The General Studies degree with an area of emphasis is designed to give students a broad introduction to an area of knowledge represented by related disciplines and topics. This degree is intended for students who may not be intending to pursue a specific occupational major, nor are they necessarily planning to transfer. However, careful educational planning with a counselor will help to ensure that, if a student did decide at a later date to transfer to a university, they would have a foundation in the transfer planning process. Students will select an “Area of Emphasis” from the following four options based on their interests and educational goals.

These courses emphasize the study of cultural, literary, humanistic activities and artistic expression of human beings. Students will evaluate and interpret the ways in which people through the ages in different cultures have responded to them- selves and the world around them in artistic and cultural creation. Students will also learn to value aesthetic understanding and incorporate these concepts when constructing value judgments. This emphasis includes lower division coursework that prepares students for potential careers in fine arts, foreign languages, literature, and philosophy.