Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) 2024-2025

Description

The Maricopa County Community College District Arizona General Education Curriculum (MCCCD AGEC) is a general education certificate that fulfills lower-division general education requirements for students planning to transfer to any Arizona public community college or university. Generally, the MCCCD AGEC transfers as a block without loss of credit. In most cases, all courses used to satisfy the MCCCD AGEC will apply to graduation requirements of the university major for which the AGEC was designed.

As described below, the AGECs are a component of most MCCCD associate degrees and comparable degrees at other Arizona public community colleges. The AGEC-A defines the general education requirements in the Associate in Arts (AA), Associate in Arts, Elementary Education (AAEE), and the Associate in Arts, Fine Arts (AAFA) degrees. The AGEC-B defines the general education requirements in the Associate in Business-General Requirements (ABUS-GR) and Associate in Business-Special Requirements (ABUS-SR) degrees. The AGEC-S defines the general education requirements in the Associate in Science (AS) degree.

As described in more detail below, all AGECs require designated courses in First Year Composition [FYC], Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L], Mathematical Studies [MA], Social-Behavioral Sciences [SB], Humanities, Design and Fine Arts [HU], and Natural Science [SQ/SG]. Students must satisfy two Awareness areas as well: Cultural Diversity in the U.S. and either Global Awareness or Historical Awareness. In addition, the AGEC-A and AGEC-B require a Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Applications course [CS] that is not required for students pursuing the AGEC-S.

Purpose of the AGECs

AGECs were designed to articulate with different academic majors, and their particular requirements vary accordingly. In some major-specific pathways, students are allowed to choose from a broad list of courses to satisfy the AGEC requirements, and for others the courses are more restricted or even specified. Additional information on academic majors at the Arizona public universities can be accessed via the following website:  aztransfer.com/tools

1. The AGEC-A is designed to satisfy requirements in many liberal arts majors as well as other majors that articulate with an Associate in Arts degree (e.g., social sciences, fine arts, humanities, elementary education). AGEC-A requires a minimum of college mathematics or college algebra to satisfy the Mathematics [MA] requirement.
2. The AGEC-B is designed to satisfy requirements in business majors that articulate with the Associate in Business (ABUS-GR, ABUS-SR). AGEC-B requires a minimum of brief calculus to satisfy the Mathematics [MA] requirement.
3. The AGEC-S is designed to satisfy requirements in majors with more prescriptive mathematics and mathematics-based science requirements such as many in the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics. AGEC-S requires a minimum of the first course in a calculus sequence to satisfy the Mathematics [MA] requirement, and a minimum of eight (8) credits of either university chemistry, university physics, general biology for majors, or physical and historical geology to satisfy the Natural Sciences [SQ/SG] requirement. In addition, students must select six (6)- to ten (10) additional credits of Subject Options composed of math and/or science appropriate to their major.

Academic Policies that Govern the AGEC A, B, S

• Requires completion of at least 35 credit hours¹ (for AGEC-A and AGEC-B) and 36 credit hours¹ (for AGEC-S) in courses numbered 100 and above that have been approved for one or more AGEC designations; a minimum of 12 of those credits be completed at one or any combination of the MCCCD colleges. See First Year Composition [FYC] notes in the following AGEC descriptions and footer for credit minimum exceptions.¹
• All MCCCD courses applied to the AGEC must be completed with a grade of “C” or better.
• All MCCCD courses applied to the AGEC must be accepted for transfer credit as a direct equivalent, departmental elective, or general elective credit at ASU, NAU, and UAZ according to the Course Equivalency Guide at aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/CEG for the academic year in which the course was taken. Courses approved for transfer exclusively toward the Bachelor of Applied Science are ineligible for inclusion in the AGEC.
• A single course can simultaneously count toward one or more Awareness Areas and other AGEC requirements. For example, an approved course in world geography may be used to satisfy [SB] and [G] requirements. While multiple requirements can be met with a single course, the credits for that course are only counted one time toward the required minimum total for the AGEC. Except as detailed below for the AGEC-S, a single course cannot be used to satisfy more than one AGEC requirement other than Awareness Areas. For example, for AGEC-A and AGEC-B, a single course cannot be used to satisfy both [HU] and [SB], but it could be used to meet [HU] and [C], [G] and/or [H]
• Awareness Areas and MCCCD’s Additional Requirements may also be shared with other AGEC Requirements. Optimizing credits in this way is often recommended because some programs and universities limit transferable credits at 64.

¹

FYC may be met with fewer than 6 credits if student has transfer credit from ASU, NAU or UAZ for a single course that meets FYC in full.

Transfer Credit from Institutions Outside of MCCCD

• Credits transferred from outside of MCCCD must be completed with a grade of “C” (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) or better. Transfer credit graded pass/fail or pass/no credit may be used to satisfy AGEC requirements if documentation collected by the community college indicates that this was the only grading option available and that the Pass grade (“P”) is equivalent to a “C” or better.
• The AGEC (Arizona General Education Curriculum) designations of courses completed at other Arizona public colleges or universities will be applied as listed on AZTransfer's Course Equivalency Guide (CEG) at aztransfer.com/tools/ for the semester(s) in which the course(s) were completed. If a transcript evaluation determines there is no MCCCD direct equivalency to a course from another Arizona public college or university, applicability to AGEC and/or associate degree requirements will be based on the source institution's AGEC designation for the semester in which the course was completed.
• Courses from private, out-of-state, and/or online institutions (i.e., outside of the Arizona Transfer System composed of Arizona's public community colleges, tribal colleges and universities) will be applied toward AGEC and/or associate degree requirements based on the courses’ evaluated MCCCD equivalence. If courses are not directly equivalent, the credit may be articulated as a departmental elective, and if deemed appropriate, may have a general education designation applied to the course.
• Courses with different credit systems (quarter hours, trimester, units) are converted to semester credit hours. A deficiency in an AGEC category due to quarter-hour or other credit system application must be recovered by additional credits to a total of 35 AGEC credits overall (or 32 credits overall if a student transfers in a single course from an Arizona public university that fulfills the First Year Composition requirement).
• Credit awarded at a Maricopa Community College through prior learning assessment in non-traditional setting is transferable to the other colleges in the MCCC district but is not necessarily transferable to other colleges and universities outside of the MCCCD system. No more than 20 such assessed semester credit hours may be applied toward AGEC.

Completion and Transfer

• Completion of the AGEC with a minimum grade point average of at least 2.0 for Arizona residents and 2.50 for non-residents (on a 4.0 scale) meets Arizona public university general admission requirements. It does not ensure admission to specific university majors or programs with selective admission processes and/or limited enrollment.

Students planning to transfer to another college or university are urged to refer to university requirements and academic advisors from both institutions to be certain that all their selected coursework is applicable to the requirements of their intended transfer degree. For some majors, the statewide Common Course matrix, AZTransfer Pathway Guides and/or University Transfer Guides posted on the AZTransfer website on aztransfer.com/tools/ can also provide some guidance. For appropriate course selection, students should consult with an academic advisor.

AGEC Requirements

Descriptions and definitions of the requirements for each of the three AGECs follow. The following website identifies the courses that apply to the different requirements within each AGEC for a given academic year: AGEC matrix at aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/agec.woa/3/wa/agecMatrixReport?inst=001075. AGEC designations are subject to change. It is important to verify a course’s AGEC value in the semester it is taken. For convenience, this information is provided for the current and upcoming semester in the “Find a Class” tool on maricopa.edu and on each MCCCD college’s website as well as in the AGEC matrix provided by AZTransfer at aztransfer.com/tools/.

Arizona General Education Curriculum-Arts (AGEC-A) Requirements    

Credits: 35 (min)¹

The AGEC-A requires a minimum of 35 credits (32 if [FYC] is met by single transfer course)¹; courses applied to meet AGEC-A requirements vary by emphasis.

Refer to the Program (Degree) Search at curriculum.maricopa.edu (click on Current Programs) for specific course requirements. 

The Required Courses and/or Restricted Electives for some areas of Emphasis may also have AGEC designations including one or more of the Awareness Areas ( [C], [G] and/or [H]). A single course may meet more than one requirement but its credits are only counted once toward the total for the degree. AGEC designations are subject to change. See AGEC matrix at https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/agec.woa/3/wa/agecMatrixReport?inst=001075 for each course's value(s) in the semester it is taken.

¹

FYC may be met with fewer than 6 credits if student has transfer credit from ASU, NAU or UAZ for a single course that meets FYC in full.

¹

FYC may be met with fewer than 6 credits if student has transfer credit from ASU, NAU or UAZ for a single course that meets FYC in full.

²

See AGEC matrix, at aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/agec for current course values.

Arizona General Education Curriculum-Business (AGEC-B) Requirements    

Credits 35¹ (min)     

The AGEC-B requires a minimum of 35 credits (32 if FYC is met by single transfer course)^1.

The Required Courses and/or Restricted Electives for corresponding Associate’s degree may also have AGEC designations including one or more of the Awareness Areas  ([C], [G] and/or [H]).  A single course may meet more than one requirement but its credits are only counted once toward the total for the degree.

¹

FYC may be met with fewer than 6 credits if student has transfer credit from ASU, NAU or UAZ for a single course that meets FYC in full.

¹

FYC may be met with fewer than 6 credits if student has transfer credit from ASU, NAU or UAZ for a single course that meets FYC in full.

²

See AGEC matrix at aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/agec for current course values.

Arizona General Education Curriculum-Science (AGEC-S) Requirements

Credits 36 (min)    

The AGEC-S requires a minimum of 36 credits (33 if FYC is met by single transfer course)¹,courses applied to meet AGEC-S requirements vary by emphasis. 

Refer to the program (Degree) Search at curriculum.maricopa.edu (click on Current Programs) for specific course requirements. The Required Courses and/or Restricted Electives for some areas of Emphasis may also have AGEC designations including one or more of the Awareness Areas ( [C], [G] and/or [H]). A single course may meet more than one requirement but its credits are only counted once toward the total for the degree. 

Some courses have been approved for more than one AGEC designation (see AGEC matrix).  For the AGEC-S only, a single course with an [L] designation may be used to satisfy a second AGEC requirement (as well as any approved Awareness Areas).  Only courses with [L] designations may be shared in this way.   

¹

FYC may be met with fewer than 6 credits if student has transfer credit from ASU, NAU or UAZ for a single course that meets FYC in full.

¹

FYC may be met with fewer than 6 credits if student has transfer credit from ASU, NAU or UAZ for a single course that meets FYC in full.

²

0 only if shared with HU or SB

³

Or to use CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking or COM225 Public Speaking from the Maricopa Additional Requirements Area to satisfy the (L) requirement.

It may also have been approved to satisfy one or more Awareness Areas ([C], [G], [H]). (AGEC designations are subject to change. See AGEC matrix for each course's value(s) in the semester it is taken.)

⁴

MAT220 Calculus with Analytic Geometry I or MAT221 Calculus with Analytic Geometry I

⁵

AGEC designations are subject to change. See AGEC matrix at aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/agec for each course's value(s) in the semester it is taken.

⁶

See AGEC matrix at aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/agec for current course values.

AGEC-Area Requirements Descriptions/Definitions

First-Year Composition (FYC)

First-Year Composition courses emphasize skills necessary for college-level expository writing, including correct grammar and punctuation, logical organization of ideas, and identification of supporting documentation.

Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L]

In the [L] course students, typically at the sophomore level, gather, interpret, and evaluate evidence and express their findings in writing or speech. This course includes a series of graded written or spoken formal assignments.

Literacy is defined broadly as communicative competence in written and oral discourse; critical inquiry is defined as the gathering, interpreting, and evaluating of evidence. Building on the proficiency attained in traditional First-Year Composition courses, the Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] requirement sustains and extends students’ ability to thoughtfully use and critically analyze written and/or spoken language.

Mathematical Applications [MA]

The Mathematical Studies requirement is intended to ensure that students have requisite skill in mathematics appropriate for their discipline and can apply mathematical analysis in their chosen fields.

Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Applications [CS]

AGEC-A and AGEC-B require a course that emphasizes the use of statistics, other mathematical methods, computer programming languages and/or software in the interpretation of data and in describing and analyzing quantitative relationships.

Humanities, Arts and Design [HU]

The study of the humanities and the disciplines of art and design deepen awareness of the complexities of the human condition and its diverse histories and cultures. Courses in the humanities are devoted to the production of human thought and imagination, particularly in philosophical, historical, religious and artistic traditions. Courses with an emphasis in fine arts and design are devoted to the study of aesthetic experiences and the processes of artistic creation. They may also feature a design emphasis in which material culture is studied as a product of human thought and imagination.

Social-Behavioral Sciences [SB]

Social-Behavioral Sciences provide scientific methods of inquiry and empirical knowledge about human behavior, both within society and within individuals. This area of emphasis in general education curriculum may include study of such disciplines as anthropology, economics, history, political science, psychology, or sociology. The courses in this area address the challenge of understanding the diverse natures of individuals and cultural groups who live together in a complex and evolving world.

Natural Sciences [SQ/SG]

In addition to an understanding of basic scientific principles and concepts, courses in the Natural Sciences are designed to help students appreciate, from firsthand laboratory and/or field research experience, the nature of science as a process that embraces curiosity, inquiry, testing, and communication to better understand natural phenomena   At least one of the two natural science courses must include an introduction to the fundamental behavior of matter and energy in physical or biological systems.  

Awareness Areas

Students must satisfy two Awareness areas:  Cultural Diversity in the U.S. and either Global Awareness or Historical Awareness. Courses can satisfy other AGEC requirements and one or two Awareness areas simultaneously. Therefore, no additional semester credits are required to satisfy the two Awareness areas provided courses selected are approved for those designations (see AGEC matrix at aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/agec).

Cultural Diversity in the United States [C]

The contemporary “culture” of the United States involves the complex interplay of many different cultures that exist side by side in various states of harmony and conflict. U.S. history involves the experiences not only of different groups of European immigrants and their descendants, but also of diverse groups of American Indians, Hispanic Americans, African Americans and Asian Americans--all of whom played significant roles in the development of contemporary culture and together shape the future of the United States. At the same time, the recognition that gender, class, and religious differences cut across all distinctions of race and ethnicity offers an even richer variety of perspectives from which to view one. Awareness of cultural diversity and its multiple sources can illuminate the collective past, present, and future and can help to foster greater mutual understanding and respect.  

The objective of the Cultural Diversity area requirement is to promote awareness of and appreciation for cultural diversity within the contemporary United States. This is accomplished through the study of the cultural, social, or scientific contributions of women and minority groups, examination of their experiences in the United States, or exploration of successful or unsuccessful interactions between and among cultural groups.

Global Awareness [G]

Human organizations and relationships have evolved from being family and village centered to the modern global interdependence that is apparent in many disciplines--for example, contemporary art, business, engineering, music, and the natural and social sciences. Many serious local and national problems are world issues that require solutions which exhibit mutuality and reciprocity. These problems occur in a wide variety of activities, such as food supply, ecology, health care delivery, language planning, information exchange, economic and social developments, law, technology transfer, and even philosophy and the arts. The Global Awareness Area recognizes the need for an understanding of the values, elements, and social processes of cultures other than the culture of the United States. The Global Awareness Area includes courses that recognize the nature of other contemporary cultures and the relationship of the American cultural system to generic human goals and welfare.

Courses that satisfy the global awareness option in the requirements are of one or more of the following types:

1. Area studies that are concerned with an examination of culture-specific elements of a region of the world;
2. The study of a non-English language;
3. Studies of international relationships, particularly those in which cultural change is facilitated by such factors as social and economic development, education, and the transfer of technology; and
4. Studies of cultural interrelationships of global scope such as the global interdependence produced by problems of world ecology.

Historical Awareness [H]

The Historical Awareness Area option in the requirements aims to develop a knowledge of the past that can be useful in shaping the present and future. Because historical forces and traditions have created modern life and lie just beneath its surface, historical awareness is an aid in the analysis of present-day problems. Also, because the historical past is a source of social and national identity, historical study can produce intercultural understanding by tracing cultural differences to their origins. Even the remote past may have instructive analogies for the present.

The Historical Awareness Area consists of courses that are historical in method and content. In this area, the term “history” designates a sequence of past events or a narrative whose intent or effect is to represent such a sequence.

The requirement presumes that these are human events and that history includes all that has been felt, thought, imagined, said, and done by human beings. History is present in the languages, art, music, literature, philosophy, religion, and the natural sciences, as well as in the social science traditionally called history.