Certificate of General Studies, CGS

Program Description: This Program of Study Is Designed to Provide the Flexibility Needed to Meet the Needs of Students Who Have a Variety of Backgrounds and Interests. This Program Appeals to Students Who Have Identified Distinct Careers but Find No Matching Curricula Available and to Those Who Need to Explore Interests and Test Their Potential for Satisfactory Performance in Selected Areas of a Curriculum. Students, in Conjunction with an Advisor, Can Design a Unique Program by Selecting Courses from among Several Different Disciplines While Fulfilling the Basic Degree Requirements of the College.

Program Accreditation: N/A

Program Coordinator: Susan Guerrero (Interim)

Program Instructor(s): Interdisciplinary

Special Comments:
In addition to earning an Associate Degree in General Studies, many opportunities exist for General Education graduates who wish to transfer their 2-year degree to a 4-year institution. Students MUST plan for these transfers BEFORE selecting courses to take in order to most benefit from these transfer opportunities.

1. Transfer to any Louisiana Institution: The Louisiana Transfer Degree guarantees that all AGS courses will transfer to another Louisiana institution; however, students must choose courses based on the degree program into which they plan to transfer to guarantee all courses will apply to a specified degree.
2. Transfer to Nicholls State University without Cross Enrollment: Students may transfer seamlessly to Nicholls State University in specific programs by tailoring their General Studies electives to meet degree requirements as outlined in the Transfer Degree Program Handbook Fletcher Associate of General Studies Transfer Degree Program Handbook
3. Transfer to Nicholls State University with Cross Enrollment: Students may transfer seamlessly to Nicholls in specific programs by CROSS ENROLLING with Nicholls for specified courses that meet both Nicholls and Fletcher requirements as stipulated in the Transfer Degree Program Handbook Fletcher Associate of General Studies Transfer Degree Program Handbook
4. Other University Transfer opportunities: To enhance transfer to any other 4-year institutions, follow the recommended coursework for “University Transfer”. Although a seamless transfer cannot be guaranteed, this recommended curriculum is more likely to be transferable. Students can check transferable courses to Louisiana institutions by consulting the Board of Regents’ Articulation Matrix: https://www.laregents.edu/articulationandtransfer/

Students wishing to earn the Associate of General Studies Degree must:

• Complete the 30-hour General Education requirement
• Complete twelve hours of specific Enrichment Electives
• Complete an 18-credit hour Concentration Area selected in consultation with an advisor
• Earn a grade point average of 2.5 for coursework taken in the area of concentration
• Students will select a concentration area in consultation with an advisor. See General Studies Transfer Guide Below. Fletcher offers the following concentrations:
  1. Accounting Technology
  2. Business Administration
  3. Cardiopulmonary Care Science
  4. Care and Development of Young Children
  5. Criminal Justice
  6. Drafting and Design Technology
  7. Environmental Sciences
  8. Geology
  9. Integrated Production Technologies
  10. Medical Coding / Insurance Billing Specialist
  11. Medical Laboratory Technician
  12. Nursing
  13. Office Systems Technology
  14. Surgical Technology
  15. Technical Studies

To earn the Associate of General Studies Degree and Louisiana Transfer Degree students must

• Complete 39 general education credits and 21 hours of courses students choose based on the requirements of the 4-year degree program into which they plan to transfer. The following Louisiana Transfer concentrations are possible at Fletcher:
  • Biological Sciences - ASLT
  • Humanities - AALT
  • Social/Behavioral Sciences - AALT
  • Criminal Justice - AALT
  • General Business - AALT
    However - it is emphasized that the student MUST consult with the Louisiana institution to which they plan to transfer to determine if Fletcher courses meet the institution’s specific program requirements for a seamless 2+2 transfer.
    See Louisiana Transfer Guide Below
• Complete the degree with a grade of “C” or better in each course.
• Completion of the Associate of Arts Louisiana Transfer Degree or Associate of Science Louisiana Transfer Degree guarantees that the student has met, in full, all lower-division general education requirements at the receiving Louisiana public university. Graduates transferring with the transfer degree will have junior status. Courses or GPA requirements for specific majors, departments, or schools are not automatically satisfied by an Associate of Arts Louisiana Transfer Degree or Associate of Science Louisiana Transfer Degree.

Overall Grade Point Average: Program requirements must be completed with an overall grade point average of 2.0 or higher in order to receive a certificate or degree.

Course Grade Requirements:

Student Learning Outcomes: Students who successfully complete a General Studies program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate competence in written and verbal communication skills, quantitative reasoning and critical thinking.
2. Use information technology in their professional and personal lives.
3. Grasp the knowledge and skills delivered through the content of concentration area courses.
4. Acquire the analytical and critical skills needed to connect core knowledge and skills to discipline-specific information at a higher level of study.

Transfer Agreements: Please contact an advisor for more information regarding transfer agreements.

General Studies/Louisiana Transfer/Associate Degree programs (Pathways to Bachelor’s Degree completion): Utilizing the Master Course Articulation Matrix published by the Louisiana Board or Regents https://www.laregents.edu/articulationandtransfer/ transfer equivalencies are published for the Louisiana State University system, University of Louisiana System and the Southern University system of colleges and universities.

• Purdue Global University
• Herzing University
• Grand Canyon University
• University of Phoenix

CIP Code: 240102