University Studies
A wide variety of programs leading to degrees and certificates is offered by the College to serve a variety of student needs. Students needing assistance in selecting an appropriate program for their career goals are advised to meet with a counselor.
Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, Associate in Fine Arts (Emphasis in Art) (Transfer Degrees)
The Associate in Arts (AA), Associate in Science (AS), or Associate in Fine Arts (AFA) degree is for those students planning to transfer to a senior college or university to earn a baccalaureate degree.
Area of Concentration Requirements
In support of our Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees, Sandburg offers areas of concentration to guide the student in completing courses in a selected discipline. The student should consistently communicate with the college or university he/she intends to transfer to after degree completion at Sandburg to ensure all the requirements are met for the selected major. We do not guarantee that our areas of concentration meet any specific major requirements.
To graduate with an Associate’s degree and an area of concentration, the student must successfully complete the required courses in the degree plan for the specific area of concentration. If the student meets all degree and graduation requirements, the Associate’s degree with the selected area of concentration will be listed on the student’s transcript.
Transfer Information
Associate and baccalaureate degree-granting institutions are equal partners in providing the first two years of baccalaureate degree programs in Illinois. While each institution is ultimately responsible for the quality of the programs it provides, both associate and baccalaureate degree-granting institutions are expected to work together to assure that their lower-division baccalaureate programs are comparable in scope, quality, and intellectual rigor.
Any student admitted in transfer to an Illinois baccalaureate degree-granting institution should be granted standing comparable to current students who have completed the same number of baccalaureate-level credit hours and should be able to progress toward baccalaureate degree completion at a rate comparable to that of students who entered the baccalaureate institution as first-time freshmen. To assure students of comparable treatment, it is expected that:
- Students admitted in transfer who have earned an Associate in Arts or an Associate in Science degree from a regionally accredited Illinois community or junior college whose general education requirement for the degree incorporates the Illinois General Education Core Curriculum will have met the receiving institution’s all-campus, lower-division general education requirement for the baccalaureate degree (or a second associate degree). A receiving institution may, however, require admitted transfer students to complete an institution-wide and/or mission-related graduation requirement that is beyond the scope of the Illinois General Education Core Curriculum.
- Students admitted in transfer who have satisfactorily completed the Illinois General Education Core Curriculum at any regionally accredited Illinois college or university prior to transfer should be granted credit in lieu of the receiving institution’s all-campus, lower-division general education requirement for an associate or baccalaureate degree. A receiving institution may, however, require admitted transfer students to complete an institution-wide and/or mission-related graduation requirement that is beyond the scope of the Illinois General Education Core Curriculum.
- Students admitted in transfer who have satisfactorily completed courses within the Illinois General Education Core Curriculum at a regionally accredited Illinois college or university should be granted credit towards fulfilling the receiving institution’s comparable all-campus, lower-division general education requirement.
- Students admitted in transfer who have met program entry requirements and have satisfactorily completed courses described in an Illinois Articulation Initiative Baccalaureate Major Curriculum Recommendation at a regionally accredited Illinois college or university should be granted credit towards fulfilling the receiving institution’s comparable lower-division requirements for that specific major. Where admission is competitive, completion of a Baccalaureate Major Recommendation does not guarantee admission.
AAS and Certificate Programs
Career & Technical Education (CTE) and Health Professions (HLP) programs are available as a Certificate, which may be completed in as little as nine months, or as an Associate in Applied Science degree, which may be completed in as little as two years. This specialized approach to education results in graduates who enter the job market with highly marketable skills and backgrounds. The courses that you take in our CTE and HLP programs were selected based upon recommendations from professionals working in specific CTE and HLP fields.
Statement on General Education
The Higher Learning Commission believes that quality undergraduate higher education involves breadth as well as depth of study. According to the HLC commission statement, “General education is intended to impart common knowledge and intellectual concepts to students and to develop in them the skills and attitudes that an organization’s faculty believe every educated person should possess.” A general education curriculum provides an opportunity for students to acquire some breadth of knowledge, proficiency in skills that are deemed to be commonly shared by those receiving a college education, and allow students to gain exposure to and competence in pursuit of intellectual inquiry and the examination of personal, social, and civic values.
At Carl Sandburg College we are committed to the centrality of general education by including an appropriate component of general education coursework in all of the Associate in Applied Science degrees as well as many of the certificates. These courses are identified in the catalog description as a general education core or an elective.
NOTE:
Though some CTE and HLP programs will transfer to specific four-year institutions, most will not.
To find out the transferability of a specific CTE or HLP program, talk with your advisor.
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