General Education
Valuing General Education | Purpose of General Education |
General Education helps students to develop an understanding and appreciation of themselves and their world.
| The General Education curriculum is designed to develop communication skills, thinking skills, diversity and global awareness, and ethical and civil values. |
What is Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC)?
The Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) is a block of 35 or more credits. This block includes courses in English, mathematics, arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, physical and biological sciences, options, and special requirements. AGEC is a statewide agreement between Arizona public community colleges, Northern Arizona University (NAU), Arizona State University (ASU), and the University of Arizona (U of A). Coconino Community College began implementing the AGEC spring of 1999.
The completed AGEC block meets all lower-division General Education requirements for bachelor degrees at Arizona public universities and will transfer. The Arizona public universities have agreed that, if a student completes the AGEC block at the community college level, the AGEC block will be accepted at the universities.
A student transferring to an out-of-state college should seek advising from the admissions office of that college to ensure transferability of their community college courses.
Benefits of AGEC
- AGEC is the best way to make your credits count for most transfer degrees.
- The purpose of AGEC is to provide students attending any Arizona public community college with the opportunity to build a General Education curriculum that is transferable upon completion without a loss of credit to another Arizona public community college or university.
- When you complete an AGEC with a 2.5 Grade Point Average (GPA), all admission requirements are waived at all Arizona public universities. This means that you are unconditionally admitted to any Arizona public university of your choice after completing an AGEC with a 2.5 GPA.
- AGEC satisfies all lower-division liberal studies requirements at all Arizona public universities.
- Save money by completing your lower-division liberal studies requirements at CCC. On the average, Coconino Community College tuition rates are about one-third of the Arizona public universities’ tuition.
- Opportunity to participate in smaller class sizes at CCC.
- If you have high school concurrent or dual enrollment credits, and/or Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) credits (PLA may include earned credit from exams, portfolios, or other alternative learning assessments) that satisfy our General Education requirements, these credits can be counted toward an AGEC and will transfer to all Arizona public universities.
Learning Outcomes
Coconino Community College offers General Education courses that provide students with the highest quality experience. To that end, we measure the effectiveness of our program using the following student learning outcomes as our guide. Students who complete our General Education program, whether as part of degree program or the AGEC, can expect to acquire or improve their skills in the following areas:
Communication Skills
- Plan, construct, and present logical, coherent, well-supported arguments with consideration of target audience
- Communicate clearly and effectively, orally and in writing, at a college-level
- Demonstrate listening and comprehension skills for effective communications
- Use appropriate technology for communication and information gathering
Thinking Skills
- Formulate vital questions and problems in a clear and precise manner
- Gather, assess, and interpret information within a theoretical framework
- Develop well-reasoned conclusions and solutions to problems
- Recognize and assess the assumptions, implications, and consequences of various theoretical frameworks
Diversity and Global Awareness
- Analyze the complexity of humanity and its significance for the individual and for society
- Describe the interaction between individuals, their culture, and the physical environment
- Evaluate the continuity of events/issues over time
Ethical and Civil Values
- Recognize the consequences and significance of one’s actions
- Understand social values and the implications of those values
Credit Requirements
The Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) is a block of 35 semester credit hours of lower-division, General Education course work. There are three forms of AGEC:
AGEC-A: The AGEC-Art is a 35-credit lower-division General Education curriculum block that fulfills the lower division General Education requirements of liberal arts majors (e.g. Fine Arts/Visual Arts, Psychology, Sociology)
AGEC-B: The AGEC-Business is a 35-credit lower-division General Education curriculum block that fulfills the lower division General Education requirements of business majors (e.g. Business Administration, Computer Information Systems)
AGEC-S: The AGEC-Science is a 35-credit lower-division General Education curriculum block that fulfills the lower division General Education requirements of majors with more stringent mathematics and mathematics-based science requirements (e.g. Biology, Chemistry)
AGEC-A, AGEC-B, and AGEC-S can be completed as a block or as part of an associates degree at CCC and must include the Special Requirements. The College certifies completion of the AGEC on the official transcript.
A completed AGEC will transfer as a block to meet the lower-division General Education requirements at any of the Arizona public universities or other Arizona community colleges. Transfer students who wish to earn the associate degree must then meet additional CCC degree requirements. To earn the bachelor's degree, students transferring the AGEC must still meet course prerequisites, major requirements, and upper-division requirements at their chosen university.
All AA, ABUS, AS, and AFA degrees require 35 credits of the AGEC block. These 35 credits are divided into subject categories that must be completed. Each class may only be counted towards fulfilling one AGEC category. The specific classes that meet these categorical requirements appear in the “AGEC Course” link to the right (pending).
Categorical Requirements
- English
- Mathematics
- Arts and Humanities
- Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Physical and Biological Sciences
- Options
Special Requirements
May be met within the General Education requirements by a minimum of 2 courses. The special requirements are as follows:
- Intensive Writing and Critical Inquiry "W"
- Ethnic/Race/Gender Awareness “E”
- Contemporary Global/International Awareness or Historical Awareness “C”
Degrees Intended for Transfer
CCC offers a number of associate degrees, some of which are intended for transfer. Those intended for transfer include a complete AGEC block and are listed below:
AA – Associate of Arts
An Associate of Arts (AA) degree includes a minimum of 60 transferable credits. Of these, 35 or more are part of the AGEC block. The AA degrees prepare for university majors such as arts, behavioral sciences, business, humanities, languages, mathematics, and social sciences. The Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degree has similar requirements to an AA degree.
AS – Associate of Science
An Associate of Science (AS) degree includes a minimum of 60 transferable credits. Of these, 35 or more are part of the AGEC block. The AS degrees prepare for university majors such as biology, chemistry, geography, geology, mathematics, and physics.
All transfer degrees require the 35 credits of the “AGEC block” in order to transfer. These 35 credits are divided into subject categories, each of which must be completed. Each class may only be counted towards fulfilling one category. The specific classes that meet these categorical requirements appear in the “AGEC Course” link to the right (pending).
Other Degrees
Associate of Applied Science and Associate of General Studies Degrees
The Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree and the Associate of General Studies (AGS) degree have unique General Education requirements. See a specific degree for actual general education requirements.
Associate of Applied Science and Associate of General Studies Degrees
The Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree and the Associate of General Studies (AGS) degree have different focuses from the AA and AS degrees, and thus have different General Education requirements. The courses used for these general education requirements are from the list of courses used in the AGEC.
This information was prepared on the basis of the best information available at the time of publication. All information is subject to change without notice, obligation, or liability.