General Degree Requirements

Associate in Applied Science Degrees

These programs comply with policies set by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education who set standards of education for awarding the associate degree in technical and occupational programs, as well as those of OCCC.

General Requirements

The completion, as a portion of the overall 60 semester-credit hours, of a basic general education core of a minimum of 18 semester-credit-hours of transferable coursework instructed by general education faculty, and which shall include the following:

1. Communications: 6 hours  II*
   
   This must include two courses from one or more of the following three areas:
   1. a college-level communications course in general, applied technical writing
      or
   2. a course in English grammar and composition or
   3. a college-level oral communication course.
       
2. U.S. History and U.S. Government: 6 hours I & III
3. General Education Electives: 6 hours

Technical-Occupational Specialty: 27 hours

Support and Related Courses 0-15 hours** (to total a minimum of 60 hours)

*The Roman numeral designates which general education area is being achieved.

**The credit-hour requirement will depend upon the course requirements in general education and the technical-occupational specialty to total a minimum of 60 hours.

Associate in Arts and Associate in Science Degrees

Associate in Arts and Associate in Science are university-parallel degrees designed to comply with the policy on articulation approved by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

General Requirements

• The completion of a minimum of 60 semester credit hours, excluding physical education activity or courses, with a GPA of no less than 2.0 in all coursework attempted excluding any repeated or reprieved courses as detailed in the College’s grading policy. Only courses numbered 1000 or above apply toward degree requirements. Courses identified by “C” (or “B”) within a program curriculum pattern must be completed with a grade of “C” or better (“B” or better) by students majoring in that program.
• The completion, as part of the overall 60 semester credit hours, of major and support courses listed by major in the Curriculum Patterns section of this catalog.
• The completion, as part of the overall 60 semester credit hours, of a basic general education core of a minimum of 37 semester credit hours which shall include the following.

General Education Core

General education program competencies were approved by the College Executive Council in February 1993 and revised in April 2006.

General Education at Oklahoma City Community College is an integral component of each student’s experience. Every student receiving an associate degree (AA or AS) must complete at least one course from each of the following areas, indicating a general understanding of that area.

OCCC’s General Education core adheres to the guidelines of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education regarding General Education (3.15.6 General Education Framework).

I. Human Heritage, Culture, Values and Beliefs

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the ideas, values, and beliefs that have shaped global communities. Specifically, students should be able to demonstrate understanding of basic world geography; demonstrate familiarity with major cultural issues of selected global communities; demonstrate knowledge of significant historical events and figures of selected global communities; and demonstrate an understanding of ethical concerns of selected global communities.

II. Communication and Symbols

A. Students will demonstrate effective writing and public speaking skills. For writing, students should be able to generate a clear, specific, and arguable thesis or dominant idea; formulate evidence and examples to support the topic idea; construct a logical pattern of paragraph development; and demonstrate consistent use of correct and appropriate spelling, grammar, and word choice.

For public speaking skills, students should be able to demonstrate the effective use of an introduction, body, and conclusion of a formal speech; demonstrate an audience-centered purpose that adapts to the audience, occasion, and time limit of the speech; deliver the speech with effective eye contact relative to the use of presentational aids (when applicable) and the audience; vary the tone of voice appropriate to the content of the speech and context of the audience; and demonstrate appropriate attire, gestures, good posture, and meaningful body movement.

B. Students will demonstrate analytical reasoning and logic skills by using mathematical methods and tools. Specifically, students should be able to identify mathematical properties that apply to a situation; apply those mathematical properties appropriately to the situation in order to reach a conclusion; and evaluate that conclusion for correctness and/or effectiveness and develop alternative solutions if needed.

III. Social, Political, and Economic Institutions

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the function of major social institutions. Specifically, students should be able to analyze how political systems impact society; analyze how economic systems impact society; analyze how religion serves to shape the norms of a society; analyze how education interacts with cultural values and norms; and analyze how shifts in social institutions impact the family.

IV. Relationships in Nature and Science

Students will demonstrate critical thinking by using scientific methodology. Specifically, students should be able to analyze a set of data or qualitative observations using previously learned tools; draw reasoned conclusions based on the results of the analysis; and support conclusions logically and communicate them effectively.

Institutional Assessment of General Education Outcomes

OCCC adheres to the General Education guidelines outlined by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education: “All institutions in the State System will require a general education component in each undergraduate degree program. Faculty should provide the oversight for general education and each institution should regularly assess the effectiveness of its general education program. Institutions should clearly and publicly articulate the purposes, content, and intended learning outcomes of the general education provided to students” (OSRHE Policy for Academic Affairs, 3.15.6 A. General Education Framework).

The four areas that constitute the General Education Core at OCCC are assessed by dividing them into five measurable outcomes:

• Human Heritage, Culture, and Institutions (from Human Heritage, Culture, Values, and Beliefs and Social, Political, and Economic Institutions)
• Writing (from Communication and Symbols)
• Public Speaking (from Communication and Symbols)
• Mathematical Methods (from Communication and Symbols)
• Critical Thinking (from Relationships in Nature and Science, but is applicable to all four of the core areas)

The assessment is accomplished by collecting artifacts from existing course assignments/tests and evaluating them from the point of view of the particular General Education competency (as opposed to specific course content). The evaluation is performed by faculty-based committees, and the process does not impinge on student grades or privacy. The results are reported to the Board of Regents each fall, as well as being posted on the college website and reported across the institution.

Life Skills Requirement

Success in College and Life Course SCL 1001 

Students must take a minimum of one credit of Life Skills as part of their degree programs. The primary course to fulfill this requirement is the one-credit Success in College and Life course: SCL 1001 . Students may take SCL-1003, the three-hour Success in College and Life course, in place of SCL 1001 .  The three credit course will satisfy the Life Skills requirement in the same manner the one credit course does.

Students will learn best practices for academic, career, and personal success.  Students will discover their individual strengths, interests, and values to create a personalized plan; select and utilize resources that are applicable to their growth and success; and engage as active and responsible members of the academic community.

Students who transfer in nine hours or more of recent (within the past 2 years), successful (2.0 average) college credit, received post high school, must still fulfill the Life Skills requirement; however, they may elect to substitute one of the following courses to meet the Life Skills requirement:

BIO 1023 Introductory Nutrition 

CD 1211 Parenting 

FIN 1013 Personal Finance 

LEIS 1602 Total Wellness 

LIS 1111 Research Skills 

PSY 1103 Human Relations 

PSY 1123 Stress Management 

Any transfer course substitutions not listed above, but that may qualify as a life skills course, must be approved by the Director of Student Success Advising or their designee or the Professor of Student Success.

** Wellness Courses: Volleyball, Basketball, Weight Training, Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries-These Wellness courses cannot be used for the first 60 credits of a student’s degree requirements.