West Shore Community College Catalog 2017-2018 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
West Shore Community College Catalog 2017-2018 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

General Education Courses


General education courses are included in every program of study, regardless of major or “emphasis,” such as accounting, biology, early childhood education, history, marketing, or psychology. Often shorted to “gen ed,” these courses explore different modes of knowing and reasoning about the world and include examination of nature, mathematics, science, cultures, the arts, history, the human mind, and the ability to express ideas about these fields in conversation and in writing.

General education courses form a core of every program because advisory members, whether they are hiring for profit‐making businesses, non-profit organizations, or government agencies, report that they seek to hire people who can express themselves well, think critically, persevere when there are difficulties, work as a team members, and present themselves professionally. The gen ed courses are designed to also develop these skills and attributes. These courses are listed below.

Gen Ed Courses for AA and AS Degrees while also fulfilling MTA

Students taking WSCC’s general education courses choose 1 course from each of the categories; these courses will automatically fulfill the MTA.

AA or AS Gen Ed: 38‐40 credits

Gen Ed Courses for AAAS Degree

AAAS degrees at West Shore require students to complete 6 gen ed courses. Students should review their program of study as individual programs may identify specific courses. The AAAS degree does not qualify students for the MTA, which assists students in transferring to 4‐year schools in order to complete a bachelor’s degree. Those who anticipate transferring at some point in the future should consider completing the MTA while they are at WSCC. Contact an advisor if you are interested in completing both the AAAS and the MTA.

AAAS Gen Ed: 18‐19 credits

Gen Ed Courses for MTA Only

The Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) includes 9 general education courses (at least 30 credit hours).

Business Electives

The courses listed may be selected where “Business Elective” is indicated in Business Programs of Study, such as Accounting, Computers for Business (AAAS degree and certificate), Marketing/Management (AAAS degree and certificate), and Office Information Systems (AAAS degree).


Here is a more detailed look at the different sets of general education courses that students are required to take.

AA and AS General Education Courses

AAAS General Education Courses

MTA

The MTA is a 30 or more credit hour block of general education courses. (See Michigan Transfer Agreement .)