Program Guide: Associate of Arts Degree in General Studies
Program Director
Candice Washington
Director of Community Learning Programs
washingtonc@trinitydc.edu
(202) 884-9302
Quicklist of required courses
Printable list of required courses with course descriptions.
Program Description
The Associate of Arts Degree in General Studies consists of Core Requirement and an Area of Emphasis courses.
Based on a Skills Inventory, students may also be asked to take Collegiate Bridge Courses. These courses help prepare students for college level work in both Math and English
The AA program is a 61 credit hour program, (not including the Collegiate Bridge courses.) All credits earned in the AA program can be transferred towards a Bachelor's Degree Program at Trinity.
Required Core Classes
All students must complete 43 credit hours of required courses, also known as the Core Requirements. It recommended that students complete these courses prior to the Area of Emphasis Courses.
The College Experience
Skills for Work and Life
Writing
- ENGL 106 Writing for Academic & Professional Success - 3 credit hours
- PHIL 101 Logic & Problem Solving - 3 credit hours
Communication
- COM 101 Introduction to Communication & Public Speaking - 3 credit hours
- COM 224 Cross-Cultural Communication - 3 credit hours
Mathematics
Information Literacy
Understanding the Self, Society, and Nature
Arts and Humanities (select 2)
- FNAR 248 Music & Culture - 3 credit hours
- HIS 250 Contemporary World History - 3 credit hours
- ENGL 210 World Literature - 3 credit hours
Social Sciences (select 3)
- PSYC 100 Foundations of Psychology - 3 credit hours
- POLS 102 Politics and Citizenship - 3 credit hours
- ECON 100 Introduction to Economics - 3 credit hours
- SOCY 101 Social Issues - 3 credit hours
Scientific Understanding
Religious Studies / Ethics
Capstone Learning Experience
Area of Emphasis
Students are to select one (1) Area of Emphasis, either Social & Behavioral Sciences, or Arts & Humanities. An Area of Emphasis consists of an additional 12 credit hours. Students will take 100- and/or 200-level courses in various disciplines.
Business (Select 4)
- BADM 100 Introduction to Business - 3 credits
- BADM 230 Marketing Theory and Practice - 3 credits
- BADM 250 Principles of Management and Leadership - 3 credits
- SOCY 240 Work and Society - 3 credits
- Marketing ThEconomics
- International Affairs
Social & Behavioral Sciences (Select 4)
- Economics
- International Affairs
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Sociology
Arts & Humanities (Select 4)
- English
- Fine Arts
- History
- Language and Cultural Studies
- Philosophy
- Religious Studies and Theology
Collegiate Bridge Courses
All students must demonstrate or develop fundamental academic competencies at the beginning of their studies for the A.A. degree. Incoming students will take skills inventories in reading, composition, and mathematics. The purpose of the skills inventory is to promote student success by placing students in classes appropriate to their skill level.
Based on the results of the Skills Inventory, students will be placed either in college-level Math and English courses or Collegiate Bridge courses. Collegiate Bridge Courses are designed to help students develop fundamental skills necessary to succeed in college level courses.
Students taking collegiate bridge classes receive credit upon successful completion of the courses. Students who place out of collegiate bridge classes take the college-level courses.
All collegiate bridge coursework must be completed within the first 24 credit hours of enrollment .
Collegiate Bridge Math Courses
Collegiate Bridge English Courses
Course Descriptions
Core Courses
COM 101 Introduction to Interpersonal Communication & Public Speaking - 3 credits
Studies principles of communication, with an emphasis on developing the skills needed to communicate effectively in personal and professional relationships, and in informative and persuasive public speaking contexts.
COM 224 Cross-Cultural Communication - 3 credits
Cross-cultural Communication examines basic principles of communication in multi-cultural contexts. Students will analyze the impact of cultural assumptions and values on understanding and communication between individuals and among communities.
ECON 100 Introduction to Economics - 3 credits
Introduces the discipline of economics. The course develops students' understanding of how economic analysis can be used to study social problems and issues. Topics include supply and demand, comparative advantage, inflation, unemployment, economic growth, money and the banking system.
ENGL 106 Writing for Academic and Professional Success - 3 credits
Focuses on planning, writing, and revising compositions for academic and professional purposes, including informational, analytical, evaluative, and persuasive compositions. Develops skills in accessing, evaluating, using, and documenting informational sources. Introduces students to professional writing applications, including memos, resumes, and reports
ENGL 210 World Literature - 3 credits
Introduces students to a variety of literary works from throughout the world. The course will focus on twentieth-century literature, with an emphasis on non-western works. Students will examine the works both within their cultural contexts, and in relationship to universal themes that transcend cultural boundaries. The course develops analytical and comparative skills while introducing students to a wide variety of interesting world literatures.
ENVS 102 The Science of Planet Earth - 4 credits
An introduction to evolution, earth science, and plate tectonics for the non-science major. The course will pay special attention to the mid-Atlantic region. Labs include use of the scientific method, development of observational skills, computer-assisted learning, and some field trips. (Please note: This class is always offered on Saturdays.)
FNAR 248 Music and Culture - 3 credits
Surveys global music, examining the relationship between music and culture in both western and non-western music. Formal musical traditions, popular culture music, and folk music will all be included. Students will develop listening skills as well as an appreciation for the music of diverse cultures.
HIS 250 Contemporary World History - 3 credits
Examines major forces that have shaped the world since 1945, including nationalism, revolution, democratization, globalization, ethnic and racial conflict, and technological transformation and the information revolution.
INT 106 Academic Achievement - 3 credits
Introduces students to the concepts and practices associated with successful learning. The seminar is paired with a required general education course. Students take both classes in the same semester, and the content and course work are linked, creating a learning community that ties together students, faculty, academic resources, and ideas. The learning community provides extensive intellectual interaction between students and faculty, and encourages students to develop collaborative relationships with their classmates, thus building their skills and confidence.
ISYS 102 Introduction to Computers and Internet Research - 3 credits
Develops skills in computer applications for business and professional use, including searching for information on the web, word processing, manipulating spreadsheets, and designing power point presentations.
MATH 111 Applied Mathematical Skills - 3 credits
Covers basic algebra with an emphasis on problem solving skills; elementary mathematical modeling, focusing on applications to real world phenomena; probability theory and applications; and introduction to the use of statistics to describe and analyze data.
PHIL 101 Logic and Problem Solving - 3 credits
Develops skills in reasoning and use of logic to assess arguments. Provides tools for creative and critical thinking. Emphasizes the enhancement of decision-making and problem-solving capabilities.
PHIL 252 Practical Ethics - 3 credits
Develops students' abilities to handle problematic ethical situations in their lives and work, and to come up with constructive responses to ethical dilemmas. The course will build skills in respectful, open dialogue about values and ethics. It will also increase students' awareness of and responsiveness to diverse values, including an understanding of tensions between values as well as the importance of seeking common ethical ground.
POLS 102 Politics and Citizenship - 3 credits
Develops student understanding of current political and policy issues. Through study of academic, newspaper, and broadcast journalism sources on American and global politics, students will learn how to conduct research, assess sources, analyze policy debates, construct written and oral arguments, and become more informed and active citizens.
PSYC 100 Foundations of Psychology - 3 credits
Focuses on analysis of human behavior, including the study of motivation, emotion, stress and coping, perception, learning, and memory.
SOCY 101 Social Issues - 3 credits
Examines contemporary social issues in the United States using current sociological approaches and theories. Topics include poverty, racism and sexual discrimination, health care, aging, violence, family and community structures, and substance abuse.
RST 289 Comparative Religions - 3 credits
This course surveys the relationship of several religious traditions of the world—Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity and Islam, concentrating on their development, belief systems, and practices of today. Special emphasis will be placed on their differences as well as similarities.
Area of Emphasis Descriptions
An area of emphasis gives a student the opportunity to explore several academic fields. The area of emphasis also serves as preparation for a major or minor in a Bachelor's Degree program on Trinity's Main Campus. Three areas of emphasis are offered for the A.A.: Business, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Arts and Humanities.
Business
Four courses chosen from the 100- and 200-level courses in:
- Business - 3 credits (3 available courses)
- Economics - 3 credits
- International Affairs - 3 credits
Arts and Humanities
Four courses chosen from the 100- and 200-level courses in:
- English - 3 credits
- Fine Arts - 3 credits
- History - 3 credits
- Language and Cultural Studies - 3 credits
- Philosophy - 3 credits
- Religious Studies and Theology - 3 credits
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Four courses chosen from the 100- and 200-level courses in:
- Economics - 3 credits
- International Affairs - 3 credits
- Political Science - 3 credits
- Psychology - 3 credits
- Sociology - 3 credits
Capstone learning experience – 3 Credit hours
During their final semester, students will enroll in a capstone course in their area of emphasis. The capstone course will review and assess the skills a student has learned in his or her program of study. Capstone courses require a grade of C or better for graduation.
- Capstone in Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Capstone in Arts and Humanities
Collegiate Bridge Course Descriptions
MATH 030 Pre-Algebra - 3 credits
Operations and applications of whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and mixed numbers. MATH 030 requires a grade of D for a student to move to the next level.
MATH 060 Elementary Algebra - 3 credits
Ratios, percentages, integers, introduction to algebraic expression and solving basic equations. MATH 060 requires a grade of D for a student to move to the next level.
ENG 030 Fundamental Writing Skills - 3 credits
Sentence and paragraph structure and development; grammar, usage and punctuation. ENGL 030 requires a grade of C for a student to move to the next level.
ENG 060: Composition Skills - 3 credits
Formal essay development: paragraph structure, stating and elaborating a thesis. ENGL 060 requires a grade of C for a student to move to the next level.