General Studies
Associate of Arts
Transfer Major
Decisions on the transferability of courses are made by the four-year colleges and differ from school to school. Students enrolled in this major should contact the Transfer Services Office early in their academic program to determine which courses will transfer to the college and four-year program of their choice.
School of Language & Literature
Grupp 201 • Phone (215) 968-8150
Curriculum Code No. 1209
PLEASE NOTE: Students who are “undecided” about a major should be in the Guided Studies major, not the General Studies major. The Guided Studies major is designed to help students explore their interests and find their path while earning credits and starting course sequences needed for the 2-year and/or 4-year major degree they eventually declare. In contrast, the General Studies major requires students to complete a broad range of courses, and they might amass
The General Studies major provides students with courses in a variety of subjects to create a general body of academic knowledge and skills at a college level. Students who complete the first year of the suggested sequence can also receive the General Education Certificate; of course, they can also earn this certificate if they complete its required courses out of sequence. The first year of the General Studies curriculum largely follows the guidelines of the transfer framework for participating Pennsylvania 4-year schools, as approved by the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Oversight Committee (TAOC). The second year of the curriculum requires students to take additional courses in Bucks’s General Education Program to complete our General Education program and form a well-rounded Associate of Arts degree. In addition, they are required to take 21 elective college-level course credits, thus offering them more choices to pursue their individual interests.
Graduates of this program are able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of human intellectual heritage and/or creative expression;
- read critically, analyze and interpret information, and construct logical, well-supported positions;
- demonstrate an understanding of diverse human perspectives in local, national, or global contexts;
- find, evaluate, and ethically use information in a variety of formats for a variety of purposes;
- communicate effectively through speech;
- demonstrate and apply quantitative reasoning;
- demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning;
- demonstrate an understanding of human behavior and/or the relationships of people within societies;
- demonstrate technological competence within the context of the major; and
- communicate effectively through writing.
Degree Course Requirements
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| CISC100 Digital Literacy 9 | 3 |
| OR | |
| CISC110 Introduction to Information Systems A,B,9 | 3 |
| OR | |
| CISC115 Computer Science I A,B,9 | 3-4 |
| COLL101 Orientation to College | 1 |
| COMM110 Effective Speaking A,B,4,5 | 3 |
| COMP110 English Composition I A,B,2,10 | 3 |
| COMP111 English Composition II A,B,2,10 | 3 |
| GUID101 Introduction to Guided Studies | 1 |
| Arts and Humanities H,1 | 6 |
| Diversity I,3 | 3 |
| Mathematics A,C,6 | 3-4 |
| Natural Science with Lab A,B,D,7 | 4 |
| Social and Behavioral Science E,8 | 3 |
| Social Sciences G,8 | 3 |
| Social Studies F | 3 |
| General Electives to complete the 60-credit program J | 21 |
| Total Credit Hours | 60-62 |
Recommended Semester Sequence
The recommended course sequence is designed for full-time students who average 15 credit hours per semester. Students may need more time to complete major requirements based on placement testing. This additional time will entail some adjustments to the sequence recommended.
First Semester
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| COLL101 Orientation to College | 1 |
| GUID101 Introduction to Guided Studies | 1 |
| COMP110 English Composition I A,B,2,10 | 3 |
| Arts and Humanities H,1 | 3 |
| Mathematics A,C,6 | 3-4 |
| Social and Behavioral Science E,8 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 14-15 |
Second Semester
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| CISC100 Digital Literacy 9 | 3 |
| OR | |
| CISC110 Introduction to Information Systems A,B,9 | 3 |
| OR | |
| CISC115 Computer Science I A,B,9 | 3-4 |
| COMM110 Effective Speaking A,B,4,5 | 3 |
| Arts and Humanities H,1 | 3 |
| Natural Science with Lab A,B,D,7 | 4 |
| Social Studies F | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 16-17 |
Third Semester
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| COMP111 English Composition II A,B,2,10 | 3 |
| Diversity I,3 | 3 |
| General Electives J | 9 |
| Total Credit Hours | 12 |
Fourth Semester
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| Social Sciences G,8 | 3 |
| General Electives J | 15 |
| Total Credit Hours | 18 |
A Placement testing required.
B Course requires prerequisite or co-requisite required.
C Choose from among the following TAOC-approved courses that are also Bucks General Education courses: MATH101, MATH115, MATH120, MATH125, MATH140.
D Choose from among the following TAOC-approved courses that are also Bucks General Education courses: BIOL101, BIOL181, CHEM101, CHEM121, PHYS106, PHYS121, SCIE103, SCIE 104, SCIE105.
E Choose from among the following TAOC-approved courses that are also Bucks Social Science General Education courses: ECON111, POLI111, PSYC110, SOCI110, SOCI120
F Choose from among the following options: ECON111, ECON112, HIST111, HIST112, HIST151, HIST152, POLI111, PSYC110, PSYC180, PSYC190, SOCI110, SOCI120, or SOCI140.
G Consult the list of courses approved for Social Sciences. Any course may be chosen.
H Choose from among the following TAOC-approved courses that are also Bucks General Education courses: COMT101, FREN110, FREN111, GRMN110, GRMN111, ITAL110, ITAL111, JPNS101, JPNS102, LITR254, LITR255, LITR261, MUSC101, MUSC103, MUSC106, MUSC124, PHIL125, SPAN110, SPAN111, VACV142, VAFA100, VAFA107, VAFA111, VAFA141, VAFA160, VAFA161, VAFA171, VAFA181, VAFA191, VAFA192, VAFA193, VAFA194, VAPH110, VAPH151, VAPH196.
I Consult the list of courses approved for Diversity. Any course may be chosen.
J Any college-level course may be chosen.
1 Satisfies Arts/Humanities
2 Satisfies Critical Thinking
3 Satisfies Cultural Competency
4 Satisfies Information Literacy
5 Satisfies Oral Communication
6 Satisfies Quantitative Literacy
7 Satisfies Scientific Literacy
8 Satisfies Social Sciences
9 Satisfies Technological Competence
10 Satisfies Writing