2024-2025 Catalog 
    
    Dec 09, 2024  
2024-2025 Catalog

Transfer Degree General Education Requirements


The Value of a General Education

The purpose of general education is to develop individuals who have sensitivity for, and an understanding of, the world around them. Students must understand the implications of global interdependence and solve unscripted problems in order to thrive in our knowledge-based economy. A comprehensive general education will help students develop moral values, critical thinking skills and investigative queries that will prepare them well for a rapidly changing world. 

JJC has identified and assesses the following general education outcomes:

  • Oral Communication - Students will demonstrate organized and coherent oral communication.

  • Written Communication - Students will demonstrate organized and coherent written communication.

  • Quantitative Literacy - Students possess the ability to reason and solve quantitative problems from an array of contexts.

  • Applied Knowledge - Students draw from learning experiences/concepts to solve a variety of problems or challenges.

  • Cultural Literacy - Students examine cultural elements or viewpoints as they relate to a variety of individuals, groups, or ideas.

Students develop these skills and habits of mind through many college courses in addition to the ones designated in the following section as general education requirements.

Transfer Degree General Education Requirements

The transfer general education curriculum for the Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees at JJC encompasses the five categories of the Illinois Articulation Initiative General Education Core Curriculum (IAI GECC). Students who complete a prescribed set of general education courses, referred to as IAI General Education Core Curriculum (GECC), can transfer this “package” of coursework and have it accepted in lieu of a participating institution’s lower-division, general education course requirements. Additional information about IAI GECC is available at http://www.itransfer.org/IAI/gened/.

An asterisk (*) indicates that the course has a prerequisite or required placement score.

Courses designated with an “N” indicate a course that will meet a non-Western course requirement. Courses designated with a “D” indicate a course that will meet a diversity requirement.

Note: Areas of concentration are not noted on the AA or AS degree, diploma, or transcript.

 

Category I: Communication


Communication is the process of exchanging ideas and expressing one’s self in writing and speech. The complexities of today’s careers and modern life demand that individuals have acquired mastery of the basic skills in both of these areas. Completing all three courses listed below satisfies the general education core requirement.

A minimum grade of “C” is required for ENG 101 and ENG 102.

Category II: Social and Behavioral Sciences


The study of social and behavioral sciences offers students an opportunity to gain insights into the complexities of humans. The social and behavioral sciences prepare students to analyze social, political, cultural, historical and economic institutions throughout the world. Students will develop an appreciation for human behavior and their place in their society and the world.

Category III: Humanities/ Fine Arts


The study of the humanities and fine arts focuses students on what it means to be a human and the basic questions that confront all humans in their lives. Issues of beauty, courage, love, truth, justice, and morality are examined as intellectual and cultural expressions through the study of literature, language, philosophy, history and the creative and performing arts. Courses in this category reflect critical thinking through comparative writing and critical oral discussion. This category will expose students to the basic questions and substance of the humanities and fine arts and the methods used to approach these questions. A non-Western literature course is highly recommended for those in the A.A.T. in Special Education degree program.

 

Humanities


 

Category IV: Physical and Life Sciences


The study of science will enable students to develop an understanding of the methods of scientific inquiry, familiarize them with selected scientific principles from both the physical and life sciences, and enable them to make informed decisions about personal and social issues related to science. The study of science will enable students to gain an appreciation for the formation and testing of hypotheses and drawing conclusions from observed data. Category IV requires students to complete seven credit hours with one course from physical sciences and one course from life sciences with at least one being a lab course. For the Associate in Arts degree at JJC, students must complete at least one laboratory science within their seven to eight credit hours. Students may not count both BIO 149  and BIO 151 .

Life Sciences


 

Category V: Mathematics


The mathematics component of general education focuses on a basic level of numerical reasoning to provide the base for developing a quantitatively literate college graduate. Courses fulfilling this requirement emphasize the development of mathematical reasoning and problem solving in settings the college graduate will encounter. Students are required to complete one mathematics course from the list below to satisfy the requirements for the Associate in Arts degree at JJC. The Associate in Science degree requires students to complete a minimum of four credits.