General Education

1. Definition of GENERAL EDUCATION. : a program of education (as in some liberal-arts colleges and secondary schools) intended to develop students as personalities rather than trained specialists and to transmit a common cultural heritage — compare liberal education.

2. Associate of General Education: Degree Overview

   Explore the elements of a general education associate's degree program. See various courses that are usually offered in this type of program. Review the employment outlook and salary statistics as well as continuing education options.

3. Essential Information

   Associate of General Education (AGE) degree programs are designed for students who wish to broaden their overall knowledge in a variety of subjects, such as English, history and science. Courses are not selected to train students in one area of knowledge, but to broaden their general knowledge and career prospects, or prepare them for transfer to a 4-year degree program.
   The programs do not require students to choose a specific concentration for their coursework, but students are expected to stay within a college's guidelines when selecting courses. Most programs require that applicants have earned a high school diploma or its GED equivalent.

   Course Topics

   Coursework for earning an Associate of General Education degree tends to be designed with two goals in mind; students broaden their general knowledge while pursuing their own academic goals and interests. Each student's chosen courses may need to be approved by the registrar's office early in the degree program. While AGE coursework may be open-ended, colleges commonly provide guidance for students in exploring a variety of topics consistent with a broad approach to education. Often, these programs have requirements in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. Courses include such topics as:
   • Art history
   • Chemistry
   • Computer science
   • English composition
   • History
   • Life science
   • Mathematics
   • Music appreciation
   • Psychology
   • Public speaking

   Employment Outlook and Salary Info

   Students who complete Associate of General Education degree programs may do so with the goal of continuing on to 4-year degree programs. Students who finish associate programs but do not continue their educations elsewhere may progress in many fields. 

   Continuing Education Information

   Students with plans to attend 4-year degree granting institutions may choose to begin their college careers at two-year institutions and later transfer. It might be important for these students to note that not all AGE degrees are designed to transfer to other programs, although specific course-credit may transfer. For this reason, students expecting to transfer should discuss their plans with the registrars of the school they are attending and any schools to which they hope to transfer. An AGE degree program allows students to design their own curricula to fulfill general education requirements for a 4-year program.