Arizona General Education Curriculum: The Foundation of Your Associate's Degree

A smooth transfer to ASU, NAU, or UA begins with the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC).  The AGEC is the foundation of your associate’s degree and prepares you for upper division coursework.

What is AGEC?

The AGEC is a block of 35-37 credit hours of lower division general education courses in a variety of subjects, including:

• English
• Mathematics
• Social & Behavioral Sciences
• Physical & Biological Sciences
• Arts & Humanities

AGEC Benefits

Completing the AGEC provides transfer students with two important benefits:

1. A completed AGEC transfers as a block to ASU, NAU, UA, or any Arizona public or tribal community college, without loss of credit.
2.  Completing the AGEC with a 2.5 GPA or better guarantees your admission to the universities.

The AGEC also gives students the opportunity to explore diverse subjects and obtain a well-rounded academic experience.

AGEC Options

There are three types of AGEC blocks designed for different types of community college majors­­­­— AGEC A, B, and S.

1. The AGEC-A is for liberal or fine arts majors.  Example majors include English, Education, Dance, and Communication.
2. The AGEC-B is for business majors. Example majors are Accounting, Marketing, Economics, and Finance.
3. The AGEC-S is for majors that have more rigorous math and science requirements. Example majors include Biology, Chemistry, and Engineering.

4 Tips for Stress-Free Transfer

Planning your transfer doesn't have to be a headache.  Follow these four tips for better planning and worry-free transfer!

1.  Meet with your advisor early and often.

Academic advisors at the community college and university are your key to a smooth transfer.  Plan to meet with your advisor regularly to ensure you are on track to meet degree requirements.

Resources:

• Advisor Search

2.  Pay attention to deadlines.

Keep in mind the various deadlines for financial aid applications, university admission, community college graduation, etc.  Find these important dates and mark them on your calendar.

Resources:

• ASU Academic Calendar

• NAU Academic Calendar

• UA Academic Calendar

3.  Make decisions early.

Save time by deciding on (and sticking with) a plan of study early on in your college career.  Choosing your community college and university majors as soon as possible will help you avoid taking unnecessary courses.  You can also save time by deciding on your transfer university early and taking advantage of transfer pathways.  Unsure about what to study? Your community college advisor can help you with career advisement to align your studies with career fields that interest you.

Resources:

• Major Guides

• Bachelor's Degree Search

• AGEC

4.  Choose courses wisely.

In addition to using the Course Equivalency Guide on AZTransfer.com to make sure your community college courses are transferable to the university, here are a few other points to consider before enrolling:

• Find out what the prerequisites are for university courses and work them in to your associate’s degree plan.
• Start and finish lower-division math and science courses early on in your community college career.
• Learn about the bachelor’s degree you plan to earn and ensure your transfer coursework will fulfill the requirements of that degree.

Resources:

• Major Guides

• Bachelor's Degree Search

• AGEC