Associate of General Studies (AGS)
About this degree
The NPC Associate of General Studies degree is designed for those who wish to enhance their personal development with the equivalent of two years of post-high school education but are not planning to transfer to a four-year college or university or prepare for a specific vocational career.The Associate of General Studies (AGS) degree is the most flexible of the degrees offered at NPC. With this degree you learn the basics of mathematics, English, science, history and a wide variety of other subjects, allowing you the chance to explore many different disciplines.
The AGS degree provides you with recognized learning credentials. If you work, statistics show that employees who have an associate degree earn more money and are more likely to be promoted than employees without a college degree.
And if at some point in your future you decide you need to pursue further educational goals, the AGS degree provides you with a solid background of learning that will ease the transition to a four-year college or university.
- Click here to see the easy steps to becoming an NPC student.
NPC Requirements
The AGS degree will be conferred on those who successfully complete 64-65 credits of a planned program with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher. Graduates must complete 31-32 credits of general education.
Some courses have course or placement prerequisites that must be fulfilled. Completion of these prerequisites may require coursework beyond the 64-65 hours of credit listed.
Students seeking a general studies degree must meet with an NPC academic adviser to select and design a program of courses that will best meet the student's needs. Students having already completed associate or higher degrees will not be considered for this program.
Degree Requirements
GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENT • 31-32 Cr.
English • 6 cr.
- ENL 101 College Composition I • 3 cr.
- ENL 102 College Composition II • 3 cr.
- or
- ENL 109 Technical Writing • 3 cr.
Mathematics • 3 cr.
- MAT 105 Mathematics for General Education • 3 cr.
- or
- MAT 112 Algebra II: Intermediate • 3 cr.
- or
- MAT 121 Intermediate Algebra • 4 cr.
- (or higher math course for which MAT 121 is a prerequisite)
Discipline Studies:
Arts and Humanities • 6 cr.
Courses must be selected from the following list and from at least two disciplines:
- ART 101 Understanding Art • 3 cr.
- ART 115 Art History I • 3 cr.
- ART 116 Art History II • 3 cr.
- ENL 220 World Literature I • 3 cr.
- ENL 221 World Literature II • 3 cr.
- ENL 224 English Literature I • 3 cr.
- ENL 225 English Literature II • 3 cr.
- HUM 150 Humanities in the Western World I • 3 cr.
- HUM 151 Humanities in the Western World II • 3 cr.
- MUS 150 Music Appreciation • 3 cr.
- PHL 101 Introduction to Philosophy • 3 cr.
- PHL 105 Introduction to Ethics • 3 cr.
- SPT 130 Introduction to Theatre • 3 cr.
- SPT 150 Introduction to Film • 3 cr.
- SPT 155 History of Television • 3 cr.
Physical and Biological Sciences • 4 cr.
- BIO 100 Biology Concepts • 4 cr.
- BIO 105 Environmental Biology • 4 cr.
- BIO 160 Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology I • 4 cr.
- BIO 181 General Biology I • 4 cr.
- BIO 182 General Biology II • 4 cr.
- CHM 130 Fundamental Chemistry • 4 cr.
- CHM 151 General Chemistry I • 4 cr.
- CHM 152 General Chemistry II • 4 cr.
- GEO 111 Physical Geography • 4 cr.
- GLG 101 Introduction to Geology I - Physical • 4 cr.
- GLG 102 Introduction to Geology II - Historical • 4 cr.
- PHY 113 General Physics I • 4 cr.
- PHY 114 General Physics II • 4 cr.
Social and Behavioral Sciences (from two disciplines) • 6 cr.
- ANT 102 Cultural Anthropology • 3 cr.
- BUS 140 Principles of Economics - Macro • 3 cr.
- BUS 141 Principles of Economics - Micro • 3 cr.
- GEO 110 World Regional Geography • 3 cr.
- HIS 105 U.S. History to 1877 • 3 cr.
- HIS 106 U.S. History since 1877 • 3 cr.
- HIS 155 Western Civilization to 1700 • 3 cr.
- HIS 156 Western Civilization since 1700 • 3 cr.
- POS 110 American Government • 3 cr.
- PSY 101 Introduction to Psychology • 3 cr.
- PSY 200 Psychology of Adjustment • 3 cr.
- PSY 240 Developmental Psychology • 3 cr.
- SOC 120 General Sociology • 3 cr.
- SOC 121 Social Problems in America • 3 cr.
- SOC 130 Racial, Ethnic & Gender Relations in Modern Society • 3 cr.
- SOC 225 Sociology of the Family • 3 cr.
Additional courses that will meet AGS discipline studies requirement • 6 cr. (minimum)...
Includes additional courses listed in any of the discipline studies above or from the following list:
Foreign Language
- FRE 101 Elementary French I • 4 cr.
- FRE 102 Elementary French II • 4 cr.
- GER 101 Elementary German I • 4 cr.
- GER 102 Elementary German II • 4 cr.
- SPA 101 Elementary Spanish I • 4 cr.
- SPA 102 Elementary Spanish II • 4 cr.
Computer Science
- CIS 100 Introduction to Computer Science • 3 cr.
Verbal Communication
- SPT 120 Public Speaking • 3 cr.