General Education Requirements (35 Credits)
Specific recommendations for fulfilling the general education requirements in each category are provided in the degree plan for the general curriculum and each specialization.
Note: Any course that may be applied toward a general education requirement is considered a general education elective. Credit applied to general education requirements may not be applied toward major, minor, or elective requirements. Courses applied to general education requirements may not be taken pass/fail.
A. Communications (6 Credits)
- WRTG 111 or another writing course (3 credits)
All 3-credit WRTG courses (except WRTG 288, WRTG 388, WRTG 486A or WRTG 486B); Comm 390 and Comm 492; ENGL 102; and JOUR 201 apply. - WRTG 112 (3 credits)
Must be completed with a grade of C– or better within first 24 credits. May not be earned through Prior Learning (Portfolio or Course Challenge) assessment.
Note: No more than 3 credits of writing may be earned through credit by examination.
B. Mathematics (3 Credits)
- MATH 105, MATH 107, MATH 115, MATH 140, STAT 200, or a mathematics course approved by the department.
Must be completed within the first 24 credits. Prerequisites must be fulfilled before taking MATH 108, MATH 140, or any higher-numbered MATH or STAT courses.
Note: Check individual curricula for the recommended math courses.
C. Arts and Humanities (6 Credits)
- Two 3-credit courses chosen from the following disciplines: ARTH, ARTT, ASTD (depending on course content), ENGL (except ENGL 281 and ENGL 384), GRCO, HIST, HUMN, MUSC, PHIL, THET, dance, literature, or foreign language.
D. Behavioral and Social Sciences (6 Credits)
- Two 3-credit courses chosen from the following disciplines: AASP (AASP 201 only), ANTH, ASTD (depending on course content), BEHS, CCJS (CCJS 100, CCJS 105, CCJS 350, CCJS 360, and CCJS 461 only), ECON, GEOG, GERO (except GERO 342 and GERO 351), GVPT, PSYC, SOCY, or WMST (WMST 200 only).
E. Biological and Physical Sciences (7 Credits)
- A science lecture course (3 credits) with related laboratory course (1 credit) or a science course combining lecture and laboratory (4 credits).
- Any other science course (3 credits).
Note: Courses from the following disciplines may satisfy both requirements: ASTR, BIOL, CHEM, GEOL, NSCI, NUTR, or PHYS. Science courses in other disciplines may apply.
F. Research and Computing Literacy (7 Credits)
- Professional exploration course (3 credits) PACE 111B, PACE 111C, PACE 111M, PACE 111P, PACE 111S, and PACE 111T apply. To be taken as first course, when possible.
- Research skills and professional development course (1 credit) LIBS 150, CAPL 398A, and any general education course apply.
- Computing or information technology course (3 credits) One 3-credit or three 1-credit courses selected from IFSM 201, DATA 200, or courses designated CMIS, CMIT, CMSC, CMST, CSIA, IFSM, and SDEV apply.
UMGC Europe offers programs of study leading to a UMGC associate degree. All requirements noted for the Associate of Arts degree (AA) degree involve lower-level courses, although appropriate upper-level courses may be substituted. You should consult with a UMGC academic advisor at your local education center about programs offered in your community and to chart your degree plan to ensure you meet the necessary requirements.
Expectations
Within the associate degree, a UMGC degree incorporates core competencies that build toward and support both the associate and bachelor’s degrees. The following essential core competencies are emphasized across all programs:
- Effective writing and oral communication
- The use of information technology
- Information literacy
- Mathematical and quantitative reasoning
- Critical analysis, critical reasoning, and problem solving
- Understanding of key concepts and principles of natural, social, and behavioral sciences
UMGC conducts learning outcomes assessments to measure and improve your learning in these general education areas.
Requirements
Continuous Enrollment
In general, the UMGC degree requirements that apply to you are those that were in effect when you completed the first credit-bearing course in a given program at UMGC. If you cease to be continuously enrolled, the program requirements that apply to you are those in effect at UMGC when you return to UMGC and enroll in a credit-bearing course for the program you wish to pursue at that time.
To be considered continuously enrolled, you must have had no more than two sequential years of nonenrollment. After two years of nonenrollment, you must apply for admission to resume enrollment.
If you change your degree program while continuously enrolled, then the program requirements that apply to you are those in effect at the time you enroll in the first required course for that program. Previously completed coursework may not apply to the new requirements.
Information about the catalog year that applies to you is provided in the MyUMGC student portal.
The following requirements for the Associate of Arts (AA) are applicable to students who begin continuous enrollment on or after 1 August 2022.
Overall Requirements
The Associate of Arts degree requires the completion of a minimum of 60 credits, at least 15 of which (normally the final 15) must be taken through UMGC. Of these 60 credits, 35 credits must be earned in courses that fulfill the general education requirements listed on the following page. The remaining 25 credits must satisfy the requirements of the curriculum you select.
In addition to the general education requirements and elective requirements, the overall requirements listed below pertain to all associate degrees.
- You must be admitted as an undergraduate UMGC student.
- You must complete a minimum of 60 credits.
- You must complete all general education requirements listed, including PACE 111 Professional and Career Exploration as your first course at UMGC, when possible. If you have 45 or more credits, you may be eligible to take PACE 100 Professional and Career Exploration for Transfer Students, which provides a condensed orientation to UMGC.
- You must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 (C) overall in all courses taken through UMGC.
Curriculum Requirements (25 Credits)
You may choose a general curriculum or a specialized curriculum and must take 25 credits of coursework within your chosen curriculum. For the specialized curricula, at least 9 credits in core or core‑related coursework for the chosen curriculum must be earned through UMGC.
You must earn a grade of C or higher in all core or core-related curriculum courses and at least half the credits earned within a specialized curriculum must be through graded coursework.
The Associate of Arts degree requires the completion of a minimum of 60 credits, at least 15 of which must be taken with UMGC. Of the 60 credits, 35 must be earned in courses that fulfill the general education requirements listed below. The remaining 25 credits must satisfy the requirements of the curriculum you select.
You should complete one associate degree before applying for another. If you anticipate seeking a bachelor's degree, you should select courses that will advance that goal.