Welcome! The Beeghly College of Liberal Arts, Social Sciences, and Education offers a general associate-level degree to students. This two-year degree encompasses general education courses, a concentration of the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences, and elective hours.
The Associate of Arts (AA) degree allows students to: a) increase their earning potential or increase their level of responsibility within a current position; b) complete YSU's Ohio transfer module (OTM) which ensures coursework will transfer to another state institution within Ohio; c) serve as a short-term goal on their way to a baccalaureate level degree; and d) earn a degree using courses already completed.
To inquire about earning the Associate of Arts degree, please contact an advisor in the Division of Academic Advising in the Beeghly College of Liberal Arts, Social Sciences, and Education.
Contact Information
Division of Academic Advising
DeBartolo Hall, Room 121
(330) 941-3413
Associate of Arts (AA) Requirements:
All courses completed for the Associate of Arts general education model must be Ohio Transfer Module (OTM) approved.
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| FIRST YEAR REQUIREMENT -STUDENT SUCCESS | ||
| YSU 1500 | Success Seminar | 1-2 |
| or YSU 1500S | Youngstown State University Success Seminar | |
| or HONR 1500 | Intro to Honors | |
| General Education | ||
| Knowledge Domains: (all General Education courses must be OTM approved courses - please consult an academic advisor regarding GER coursees) | ||
| ENGL 1550 | Writing 1 | 3-4 |
| or ENGL 1549 | Writing 1 with Support | |
| ENGL 1551 | Writing 2 | 3 |
| Any General Education math course | 3-6 | |
| 2 Natural Sciences courses + Lab (one must include a lab) | 7 | |
| 2 Humanities Courses | 6 | |
| 2 Social Science Courses | 6 | |
| GER Elective (any three additional courses from the above knowledge domains) | 9 | |
| Concentration Area: Students choose one of three concentration areas (see list below) | 21 | |
Courses in the concentration must have grades of "C" or better | ||
| Elective(s): Students must complete electives to total at least 60sh for the AA degree | 1 | |
| Total Semester Hours: | 60-63 | |
| The last 20 semester hours and at least 16 s.h. of the concentration area must be completed at Youngstown State University. | ||
Concentration Areas:
Students choose one concentration area below.
Humanities
Applicable courses include:
- literature courses in English or Foreign Language departments
- courses in philosophy and religious studies
- survey and/or appreciation courses in the Department of Art, the Department of Communication, the Department of Theatre and Dance, or the Dana School of Music
- AFST 2601 Introduction to Africana Studies 2
Social Studies
Courses must be selected from the following disciplines:
- Africana Studies (AFST 2600 Introduction to Africana Studies 1 only)
- anthropology
- economics
- human and regional geography
- history
- political science
- psychology
- sociology
Natural Sciences
Courses must be selected from the following disciplines:
- astronomy
- biology
- chemistry
- environmental science
- geology
- physics
- physical geography
- A&S/STEM 2600 (no longer offered)
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | S.H. | |
| YSU 1500 | Success Seminar | 1 |
| ENGL 1550 | Writing 1 | 3 |
| Any General Education Math course | 3-6 | |
| Natural Science GER + Lab OTM approved | 4 | |
| Arts & Humanities GER OTM approved | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 14-17 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENGL 1551 | Writing 2 | 3 |
| Social Science GER OTM approved | 3 | |
| Natural Science GER OTM approved | 3 | |
| Arts & Humanities GER OTM approved | 3 | |
| Concentration Course | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| Social Science GER OTM approved | 3 | |
| GER Elective | 3 | |
| Concentration Course | 3 | |
| Concentration Course | 3 | |
| Concentration Course | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| Concentration Course | 3 | |
| Concentration Course | 3 | |
| Concentration Course | 3 | |
| GER Elective | 3 | |
| GER Elective | 3 | |
| Elective hours additional hours may be needed to total 60sh | 1 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 60-63 | |
Learning Outcomes
All students will:
- (1) Demonstrate effective written communication.
- (2) Develop skills to enter the work force or build upon a liberal arts foundation to succeed in upper division coursework if pursuing a baccalaureate degree.
Social Studies concentrations:
- (3) Students will demonstrate an understanding of relationships of individuals and groups in their geographical, historical, global, societal, or cultural contexts.
Humanities concentrations:
- (4) Students will demonstrate an understanding of artistic expression in multiple forms and contexts. (GER Learning Outcome 8)
- (5) Students will demonstrate an understanding of the humanistic perspective including philosophy, ethics, critical thinking, religious inquiry, and diversity.
Natural Science concentrations:
- (6) Students will demonstrate an understanding of the natural environment and the processes that shape it. (GER Learning Outcome 13)