Associate in Arts Degree

General Education Requirements

The general education requirements for associate degrees at Florida Gateway College are consistent with the College philosophy which states that each student who attends the College shall be assisted in acquiring learning as a lifelong pattern. Specifically, students in career-oriented areas should be able to communicate, to calculate, and to understand the social and scientific implications of the world around them. Students seeking transfer to a baccalaureate program should complete a general education requirement which is broad in scope and requires an in-depth level of inquiry.

The College recognizes that student learning goals may change during a lifetime; therefore, the general education requirement for all degrees is collegiate in nature and, as such, should provide an academic foundation for lifelong learning. It is designed to meet students at their levels of ability and assist them in attaining collegiate levels of performance. Not all students come to the College prepared for this level of endeavor. Developmental education courses, therefore, are provided to assist the student in gaining the requisite skills necessary to be successful in a work or collegiate setting.

Students in the Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree are required to demonstrate computer competency with the completion of the computer competency course within Canvas during the first semester and prior to registering for the second semester.

Florida Gateway College requires students in the Associate in Arts program to demonstrate oral communication competency. Competency is defined as the ability to perceive, interpret, evaluate, organize, and demonstrate effective oral presentation. Students who were admitted for first time registration for the summer of 2001 and after (or students who have not been enrolled for at least one semester for every year of enrollment), are required to prove competency by passing one of the following courses before graduation: ORI 2000 Fundamentals of Oral Interpretation , SPC 1017 Oral Communications , SPC 1061 Introduction to Academic and Professional Speaking , or SPC 2608 Public Speaking .

A student who owes an obligation to the college will not receive a diploma or transcript until the obligation is resolved.

General Learning Outcomes

Listed below are the FGC General Learning Outcomes to be mastered by all students who complete an Associate’s degree program.

1. Communication
   Students will effectively communicate through oral or written skills.
    
2. Critical Thinking
   Students will logically evaluate, analyze, and synthesize information.
    
3. Quantitative Reasoning
   Students will apply mathematical concepts and reasoning to draw valid conclusions.
    
4. Scientific Reasoning
   Students will apply empirical evidence to evaluate natural phenomena.
    
5. Information Literacy
   Students will use information effectively and ethically.
    
6. Cultural Awareness
   Students will explain how aspects of culture relate to the human experience.

General Information

A student wishing to transfer to an upper division university should be enrolled in courses leading to the Associate in Arts degree (A.A.). The Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree is the freshman and sophomore years of a four-year bachelor’s degree. Florida Gateway College offers a wide range of preprofessional courses designed to prepare students to transfer to upper division universities.

The transfer articulation agreement between state universities in Florida and Florida College System (FCS) institutions allows each FCS institution to develop its own general education requirements and determine what electives are allowed for the granting of the Associate in Arts degree. A student who completes the general education program at an FCS institution will not be required to complete other general education requirements at the four-year university.

A student should realize that upper division universities also set their own academic requirements for entry into specific programs. The College will make every effort to advise a student concerning upper division requirements for each major. However, for reliable information concerning which electives to choose while in residence at Florida Gateway College, each student is encouraged to consult with the dean, department chair, advisor or registrar of the school he or she expects to attend. Students are strongly encouraged to declare a major upon first enrolling at the College, because courses selected for electives may have to be used to meet university prerequisites to degree programs.

A student who has determined a professional program of study should become thoroughly familiar with the requirements for admission into that program at the particular four-year university to which he or she plans to transfer. The following meta-major academic pathways are established for the purpose of advising Florida College System associate degree seeking students of the gateway courses that are aligned with their intended academic and career goals.

1. Arts, humanities, communication and design
2. Business
3. Education
4. Health sciences
5. Industry/manufacturing and construction
6. Public safety
7. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
8. Social and behavioral sciences and human services

Associate in Arts Graduation Requirements

Students must:

• Demonstrate competence in oral communication and computer literacy by assessment or passing the appropriate courses. Computer competency must be met during the first semester at FGC and prior to registering for the second semester.
• Complete general education requirements (36 semester hours) and elective courses (24 semester hours) to complete a minimum of 60 semester hours.
• Complete the college residency requirement, which is a minimum of 25 percent of credits of the program at Florida Gateway College before graduation.
• Complete multiple writing assignments in the areas below with a grade of C or better in each course,
  • Communications
  • Humanities
  • Social Sciences
• Earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all college credit courses.
• Satisfactorily complete the following specific requirements as listed below:
  • Communications: 9 semester hours
  • Mathematics: 6 semester hours
  • Science: 6 semester hours
  • Social Science: 9 semester hours
  • Humanities: 6 semester hours
  • Electives: 24 semester hours

• Demonstrate foreign language competencies, as shown in the section below.
• Complete General Education core requirements, as shown in the section below.
• Complete civic literacy requirements, as shown in the section below.
• Fulfill all financial obligations to the College.

Foriegn Language Competency

The Florida Department of Education has identified the competencies as successful completion of two credits of the same foreign language or American Sign Language in high school, the equivalent of completion of the elementary 2 level at the post-secondary level, or passing scores as determined by the Articulation Coordinating Committee (ACC) Credit-By-Exam Equivalencies for the elementary 2 level course, as adopted by the Board of Governors.

A student whose native language is not English may demonstrate proficiency in their native language by one of the following:

• Submitting proof of high school graduation from an institution where the language of instruction was in the native language.
• Submitting proof of college attendance for at least one year in an institution where the language of instruction was in the native language.
• Passing an FGC approved examination.

All transcripts from foreign high schools or colleges to be considered to meet the foreign language requirement for the Associate in Arts degree must be evaluated and translated by an approved foreign credential evaluation and translation service.

FGC reserves the right to validate the foreign language competency of any student prior to awarding the Associate in Arts degree through methods including, but not limited to, review of official transcripts, portfolio and performance reviews, competency testing, standardized testing, or other methods determined by FGC that are designed to assess the foreign language competencies outlined in state rules.

General Education Core Requirements

In accordance with Rule 6A-14.0303, beginning fall 2022, students entering a Florida College System institution must complete at least one core course from each of the general education subject areas prior to the award of an associate degree.  The general education core course requirements are applicable to associate and baccalaureate degrees.  General Education core course options are identified in Rule 6A-14.0303.  Institutions are not required to offer all core course options, but all core course options identified in rule must be accepted in transfer as meeting general education requirements in the area for which the course is designated.  Students may satisfy core course requirements in communication, mathematics, or natural sciences by completing a course that has a core course as a direct prerequisite, as shown below.  

The remaining courses and credits, in addition to the core course options, to fulfill the total 36-hour general education requirement are at the discretion of the Florida College System institution.  

General Education Core Course Options

Communication:

Humanities:

Mathematics:

For courses taken at a Florida College System institution in the Fall 2015 term through the Summer 2024 term:

For courses taken at a Florida College System institution in the Fall 2024 term and any term thereafter:

Note: to avoid excess credit hours, successful completion of MGF 1106 and MGF 1107 prior to the 2024-2025 academic year may be used to satisfy the mathematics core in lieu of MGF 1130.

Natural Sciences:

Social Sciences:

Civic Literacy Requirement

Prior to the award of an associate in arts or baccalaureate degree, students initially entering a Florida College System instutiton in the Fall Term 2021, and thereafter, must meet civic litereacy requirements as outlined by the State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.02413.

The civic literacy requirements apply to students who are admitted to an FGC degree program as follows: 

• Students transferring from another FCS or SUS institution and have met the civic literacy requirements in their associate degree are considered to have met the requirements for future associates or baccalaureate degrees.
• Students transferring from another FCS or SUS institution and have NOT met the civic literacy requirements in their associate degree must meet the requirements for future associates or baccalaureate degree.
• Students transferring from out of state must meet the civic literacy requirements for the associates or baccalaureate degree.

To meet the Civic Literacy requirements, students must:

(1) Successfully complete POS 1041 - American Government , AMH 2020 United States History from 1877 , or beginning with the Fall Term 2024 and thereafter, AMH 2010 United States History to 1877  with a grade of C or higher
AND
(2) Achieve the standard score on one of the following assessments:

Associate in Arts Degree Requirements