Associate of Science Degree (ASG)

Program Overview

The Associate of Science degree is designed to prepare students for transfer to a four-year college or university and is the equivalent of the freshman and sophomore years of a Bachelor of Science degree or related program, including engineering, business, or natural sciences. The degree is also suited for students who do not have a decided interest in one field of study. This program provides a broad knowledge of liberal arts, while emphasizing mathematics and science. A range of elective courses across disciplines provides flexibility in choosing transferrable courses.

The Associate of Science degree requires a minimum of 60 semester credit hours for graduation. These hours are composed of a minimum of 50 hours of general education courses selected within categories and enough electives to complete the 60-hour requirement. Please see the “Suggested Course Sequence.” In the future, Belmont College will have concentrations available, and, in that case, a minimum of 12 semester credit hours in the concentration will be required plus enough electives to complete the 60-hour requirement.

Please see the Associate of Science “Course Elective Information” on the following page to select electives across the categories. Please also consult the general education page in this catalog for information about the status of courses meeting the state-wide transfer module requirements and/or the state-wide transfer assurance guides. Please note: some courses were still under review when the catalog went to press and may have earned official transfer status.

Students are encouraged to ask for updates on the status of courses and to discuss their transfer intentions with a representative of the College academic advising team early in their Belmont experience to ensure that the correct courses are selected to meet the specific requirements of the receiving college or university.

Program Outcomes

Interdisciplinary learning is the fundamental strength and value of a liberal arts education. The formulation of outcomes is based on recognition of the transformative potential of higher education in the liberal arts and an appreciation of how the knowledge gained (in particular, human understanding) leads to actions. Outcomes will be assessed in the Associate of Arts degree through a process that will allow students to achieve individualized goals in keeping with their chosen interdisciplinary path of study. Students will:

1. Pursue Knowledge: Students learn through discipline-specific and interdisciplinary discovery processes, think critically, and synthesize resulting knowledge.
2. Understand Self: Students achieve self-understanding as conscious and engaged human beings in relation to others and develop a realistic understanding of life and its opportunities.
3. Integrate Socially: Students develop a defined sense of human community, take responsibility for their roles, and integrate successfully in collaborative environments.
4. Demonstrate Open-Mindedness: Students cultivate intellectual curiosity, flexibility in thinking, problem solving strategies, and a broad critical perspective that values diversity of thought.
5. Be Globally Responsible: Students recognize the interdependence of global forces and local contexts, becoming culturally proficient citizens sensitive to the issues of diverse cultures.
6. Behave Ethically: Students form personal values based on belief in the worth and dignity of human beings, apply ethical principles in making decisions, and accept the social consequences of actions.
7. Communicate Effectively: Students demonstrate the abilities to read and listen with understanding and express complex ideas in spoken and written forms.

FYE1110

First Year Experience is required for all students to take in year 1, fall semester. Students must receive a passing grade.

Class Sequence

* Free electives may be used to fulfill four-year institutional division prerequisite requirements. Free electives may be selected from any college-level courses offered by Belmont College. Consultation with an advisor is critical to ensure you are choosing the correct free electives that will transfer into the junior and senior years of your four-year program of study.

* required