Reedley College Catalog 2018-19

34 Certificate and Degree Requirements 2018-2019 Catalog General Education for the AA/AS Degree General Education course work is intended to complement a concentrated study in a single discipline or “major.” It should provide a broad base of educational experience about aspects of the world which a major area of study may not include. The student who completes the general education requirements at Reedley College will have made noteworthy progress towards becoming truly educated and prepared for a lifetime of learning. Following are the major areas of General Education: NATURAL SCIENCES Courses in the natural sciences are those which examine the physical universe, its life forms and its natural phenomena. To satisfy the general education requirement in natural sciences, a course should help the student develop an appreciation and understanding of the scientific method through direct experience and encourage an understanding of the relationships between science and other human activities. This category would include introductory or integrative courses in astronomy, biology, chemistry, general physical science, geology, meteorology, oceanography, physics and other scientific disciplines. SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES Courses in the social and behavioral sciences are those which focus on people as members of society. To satisfy the general education requirement in social and behavioral sciences, a course should help the student develop an awareness of the method of inquiry used by the social and behavioral sciences. It should stimulate critical thinking about the ways people act and have acted in response to their societies and how their actions in turn change their society. It should also promote appreciation of how societies and social subgroups operate. This category would include introductory or integrative survey courses in anthropology, economics, history, political science, psychology, sociology and related disciplines. HUMANITIES Courses in the humanities examine the philosophical, literary, aesthetic, and cultural expressions of humans. These courses develop an awareness of the ways in which people throughout the ages and in different cultures have responded to themselves and the world around them through artistic and cultural creation. They develop aesthetic understanding and, through study of traditional and changing cultural perspectives, foster better informed value judgments. These courses also offer students the opportunity to explore their creativity and imagination and to move consciously towards an awareness of their capability for artistic self-expression. This category will include art history, literature and film, philosophy and morality, comparative religion, the fine and performing arts and language. When we ask who we are, and what our lives ought to mean, we are using the humanities. LANGUAGE AND RATIONALITY Courses in language and rationality are those which develop for the student principles and applications of language that lead to logical thought, clear and precise expression, and critical evaluation of communication in any endeavor. 1. English Composition: Courses fulfilling this requirement include both expository and argumentative writing. 2. Communication and Analy tical Thinking: Courses fulfilling these requirements include oral communication, mathematics, logic, statistics, computer language and programming, and related disciplines. MULTIPLE DEGREES Effective with the fall 2017 semester, a student may earn more than one AA and/or AS degree from Reedley College. The same AA and/or AS degree cannot be awarded from more than one college in the district. Please see a counselor for more information. REQUIREMENTS FOR AA AND AS DEGREES 1. Sixty (60) units with at least 2.0 (“C”) grade point average in all courses applicable to the associate degree. 2. Residence requirements: (a) A minimum of twelve (12) degree-applicable units satisfactorily completed in residence at district colleges or centers, with attendance during the last semester prior to graduation,or (b) A total of forty-five (45) degree-applicable units satisfactorily completed in residence at district colleges or centers if not in attendance during the last semester prior to graduation. 3. At least eighteen (18) units in a single discipline or related disciplines (major) or in an approved area of emphasis. Each course applied to this major requirement must be completed with a grade of “C” or better or a “P.” 4. Competence in writing, demonstrated by completion of English 1A or English 1AH with a grade of 2.0, “C,” or better. 5. Competence in reading, demonstrated by (a)Meeting the reading requirement for English 1A, 1AH, eligibility by an appropriate placement test score or (b) Completion of English 126 * or 128* with a grade of 2.0, “C,” or better. *Students who complete English 125 and English 126 or 128 or 132 may apply no more than 4 units earned in these courses to the associate degree. 6. Competence in oral communication, demonstrated by the completion of Communication 1, 1H, 2, 4, 8, or 25 with a grade of 2.0, “C,” or better. (The course used to fulfill this requirement may also be used to satisfy area D, Part 2, of the general education requirement in language and rationality: communication/analytical thinking.)