The General Studies degree plans are designed to be flexible. Both are constructed around the Core Curriculum, thereby facilitating the completion of an associate’s degree while fulfilling the Core Curriculum requirements for transfer.

The Core Curriculum is defined in House Bill 2183 of the Texas Legislature as “the curriculum in the liberal arts, humanities, sciences, and political, social, and cultural history that all undergraduates of a particular institution of higher education are required to complete before receiving an associate or baccalaureate degree.” The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) is responsible for ensuring that each state-supported college and university has a Core Curriculum. ACC requires students seeking an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science to complete the college’s Core Curriculum of 42 credit hours.

The purpose of the Core Curriculum is to provide the skills, knowledge, and perspectives that help define the educated person. Courses that are included in the Core Curriculum contribute to the acquisition of these skills, perspectives, and to a basic core of knowledge.

A complete list of the Core Curriculum courses is given in the ACC catalog (just click on the Core Curriculum link). To fulfill the Core Curriculum, students are required to take the following semester credit hours (SCH) taken from the approved list:

• 6 SCH in English Rhetoric/Composition
• 3 SCH in Communications
• 3 SCH in Mathematics
• 6 SCH in Natural Sciences
• 6 SCH in Humanities
• 3 SCH in Visual and Performing Arts
• 6 SCH in History
• 6 SCH in Government
• 3 SCH in Other Social and Behavioral Sciences.

 
Students planning to transfer to a four–year college or university are encouraged to obtain information about the course requirements for at least two possible majors of interest from their four–year college or university and choose their courses appropriately. Usually, a student must make a minimum grade of C in any required course in order for it to qualify towards a degree.

• Improve your resume
• Impress your transfer school
• Automatic admission to several colleges?
• Join with students who share your goals
• Why be bored?