Associate in Arts (General Studies)

General Education Philosophy:
The mission of Florida SouthWestern State College's General Education Program is to provide students with trans-disciplinary learning experiences that empower them to be active, informed and ethical citizens. Our innovative curriculum promotes collaboration and communication in diverse settings, encourages greater understanding of the relationship between individuals and their natural surroundings and cultivates intellectual curiosity that leads to independent research, creative problem-solving and meaningful engagement with the global community. We provide the framework for students to acquire both discipline-specific professional skills necessary to make a living and a broad spectrum of skills in critical, creative and scientific problem-solving that will allow them to contribute in multiple real world settings.

General Education Core Courses
General Education Core courses differ from traditional survey courses by integrating a breadth of knowledge and skills essential to a complete education and are the foundation of knowledge upon which all degrees are built.

General Education Competencies:
General Education courses must meet at least four out of the five following outcomes. All other courses will meet one or more of these outcome.:

Communicate clearly in a variety of modes and media
Research and examine academic and non-academic information, resources, and evidence
Evaluate and utilize mathematical principles, technology, scientific and quantitative data
Analyze and create individual and collaborative works of art, literature, and performance
Think critically about questions to yield meaning and value
Investigate and engage in the trans-disciplinary applications of research, learning, and knowledge
Visualize and engage the world from different historical, social, religious, and cultural approaches
Engage meanings of active citizenship in one's community, nation, and the world
Associate in Arts students must follow the General Education guide below in planning required courses. This guide complies with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ (SACS) Core Requirement 2.7.3 which requires a course distribution in humanities/fine arts, social/behavioral sciences, natural sciences/mathematics; Florida Statute 1007.25(3) which requires the core curriculum to include the subject areas of communication, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences; Rules of the Florida State Board of Education, which require six credits of mathematics and twelve credits (four courses) in which writing is heavily emphasized. Additionally, the mathematics and writing courses must be passed with a “C” or better.

An Associate in Arts degree shall require no more than 60 semester hours of college credit, including 36 semester hours of General Education coursework. Except for college-preparatory coursework, all required coursework shall count toward the Associate in Arts degree or the baccalaureate degree.