Moraine Valley Community College students now have more flexibility when choosing classes while earning a new Associate in General Studies (AGS) degree, which allows for 41 hours of elective courses and 21 hours of general education courses. Students can graduate with this degree beginning in December.
The general studies option will benefit students who have nontraditional educational goals such as transferring to schools that have an atypical general education core such as the University of Illinois at Chicago, completing career certificates that don’t have a degree option such as welding and medical assistant, earning an associate degree credential to remain in their position at work or get promoted, or taking classes for personal enrichment. Others who will benefit are veterans who have too many elective credits unrelated to their major and those wishing to study a variety of fields. This degree is not for students who want to earn a traditional transfer degree.
“Say someone is really interested in photography and wants to open their own business. With this degree, they can take photography courses, business courses, marketing courses, or anything else they think will help them open their business,” said Rick Sand, Advising resource coordinator at Moraine Valley.
The Associate in General Studies degree can contribute to the number of overall degrees awarded if students apply for it concurrently with other degrees and certificates they have earned. The college also can give it to former students who earned 62 or more credit hours but did not complete a degree program. Moraine Valley will reach out to students who already have earned some credits and want to return to Moraine Valley to complete the AGS degree.
For more information on the Associate in General Studies degree, visit the Academic Advising Center in Building S, Room S202.
For news media inquiries, call Jessica Crotty, College and Community Relations coordinator, at (708) 974-5281, or e-mail her at crotty@morainevalley.edu.
