General Studies - A.A.

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For more information on this program, contact the Humanities division at 615-230-3200 or at humanities@volstate.edu.

The General Studies degree program is the most flexible degree program offered for students at VSCC. Students who do not know what to major in, are looking to advance their career, or who want a major we do not offer should pursue this option. Students should work with an advisor to customize their studies to fit their interests while completing the General Education core. The Associate of Arts in General Studies is a two-year program for students planning to continue their education to earn a bachelor’s degree. Below are a few examples of possible careers for those with a degree in General Studies and the associated salary information.

Transfer Options:

This emphasis is not currently a part of a Tennessee Transfer Pathway, and, therefore, it may not be fully transferable. Since general education and major requirements vary from one transfer institution to another, it is essential that transfer students decide on a transfer institution as soon as possible and refer to the general education and major requirements in that institution’s catalog when planning a program of study. Contact your advisor for additional information.

All students graduating with a degree from VSCC are required to take the Educational Testing Service Proficiency Profile (ETSP) to meet graduation requirements. More information can be found at https://www.volstate.edu/testing/services.

General Education Requirements - Credits (41)

History Credits: (6)
Humanities and/or Fine Arts (Must include at least one Literature Course) Credits: (9)
Natural Sciences Credits: (8)
Social/Behavioral Sciences Credits: (6)

ENGL 1010 - ^English Composition I Credits: (3)
ENGL 1020 - ^English Composition II Credits: (3)
MATH 1010 - ^Math for General Studies Credits: (3) OR HIGHER
COMM 2045 - ^Public Speaking Credits: (3)
OR COMM 2025 - ^Fundamentals of Communication Credits: (3)

Area of Emphasis Requirements - Credits (19)

Foreign Language [One year sequence in single foreign language] Credits: (6)
Electives* Credits: (13) [Freshmen required to take FYEX 1030 and 1040 must complete both of these courses as 3 out of the 13 elective hours.]**

*An elective can be any college-level course; however, they should be carefully selected in consultation with an advisor. Students should choose courses appropriate for transfer to the senior institution they have selected. Please note the section under Mathematics and Natural Sciences of the General Education section of the Catalog for course pairs not allowed to apply toward graduation. Any course designated with an asterisk (*) in the catalog is a career/technical course and is not intended for transfer.

Total Degree Requirements - Credits (60)

**All General Studies AA freshmen entering Vol State Fall 2020 or later that have not completed at least 15 college-level credit hours with a 3.0 or higher inclusive GPA must take FYEX 1030 and 1040.

Career and Salary Information

The following is a list of some of the career choices that may be obtained upon completion of this program. Please visit the following website http://www.onetonline.org or speak to an advisor for additional career opportunities, salary information and education requirements. Salaries are not guaranteed.

Career	Beginning Salary with Bachelor Degree	Experienced Salary with Bachelor Degree
Training and Development Specialist	$28,890	$52,990
Secondary School Teacher	$36,620	$50,070
Loan Counselor	$22,610	$36,960

Recommended Schedule

This is a recommended schedule. Learning Support, pre-requisites and other academic factors may impact this schedule. See your advisor to create a degree plan.

DegreeWorks, along with the correct catalog, should be utilized by students for all of their educational planning. Students can monitor their progress toward a degree or certificate and view missing requirements with the DegreeWorks audit, which is accessible through My Volstate.

First Year - Fall Semester - Credits (13.5)

Humanities and/or Fine Arts (See General Education Requirements in Catalog) Credits: (3)
Social/Behavioral Sciences (See General Education Requirements in Catalog) Credits: (3)
Electives Credits: (1.5) FYEX 1030 **

ENGL 1010 - ^English Composition I Credits: (3)
MATH 1010 - ^Math for General Studies Credits: (3) OR HIGHER

First Year - Spring Semester - Credits (16.5)

Humanities and/or Fine Arts (See General Education Requirements in Catalog) Credits: (3)
Social/Behavioral Sciences (See General Education Requirements in Catalog) Credits: (3)
Electives Credits: (1.5) FYEX 1040 **
Electives Credits (3)

ENGL 1020 - ^English Composition II Credits: (3)
COMM 2045 - ^Public Speaking Credits: (3)
OR COMM 2025 - ^Fundamentals of Communication Credits: (3)

Second Year - Fall Semester - Credits (16)

Foreign Language (One Year Sequence in Single Foreign Language) Credits: (3)
History (See General Education Requirements in Catalog) Credits: (3)
Humanities and/or Fine Arts (Literature Course - See General Education Requirements in Catalog) Credits: (3)
Natural Sciences (See General Education Requirements in Catalog) Credits: (4)
Electives Credits: (3)

Second Year - Spring Semester - Credits (14)

Foreign Language (One Year Sequence in Single Foreign Language) Credits: (3)
History (See General Education Requirements in Catalog) Credits: (3)
Natural Sciences (See General Education Requirements in Catalog) Credits: (4)
Electives Credits: (4)