM | ||
MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE | ||
LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURE | ||
CHICANO LITERATURE | ||
AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE | ||
LITERATURE OF THE U.S. - MEXICO BORDERLANDS AND BAJA CALIFORNIA | ||
LITERATURE BY WOMEN | ||
HORROR, MADNESS, AND THE MACABRE | ||
ACADEMIC ESL ADVANCED READING AND GRAMMAR IV [FA21] | ||
ELEMENTARY FILIPINO I | ||
ELEMENTARY FILIPINO II | ||
INTERMEDIATE FILIPINO I | ||
ELEMENTARY FRENCH I | ||
ELEMENTARY FRENCH II | ||
INTERMEDIATE FRENCH I | ||
INTERMEDIATE FRENCH II | ||
INTRODUCTION TO MOTION PICTURE PRODUCTION | ||
INTRODUCTION TO WRITING FOR TELEVISION MOTION PICTURE, AND MEDIA | ||
MOTION PICTURE PRODUCTION I | ||
TELEVISION STUDIO PRODUCTION | ||
ACTING FOR THE CAMERA I | ||
VIDEO POST-PRODUCTION, GRAPHICS, AND SPECIAL EFFECTS | ||
CINEMATOGRAPHY I | ||
CINEMA AS A FORM OF EXPRESSION AND COMMUNICATION | ||
HISTORY OF FILM AS ART | ||
CULTURE AND THE MEDIA | ||
INTRODUCTION TO ELECTRONIC MEDIA | ||
WESTERN CIVILIZATION I * | ||
WESTERN CIVILIZATION II * | ||
WORLD HISTORY I * | ||
WORLD HISTORY II * | ||
MODERN MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA [FA18]* | ||
HUMANITIES THROUGH THE ARTS I | ||
HUMANITIES THROUGH THE ARTS II | ||
INTRODUCTION TO HUMANITIES: ARTS AND IDEAS | ||
CULTURE AND THE MEDIA | ||
WOMEN AND GENDER IN WORLD CULTURE | ||
WOMEN AND GENDER IN WORLD ART | ||
WORLD MYTHOLOGY | ||
ELEMENTARY ITALIAN I | ||
ELEMENTARY ITALIAN II | ||
INTERMEDIATE ITALIAN I | ||
INTERMEDIATE ITALIAN II | ||
BEGINNING JAPANESE I | ||
INTRODUCTORY ELEMENTARY JAPANESE | ||
CONTINUATION OF ELEMENTARY JAPANESE | ||
BEGINNING JAPANESE II | ||
INTERMEDIATE JAPANESE I | ||
INTERMEDIATE JAPANESE II | ||
MEXICAN AND MEXICAN-AMERICAN CULTURES IN THE UNITED STATES * | ||
INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC | ||
INTRODUCTION TO JAZZ | ||
AMERICAN POPULAR MUSIC | ||
ELECTRONIC MUSIC TECHNOLOGY | ||
WORLD MUSIC | ||
DEVELOPMENT OF MARIACHI: STYLE AND CULTURE | ||
INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY | ||
WORLD RELIGIONS | ||
ASIAN PHILOSOPHY | ||
ETHICS: THEORY AND PRACTICE | ||
ELEMENTARY PORTUGUESE I | ||
ELEMENTARY PORTUGUESE II | ||
ELECTRONIC MUSIC TECHNOLOGY | ||
ELEMENTARY SPANISH I | ||
INTRODUCTION TO ELEMENTARY SPANISH | ||
CONTINUATION OF ELEMENTARY SPANISH | ||
HONORS ELEMENTARY SPANISH I [FA18] | ||
ELEMENTARY SPANISH II | ||
INTERMEDIATE SPANISH I | ||
INTERMEDIATE SPANISH II | ||
SPANISH FOR BILINGUALS I | ||
SPANISH FOR BILINGUALS II | ||
INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE FOR BILINGUALS | ||
INTERMEDIATE CONVERSATION AND WRITING ON SPANISH CULTURE | ||
INTERMEDIATE CONVERSATION AND WRITING ON LATIN AMERICAN CULTURE | ||
SURVEY OF DRAMA | ||
INTRODUCTION TO THE THEATRE | ||
PLAY ANALYSIS FOR PERFORMANCE, PRODUCTION, AND APPRECIATION [FA18] | ||
ACTING I | ||
ACTING FOR THE CAMERA I | ||
LIGHTING TECHNIQUES | ||
D. SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES | 3 | |
Select 3 units, one course from the following groups | ||
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY I | ||
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY II @ | ||
INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE * | ||
ETHICS AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE | ||
INTRODUCTION TO ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE | ||
FUNDAMENTALS OF CRIME AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR | ||
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW [FA18] | ||
CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY | ||
ARCHAEOLOGY AND PREHISTORY | ||
CULTURES OF MEXICO | ||
MAGIC, RELIGION, WITCHCRAFT, AND HEALING [FA21] | ||
ASIAN-AMERICAN HISTORY I | ||
ASIAN-AMERICAN HISTORY II @ | ||
FILIPINO-AMERICAN HISTORY | ||
FILIPINO-AMERICAN CULTURE * | ||
ASIAN AMERICAN GENDER & SEXUALITY [FA24] + | ||
PRINCIPLES OF FAMILY DEVELOPMENT | ||
PRINCIPLES OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT | ||
CHILD, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY | ||
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION * | ||
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION | ||
INTRODUCTION TO MASS COMMUNICATION AND SOCIETY | ||
CONTEMPORARY ECONOMIC PROBLEMS | ||
PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS I | ||
PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS II | ||
ETHNIC IMAGES IN FILM [FA23] | ||
WORLD REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY | ||
INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHY: CULTURAL ELEMENTS | ||
EXPLORING OUR WORLD-MAPS AND GEOSPATIAL SCIENCE | ||
AMERICAN CIVILIZATION I | ||
AMERICAN CIVILIZATION II | ||
WESTERN CIVILIZATION I * | ||
WESTERN CIVILIZATION II * | ||
WORLD HISTORY I * | ||
WORLD HISTORY II * | ||
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY I | ||
AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY II @ | ||
ASIAN-AMERICAN HISTORY I | ||
ASIAN-AMERICAN HISTORY II @ | ||
FILIPINO-AMERICAN HISTORY | ||
LATIN AMERICA AND THE UNITED STATES I ^ | ||
LATIN AMERICA AND THE UNITED STATES II ^ | ||
WOMEN IN WORLD HISTORY | ||
MEXICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY I | ||
MEXICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY II @ | ||
NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY I [FA24] + | ||
NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY II [FA24] @ + | ||
MODERN MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA | ||
CULTURAL ASPECTS OF FOOD AND NUTRITION [FA18] | ||
HEALTH AND SOCIAL JUSTICE [FA24] + | ||
INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC HEALTH [FA18] | ||
HISTORY & FUTURE OF PUBLIC HEALTH [FA23] | ||
INTRODUCTION TO GENDER AND WOMEN'S STUDIES | ||
WOMEN AND GENDER IN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS | ||
INTRODUCTION TO MASS COMMUNICATION AND SOCIETY | ||
CHICANA AND CHICANO HERITAGE [FA22] @ | ||
INTRODUCTION TO CHICANA AND CHICANO STUDIES [FA22] @ | ||
MEXICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY I | ||
MEXICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY II @ | ||
MEXICAN AND MEXICAN-AMERICAN CULTURES IN THE UNITED STATES | ||
CRITICAL ISSUES IN CHICANA/LATINA STUDIES [FA21] @ | ||
RACE AND CLASS IN THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST [FA22] | ||
INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL SCIENCE | ||
INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS | ||
INTRODUCTION TO COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT | ||
INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS | ||
GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
HUMAN SEXUALITY | ||
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF DEATH AND DYING [FA19] | ||
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
INTRODUCTION TO COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY | ||
DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
INTRODUCTION TO PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY | ||
RACE AND ETHNICITY | ||
SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION | ||
CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL PROBLEMS | ||
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
SOCIOLOGY OF THE FAMILY | ||
SOCIOLOGY OF GENDER [FA21]* | ||
INTRO TO SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH METHODS [FA18] | ||
OTHER | 3 | |
If needed, please select one additional course from Area A, B, C or D to satisfy the 18 unit minimum requirement per Title 5 Associate Degree Requirements. | ||
Total Units | 18-20 |
- /
Same as course
- *
Courses listed in more than one area
- +
New course(s) to General Education area.
- ^
Modified course title and/or number
- "
See catalog archives for historical General Education area.
- [ ]
Courses with semester and date in brackets indicate General Education approval in area. A courses taken prior to approval date is not approved for meeting a General Education requirement. Refer to catalog archives for General Education approved prior to FA 2017.
- @
Approved Ethnic Studies Courses: These courses meet the Southwestern College Graduation Requirement (effective fall 2023).
Additional Competency and Graduation Requirements
Unit and Scholarship Requirement
Students must satisfactorily complete the following in order to meet associate degree requirements:
- a minimum of 60 units of degree level coursework.
- satisfy all competency and graduation requirements.
- maintain a minimum 2.00 or higher grade point average (or "Pass") for all Southwestern College general education coursework.
- all courses required for the major or area of emphasis must be completed with minimum 2.00 or higher grade point average (or "Pass") in each course.
- complete one additional course (3 units) from Area A, B, C or D if needed to satisfy the 18 unit minimum requirement per Title 5 Associate Degree Requirements.
Competency Requirements
Writing Competency Requirement
The Southwestern College English Writing competency requirement is met by satisfactory completion (grade of “C” or better or “Pass”) in the following:
- ENGL 115 College Composition: Reading and Writing Analytically
- ENGL 115H Honors College Composition: Reading and Writing Analytically
- ESL 115A College Composition for Multilingual Students
Note: Competency requirements may also be met by satisfactory scores on specified Advanced Placement (AP), College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), International Baccalaureate (IB) Exams or by receiving credit for prior learning experiences as deemed equivalent by discipline faculty per Board Policy and Administrative Procedure 4235 Credit for Prior Learning.
A student who has received a college degree from an accredited U.S. institution will not be required to meet any competency requirements for graduation.
Reading Competency Requirement
The Southwestern College reading competency requirement is met by satisfactory completion (grade of “C” or better or “Pass”) in one of the following:
- RDG 158 College Reading
- ENGL 115 College Composition: Reading and Writing Analytically
- ENGL 115H Honors College Composition: Reading and Writing Analytically
- ESL 115A College Composition for Multilingual Students
Mathematics Competency Requirement
The Southwestern College mathematics competency requirement can be satisfied in any one of the following ways:
- Satisfactory completion (grade of “C” or better or “Pass”) of an intermediate algebra course or any transferable mathematics course (minimum of 3 semester units).
- Satisfactory completion (documented grade of “C” or better or “Pass” for both semesters) of a high school or adult school course in intermediate algebra, such as Algebra II or Integrated Math 3, or a high school or adult school course with similar or more advanced content and rigor. Qualifying high school or adult school courses completed outside of the United States may be accepted for establishing competency.
- Satisfactory completion (minimum of 3 semester units with a grade of “C” or better) of a transferable statistics or quantitative reasoning course in any discipline at or above the level of the course typically known as Intermediate Algebra (either Intermediate Algebra or another mathematics, statistics, or quantitative reasoning course at or above the same level, with the same rigor and with Elementary Algebra as a prerequisite, approved locally).
Additional Graduation Requirement: Ethnic Studies - Effective fall 2023
The Southwestern College Ethnic Studies requirement is met by satisfactory completion (grade of “C” or better or “Pass”) of a transferable course in ethnic studies. If a Southwestern College course is approved to meet the California State University General Education (CSUGE), Area F or Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC), Area 7 requirement respectively, then the course is automatically approved to meet the Southwestern College Ethnic Studies requirement.
The Ethnic Studies Requirement may be taken as a major preparation course, General Education course, or an elective course. Approved courses are AFRO/HIST 111 (FA21), ASIA/HIST 113 (FA21), MAS/HIST 142 (FA21), MAS 100 (FA22), MAS 110 (FA22), MAS 170 (FA21), and NAIS/HIST 153 (FA24). Approved Ethnic Studies courses have an @ footnote.
Residency Requirement
The student must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 12 degree-applicable units to satisfy degree requirements at Southwestern College. Credits obtained through Credit for Prior Learning are not accepted for satisfying graduation residency requirements.