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.

A. LANGUAGE AND RATIONALITY6-8
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 SCIENCES3
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. HUMANITIES3
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 SCIENCES3
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]
OTHER3
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 Units18-20
/

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.