The Associate of Arts in General Studies degree provides students, especially adult learners, the opportunity to pursue a flexible degree program to meet their unique interests, career goals, and academic needs. Reflecting EKU’s commitment to a liberal arts education, the degree allows students to concentrate in an area of interest while selecting from a wide variety of courses to meet personal, educational, or career goals. This degree is designed for students for whom this will be their first college degree and who wish to advance in their careers, change careers, pursue a lifelong interest beyond their careers, or use the degree as a pathway to a baccalaureate degree. Students who are admitted as “Special Admittance/Conditional Admittance” (see page 10 of the Catalog), will be initially admitted into the Associate of Arts in General Studies degree program.

Opportunities

The Associate of Arts in General Studies degree has become more attractive with the growth of business and industry in the area and with the increase of minimum educational requirements for employment or promotion. In addition to those students wishing to enhance their employability, other students will find the program offers numerous opportunities to seek a degree for their own personal satisfaction. The degree allows students to gain confidence in their abilities by earning a degree at the associate level prior to enrolling in a baccalaureate program. The associate degree also provides opportunities for students who wish to consolidate previously earned credits to complete their first degree.

Serving students from a varied background of college readiness, this degree provides students a defined path to success in earning one or more degrees. Upon successful completion of EKU’s Associate of Arts in General Studies degree, the student will have met all General Education requirements, which will apply toward a four-year program at EKU or any other regional Kentucky institution.

Program Requirements

CIP Code: 24.0102

Summary Checklist for General Education

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Element 1
A: Written Communication		3
B: Written Communication		3
C: Oral Communication		3
Element 2
Quantitative Reasoning		3
Element 3
A: Arts		3
B: Humanities		3
Element 4
Natural Sciences		6
Element 5
A: Historical Science		3
B: Social Behavioral Science		3
Element 6
Diversity of Perspectives Experiences		6
Total Hours		36

Students are expected to complete Elements 1 and 2 within their first 60 hours of college credit.

Major

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
University Graduation Requirements
General Education		36
Standard General Education program (Elements 1-6 inclusive, per Section Four of this Catalog)
Student Success Seminar
GSD 101	Foundations of Learning (waived for transfers with 30+ hours, not including AP and Dual Credit hours)	3
Major Requirements
Core Courses
Courses are within an individual College and exclusive of general education requirements. One of the concentrations below may be used to fulfill this requirement.		12
Optional Departmental Concentration
Students may select a concentration of interest. Students with a declared departmental concentration will be advised by faculty of that department and will be officially affiliated with that department. The Associate of Arts in General Studies concentration will be reflected on the student's transcript.
Choose from one of the following:		0-15
Anthropology
Applied Engineering and Technology
Broadcasting and Electronic Media
Communication Studies
Computer Networking Systems
Education
Electricity and Electronics
English
Geographic Information Systems
Geography
Geology
History
Homeland Security
Informatics
Mathematical Sciences
Military Studies
Physics and Engineering
Political Science
Pre‑Business
Psychology
Security Operations
Sociology
Veterans Studies
Exit Requirements
GSD 250	Exit Requirement AGS	0
Free Electives
Choose from nine hours of free electives		9
Total Hours		60-75

(Precise degree requirements will vary based upon concentration selected and student’s specific orientation course needs.)

Major Requirements

• Students should refer to their Degree Works audit for General Education course selections.
• Students should consult with an advisor to choose an appropriate General Education math course.
• AA in General Studies students must earn a institutional GPA of 2.0 on all work earned at EKU, as well as an overall GPA of 2.0 on combined transfer and EKU graded coursework.
• AA in General Studies students must complete at least 15 semester hours at EKU.
• AA in General Studies students must complete an approved 12-hour emphasis with an overall 2.0 GPA within an individual college beyond the General Education requirement.

The Associate of Arts in General Studies is intended to be a first degree and is not appropriate for a secondary degree. Students who declare the AA in General Studies should pursue that program as their primary degree and apply for graduation as soon as they approach completion of its requirements. Students seeking only an associate degree may not declare a minor.

Optional A.A. in General Studies Concentrations

The following concentrations are available in the Associate of Arts in General Studies degree program:

Anthropology Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
ANT 120	Introduction to Cultural Anthropology	3
ANT 200	Archaeology and Human Cultures	3
ANT 201	Introduction to Biological Anthropology	3
One upper-division ANT course (300 or above)		3
Total Hours		12

Applied Engineering and Technology Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
AEM 201	Metallic Material Processes	3
EET 251	Electricity and Electronics	3
AEM 195	Computer Aided Drafting	3
TEC 161	Computer Applications in Technology	3
Total Hours		12

Broadcasting and Electronic Media Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
BEM 295	Video Production	4
Choose from two of the following:		6
BEM 202	Information Gathering
BEM 203	introduction to Media Writing
BEM 301	Multimedia Newswriting
BEM 353W	The Art and Craft of Screenwriting
Choose from two hours of the following:		2
BEM 349	Applied Learning in Broadcasting (1 hour)
BEM 398	Electronic Video Practicum (1 hour)
BEM 491	Senior Seminar
Total Hours		12

Communication Studies Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
CMS 200	Interpersonal Communication	3
CMS 205W	Advocacy and Opposition	3
CMS 210	Public Speaking	3
or CMS 215	Business and Professional Presentations
CMS 250		3
or CMS 275	Applied Organizational Communication Skills
Total Hours		12

Computer Networking Systems Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
NET 302	PC Troubleshooting & Construction	3
NET 303	LANs & PC Communications	3
NET 354	Microcomputer & Network Security	3
Choose from three hours of NET coursework		3
Total Hours		12

Education Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
EDF 203	Educational Foundations	3
EDF 204	Emerging Instructional Technologies	2
EDF 205	Creative Learning and Teaching	3
SED 104	Special Education Introduction	3
Total Hours		11

Students planning to apply for admission to the Teacher Education Program after completing the AGS degree should also enroll in CMS 100 Introduction to Human Communication or CMS 210 Public Speaking, BIO 102 Inquiry Biology for Teachers or PHY 102 Inquiry Physics for MS Teachers, and HIS 202 .

Students should confer with a College of Education Advisor to determine the required math course for each specific program.

Electricity and Electronics Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
EET 251	Electricity and Electronics	3
EET 252	Digital Electronics	3
EET 257	Electronic Devices and Circuits	3
EET 253	Microprocessor Control Systems	3
or EET 351	Programmable Logic Controllers
Total Hours		12

English Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
ENG 301	Advanced Composition	3
ENG 302	Principles of Literary Study	3
Choose from six hours of ENG courses 1		6
Total Hours		12

¹

ENG 210 Enjoying Literature,  ENG 211 Survey of World Literature I, and ENG 212 Survey of World Literature II may count toward the concentration but will not count toward the B.A. English degree major requirements.

Geographic Information Systems Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
GEO 110	Environmental Geography	3
or GEO 210	Introduction to Physical Geography
GEO 353	Geographic Information Systems	3
Choose from six hours of the following:		6
GEO 351	Geoscience Data and Techniques
GEO 453	Advanced GIS
GEO 455	GIS Cartography
GEO 456	Remote Sensing
GEO 458	Advanced Geographic Imagery
GEO 501	Advanced Geography:___
GLY 351	Field Methods
GLY 408	Process Geomorphology
Total Hours		12

Geography Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
GEO 100	Regions and Nations of the World	3
GEO 110	Environmental Geography	3
or GEO 210	Introduction to Physical Geography
Choose from six hours of GEO electives		6
Total Hours		12

Geology Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Choose from two of the following:		6
GLY 104	The Ocean World
GLY 107	Gold and Diamonds
GLY 108	Earthquakes and Volcanoes
GLY 109	Great Moments in Earth History
GLY 302	Earth Science
GLY 305	Dinosaurs
GEO 210	Introduction to Physical Geography
Choose from two of the following:		6-8
GLY 210	Introduction to Geochemistry
GLY 303	Environmental Geoscience
GLY 309	Mineralogy
GLY 315	Hydrology
GLY 408	Process Geomorphology
GLY 415	Sedimentary Geology
GEO 353	Geographic Information Systems
GEO 456	Remote Sensing
Total Hours		12-14

History Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
HIS 102	American Civilization to 1877	3
HIS 103	American Civilization Since 1877	3
Choose from six additional hours of HIS courses 1		6
Total Hours		12

¹

Of those 6 additional hours at least 3 must be in a course listed in Area II (Europe) or Area III (Non-Western). HIS 290 Historical Research and Methods and HIS 450W Senior Seminar in History may not count toward the concentration.

Homeland Security Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
HLS 101	Introduction to Homeland Security	3
HLS 210	Cyber and Physical Security	3
HLS 260	Disaster Preparedness & Response	3
HLS 301	Critical Infrastructure Protection	3
Total Hours		12

Students planning to later enroll in the B.S. Homeland Security should take as part of their General Education courses:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
EES 250	Basic Social Intelligence Skills (Element 1C)	3
STA 215	Introduction to Statistical Reasoning (Element 2)	3
GEO 210	Introduction to Physical Geography (Element 4)	3
HIS 203	(Element 5A)
POL 100	Principles of Politics and Government (Element 5B)	3
or POL 101	Introduction to American Government

Informatics Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
INF 104	Computer Literacy with Software Applications	3
or CIS 212	Introduction to Computer Information Systems
INF 307	Cyberspace Security and Ethics	3
INF 314	MS Office & Data Analysis	3
INF 318	Mobile Device Security & Privacy	3
Total Hours		12

Completion of this concentration also fulfills requirements for the Certificate in Informatics. Students must formally declare their intention to earn the certificate before it can be awarded.

Mathematical Sciences Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
MAT 234	Calculus I	4
MAT 244	Calculus II	4
STA 270	Applied Statistics	4
Choose from one of the following:		3
CSC 160	Introduction to Web Programming
CSC 177	Introduction to Visual Basic
CSC 190	Object- Oriented Programming I
Total Hours		15

A minimum grade of “C” is required of all courses counted toward the concentration.

Military Studies

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Choose from 12 hours of a combination of the following: 1		12
MSL courses
Military services (ACE) credit
PHE 190	Wellness Experience:__________
PLS 375	Terrorism/ Counterterrorism
Total Hours		12

¹

At least 3 of the 12 hours must be earned in residence at EKU.

Physics and Engineering Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
MAT 234	Calculus I	4
PHY 201	University Physics I	5
PHY 202	University Physics II	5
Total Hours		14

Students should note that each has prerequisites.

Political Science Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
POL 100	Principles of Politics and Government	3
POL 101	Introduction to American Government	3
POL 212	Introduction to Comparative Politics	3
POL 220	Introduction to World Politics	3
Total Hours		12

Pre-Business Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
ACC 200	Survey of Accounting	3
BUS 101	Nature of Business	3
CIS 212	Introduction to Computer Information Systems	3
or BUS 206	Fund of Prob Solving w Excel
Choose 3 hours from the following:		3
BUS 204	Fundamentals of Business Law and Ethics
BUS 207	Fund of Interpersonal Bus Comm
CCT 201	Professional Communication
CCT 270	Entrepreneurship
GBU 204	Legal and Ethical Environments of Business
Total Hours		12

A minimum grade of “C” is required of all courses counted toward the concentration.

Psychology Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
PSY 200	Introduction to Psychology	3
or PSY 200W	Introduction to Psychology: Writing Intensive
PSY 250		3
or PSY 250W
Choose from six hours of PSY courses 1		6
Total Hours		12

¹

Excluding PSY 349 Applied Learning in Psychology, PSY 402 Independent Work in Psychology, and PSY 403 ). PSY 280 Lifespan Developmental Psych. may count toward the concentration but will not count toward the B.S. Psychology degree major requirements.

A minimum grade of “C” is required of all courses counted toward the concentration.

Security Operations Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
HLS 210	Cyber and Physical Security	3
HLS 310	Personnel Security	3
HLS 320	Security Management	3
HLS 350	Workplace Investigations	3
Total Hours		12

Students planning to later enroll in the B.S. Homeland Security should take as part of their General Education courses:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
EES 250	Basic Social Intelligence Skills (Element 1C)	3
STA 215	Introduction to Statistical Reasoning (Element 2)	3
GEO 210	Introduction to Physical Geography (Element 4)	3
HIS 203	(Element 5A)
POL 100	Principles of Politics and Government (Element 5B)	3
or POL 101	Introduction to American Government

Sociology Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
SOC 131	Introductory Sociology	3
SOC 232	Social Statistics	3
SOC 235	Social Problems	3
One upper-division SOC course (300 or above)		3
Total Hours		12

These courses will count toward the B.A. Sociology degree major requirements.

Veterans Studies Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
VTS 200	Intro to Veterans Studies (Gen. Ed. E-6) (must be taken before beginning elective studies)	3
Choose from at least three of the following:		9
CDF 331	Marriage and Intimate Relationships
CDF 437	Family Stress and Resilience
ENG 386W	War & Peace in Lit Since 1900
MSL 303	American Military History
PLS 375	Terrorism/ Counterterrorism
POL 320
POL 415	Terrorism and Political Violence
PSY 308	Abnormal Psychology
PSY 320	Health Psychology
SWK 440	Addictions
WGS 304	Gender Perspectives on Contemporary Terrorism
VTS 350	Special Topics:___
Total Hours		12