Associate of Arts Degree Program at THEARC

• Overview
• Degree Requirements
• Course Descriptions

Overview

The Associate of Arts Degree in General Studies is available to specially approved students and consists of Core Requirements and an Area of Emphasis.

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 A.A. program is a 61 credit hour program (not including the Collegiate Bridge courses).  All credits earned in the A.A. program can be applied towards a Bachelor’s Degree Program at Trinity.

Associate Degree Requirements

For specific courses fulfilling the core and area requirements listed below, see Course Descriptions. Students must take courses in each of the following areas:

• Introduction to College
• Skills for Life and Work
• Understanding the Self, Society, and Nature
• Area of Emphasis (select 1 from Arts and Humanities, Business, or Social and Behavioral Sciences)
• Capstone Course

Total Credits Required for Degree: 61 credits

Course Descriptions

Introduction to College

• The Learning Experience: INT 113 Academic Achievement INT 113 Academic Achievement

  Introduces students to the concepts and practices associated with a successful college experience.
  
  Students are taught skills that will lead to self-management and self-responsibility in terms of their academic success.
  
  The course will familarize students with Trinity's policies and procedures, academic services and student services. Students will be assisted in the transition to college with emphasis placed on the adult learner. Topics covered will include: returning to college, balancing work, family and school, and managing time.
  
  In addition, the course will help students to identify different learning and teaching styles, develop critical thinking skills, and acquire effective study habits and valuable classroom skills.
  
  This course is open only to students in the Associate's degree program. Formerly known as INT 106.
  

Skills for Life & Work

• Writing – 6 credit:  ENGL 106 Writing for Academic & Profess. Success ENGL 106 Writing for Academic & Profess. Success

  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. This course is only open to students in the Associate's Degree program. No other students are allowed to register.

  and PHIL 101 Logic and Problem Solving PHIL 101 Logic and Problem Solving

  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. This course is only open to students in the Associate's Degree program. No other students are allowed to register.
  3 credits

• Communication – 6 credits: COM 101 Introduction to Comm. & Public Speaking COM 101 Introduction to Comm. & Public Speaking

  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. This course is only open to students in the Associate's Degree program. No other students are allowed to register.

  and COM 224 Cross-Cultural Communication COM 224 Cross-Cultural Communication

  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.
  
  This course is only open to students in the Associate's Degreee Program. No other students are allowed to register for this class.
  3 credits

• Numeracy – 3 credits: MATH 111 Applied Mathematical Skills MATH 111 Applied Mathematical Skills

  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.
  3 credits

• Information Literacy – 3 credits:  INT 117 Introduction to Information Literacy INT 117 Introduction to Information Literacy

  In order to be successful in both the academic and professional realm, a student must be able to discover, retrieve, evaluate, manage and communicate all forms of information. The purpose of this course is to help students learn the importance of the internet as a research tool and to enable students to evaluate the quality of information and understand how information is to be used in a way that supports critical thinking and communication of thoughts, ideas, and/or opinions. This course will also give students a clear understanding of the ethical and legal issues surrounding the use of information.
  
  This course is only open to students in the Associate's Degree program. Formerly ISYS 102.

Understanding the Self, Society & Nature

• Arts & Humanities – 6 credits: ENGL 217 Early African-American Literature ENGL 217 Early African-American Literature

  Studies African-American Literature from colonial times to the 20th century. The course will survey folklore, poetry and prose.
  3 credits
  

  , FNAR 248 Music and Culture FNAR 248 Music and Culture

  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.
  3 credits
  
  This course is only open to students in the Associate's Degree Program at THEARC. No other students are allowed to register.
  

  , HIS 250 Contemporary World History HIS 250 Contemporary World History

  Contemporary World History 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.
  3 credits

• Social Sciences – 9 credits chosen from: ECON 100 Principles of Economics ECON 100 Principles of Economics

  Introduces the basic principles of economics to students with no prior economic training and provides foundational skills for Economics 101 and Economics 102.
  3 credits
  General Education Requirement: Knowledge and Inquiry

  , POLS 102 Politics and Citizenship POLS 102 Politics and Citizenship

  Develops student understanding of current political and policy issues. Through a study of academic, newspaper, and broadcast journalism sources on American and global politics, students will learn how to conduct research, asess sources, analyze policy debates, construct written and oral arguments, and become more informed and active citizens. This course is open only to students in the Associate's Degree progam. No other students are allowed to register.
  3 credits

  , PSYC 100 Fundamentals of Psychology PSYC 100 Fundamentals of Psychology

  Introduces students to the primary concepts of psychology, and to the tools of psychologists use to study the wide variety of human behavior. Provides a general overview of the fields of psychology through lectures, readings, shsort thought papers, and interactive class activities. The course surveys several major topic areas: the biology of behavior, learning, memory, conciousness, personality, and abnormal behavior. Students will learn to critically evaluate the state of knowledge in the field, particularly as it applies to a higly diverse society as or own.

  , and SOCY 101 Social Issues SOCY 101 Social Issues

  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. This course is open only to students in the Associate's Degree program. No other students are allowed to register.
  3 credits

• Scientific Understanding – 3 credits:  ENVS 102 Science of the Environment ENVS 102 Science of the Environment

  Introduces non-science majors to evolution, earth science, and plate tectonics with an emphasis on the mid-Atlantic region. Labs include use of the scientific method, development of observational skills, computer-assisted learning, and several field trips. There is an additional laboratory fee for this course. Formerly ENV 101 Discovering Planet Earth.
  
  This course is only open to students in the Associate Degree Program.

• Religious Studies/Ethics – 6 credits: PHIL 252 Practical Ethics PHIL 252 Practical Ethics

  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. This course is open only to students in the Associate in Arts program.
  3 credits
  

  and RST 289 Comparative Religions RST 289 Comparative Religions

  This course surveys the relationship of several religious traditions of the world -- Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Raoism, 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. This course is restricted to those students enrolled in Trinity's Associate of Arts program.
  3 credits

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 skills inventory, students will be placed either in college-level courses or collegiate bridge classes. All collegiate bridge coursework must be completed within the first 24 credit hours of enrollment. 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.

Bridge level courses include:
MATH 030 Pre-Algebra MATH 030 Pre-Algebra

Designed for students with little or no high school algebra, or those who have not taken high school algebra in a number of years. Provides a comprehensive overview of basic computational skills and their applications, such as fractions, decimals, ratios and proportions, percentages, measurement, and an introduction to algebra. This course may not be taken pass/fail. This course is only open to students in the AA program. Students must achieve a minimum C grade to proceed to the next level of pre-foundational Math.
3 credits
Prerequisite: Score of up to and including 69 on the Arithmetic portion and 40 on the Algebra portion of the Accuplacer test.

MATH 060 Elementary Algebra MATH 060 Elementary Algebra

The course will cover ratios, percentages, integers, introduction to algebraic expression and solving basic equations. The course is open only to students in the Associate's Degree program. This course may not be taken pass/fail. Students must achieve a minimum C grade to proceed to the next level of pre-foundational math.
3 credits.
Prerequisite: Students must score a 70 or higher on the Arithmetic portion and 40 or lower on the Algebra portion of the Accuplacer

ENGL 030 Fundamental Writing Skills ENGL 030 Fundamental Writing Skills

Designed to help students acquire skills necessary to write effective paragraphs. Focuses on sentences and paragraph construction, the writing process, grammar, usage, and mechanics. Students may not take this course pass/fail. Students must achieve a minimum grade of C to proceed to the next level of pre-foundational English.
3 credits
Prerequisite: Score of up to and including 56 on Sentence Skills portion of Accuplacer Test.

ENGL 060 Composition Skill ENGL 060 Composition Skill

Focuses on writing clear, effective compositions. Students will learn how to construct paragraphs, how to state topics, and how to develop narratives and analyses. This course may not be taken pass/fail. This course is only open to students in the Associate's degree program.
3 credits
Prerequisite: Grade of C or higher in ENGL 030 OR score of 57 or higher on Sentence Skills portion and score of 7 or 8 on Writing portion of Accuplacer test.

Areas of Emphasis
The area of emphasis serves as the basis for a major or minor in a Bachelor’s Degree Program. Three areas of emphasis are currently offered for the A.A. program: Arts and Humanities, Business, or Social and Behavioral Sciences.  Students will select one area of emphasis in which they will complete additional credits, as noted below:

Arts and Humanities (choose from):
ENGL 218 Introduction to African American Literature I ENGL 218 Introduction to African American Literature I

Familiarizes students with African American literature from its earliest expressions in the United States through the 19th century. Formerly ENG 254 Introduction to African American Literature I.
3 credits

FNAR 223 Cities, People, and Architecture FNAR 223 Cities, People, and Architecture

Explores the relationship between urban spaces and the people who live there. Urban planning and architectural history will be discussed in relation to concepts of aesthetics and functionality. Historical examples will be used, but the main focus will be modern cites and buildings. Formerly ART 213 Cities, People, and Architecture.
3 credits
FLC Area II

LST 100 Humanity and Culture LST 100 Humanity and Culture

This introductory seminar is designed to help students appreciate both the diversity of world cultures and commonality of human experience and to understand how both of these realities are reflected in cultural expression, myth and principles.

POLS 274 Politics, Literature, and Film POLS 274 Politics, Literature, and Film

The course explores various themes in politics as they are presented in both literature and film. Academic materials will be integrated with excerpts from novels, short stories, poetry, film, and television. Some topics examined will be: democracy, social inequality, justice, citizenship, and oppression.This course is only open to students in the Associate's Degree program.
3 credits

RST 245 Religion and Money RST 245 Religion and Money

Considers the relationship between religion and economics and how each shapes the other. The course also looks at the significance of money in contemporary society and examines Christian teaching about money and economic justice. 
3 credits
FLC Area III

Business (choose from):
BADM 101 Introduction to Business BADM 101 Introduction to Business

This course provides students with an overview of the core functions and operations of business organizations. Topics discussed include forms of business ownership, research and development, marketing, finance, accounting, production, materials management, and human resource management. Formerly BUA 105 Introduction to Business.
3 credits

BADM 231 Theory and Practice of Marketing BADM 231 Theory and Practice of Marketing

Addresses the principles and processes in the marketing of consumer goods and services and the organizational and environmental variables that have to be managed in order to be successful. Course materials focus on the essential components of the marketing mix, including product development, distribution, pricing policies, and promotional strategies. Formerly MKT 221 Theory and Practice of Marketing.
3 credits

BADM 251 Management and Leadership Development BADM 251 Management and Leadership Development

Discusses the principles, concepts, and practice of management. Through participation in experiential exercises such as simulations, role-playing, and team activities, students learn how to be more effective managers and leaders, with a focus on personal awareness and growth and on building effective working relationships. Formerly MGT 200 Principles of Management and MGT 254 Management and Leadership Development.
3 credits

SOCY 241 Work and Occupations SOCY 241 Work and Occupations

Studies the world of work from a sociological perspective. This course traces the historical development of work in industrial society and examines the modern American workplace. Topics include occupational stratification, the relationship of work to the

Social and Behavioral Sciences (choose from):
BADM 251 Management and Leadership Development BADM 251 Management and Leadership Development

Discusses the principles, concepts, and practice of management. Through participation in experiential exercises such as simulations, role-playing, and team activities, students learn how to be more effective managers and leaders, with a focus on personal awareness and growth and on building effective working relationships. Formerly MGT 200 Principles of Management and MGT 254 Management and Leadership Development.
3 credits

FNAR 223 Cities, People, and Architecture FNAR 223 Cities, People, and Architecture

Explores the relationship between urban spaces and the people who live there. Urban planning and architectural history will be discussed in relation to concepts of aesthetics and functionality. Historical examples will be used, but the main focus will be modern cites and buildings. Formerly ART 213 Cities, People, and Architecture.
3 credits
FLC Area II

HUMR 212 Introduction to Counseling for the Helping Professions HUMR 212 Introduction to Counseling for the Helping Professions

Explores the role of counseling in the helping professions. Surveys history, philosophy and theories of counseling, including an overview of methods and techniques. Possible topics include introductions to individual, group, community, marriage, family, grief, substance abuse, academic, employee, and vocational counseling. Also considers the implications of current economic and social climates on the practice and efficacy of counseling in the helping professions.
3 credits
Prerequisite: PSYC 101 or SOCY 100 (both are recommended)

POLS 274 Politics, Literature, and Film POLS 274 Politics, Literature, and Film

The course explores various themes in politics as they are presented in both literature and film. Academic materials will be integrated with excerpts from novels, short stories, poetry, film, and television. Some topics examined will be: democracy, social inequality, justice, citizenship, and oppression.This course is only open to students in the Associate's Degree program.
3 credits

PSYC 210 Theories of Social Psychology PSYC 210 Theories of Social Psychology

This course will study the influence of others, real or imagined, on an individual's thoughts, emotions, and actions. Topics covered will include social perception and social influence in the context of leadership, conformity, persuasion, aggression, altruism. The course will expose students to theories of social interaction that will be useful in both their academic and career development.
This course is only open to students in the Associate's Degree Program.
3 credits

Capstone Learning Experience: INT 290 Capstone Project INT 290 Capstone Project

The capstone course allows students an opportunity to create a body of work which will show that they have met the goals of the Associate Degree Program.

Specific student goals include: preparedness to metriculate to a Trinity Bachelor's Degree program; acquisition of core skills in quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, problem solving, technological literacy, and communication; an appreciation of the interrelatedness of knowledge from various academic disciplines, and an understanding of how the program goals will assist students in becoming ethical, engaged citizens as well as successful professionals.

This course is open only to students in the Associate's degree program.

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 the program of study. Capstone courses require a grade of C or better for graduation.