Liberal Arts
Description:
In the liberal arts, students use critical thinking and draw from a number of disciplines to analyze complex social and cultural issues and become life-long learners prepared to meet personal, societal, and global challenges. The Liberal Arts degree program provides a clear educational path for many students at Community College of Philadelphia that also offers the opportunity to clarify their interests and career goals. It is designed for students planning to transfer to baccalaureate programs after study at the College.
Students in the Liberal Arts curriculum are required to enroll in FYE 101: First Year Experience within the first 12 credits and must complete required courses ENGL 101, ENGL 102, college-level math, CIS 103, the first in the Social Science pair, the first in the Humanities pair, and the Communication course within the first 24 credits so that they are free to choose the courses that best fit their long-term educational goals for the remainder of the program.
Alternate pathways exist so that students may take the following certificates while completing the Liberal Arts degree: Religious Studies Proficiency Certificate, Acting Proficiency Certificate, Technical Theater Proficiency Certificate, and Creative Writing Academic Certificate.
Students are expected to consult with an academic advisor or counselor upon entry to the program and in subsequent semesters. Transfer planning should begin early so that the student can make the most informed choices. The Liberal Arts curriculum contains a number of electives and allows students and advisors to shape the selection of courses to meet individual goals. Students who follow the Liberal Arts curriculum and plan to attend a specific four-year college after graduation should choose electives that duplicate as closely as possible those in the first two years of the program of that college.
Note: Many, but not all, transfer institutions require some knowledge of a world language (from one semester to two years of study at the college level or the equivalent). Students planning to transfer should be aware of world language requirements that may affect their acceptance into certain colleges and programs.
Program Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this program graduates will be able to:
- Think critically about ideas and concepts in the arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, and mathematics to analyze complex personal, social, and global issues.
- Communicate in oral, creative, and written modes in ways that reflect the situation, audience, and conventions of the medium.
- Analyze content across disciplines to discern and respect diverse experiences and perspectives, such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and ability, from both local and global points of view.
- Question, investigate and solve problems using scientific and quantitative reasoning.
Program Entry Requirements:
Students are required to satisfy placement at the time of admission. Students identified as needing developmental course work must satisfactorily complete the appropriate English and mathematics courses as a part of their degree program.
Program of Study and Graduation Requirements:
Students in the Liberal Arts curriculum are required to enroll in FYE 101: First Year Experience within the first 12 credits and must complete required courses ENGL 101, ENGL 102, college-level math, CIS 103, the first in the Social Science pair, the first in the Humanities pair, and the Communication course within the first 24 credits. To qualify for the Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree in Liberal Arts, a student must complete a minimum of 61 credit hours as prescribed and attain a grade point average of 2.0 ("C" average).
Course Sequence:
Semester 1
Course Number and Name | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits | Gen Ed Req. |
---|---|---|---|
Course Number and Name FYE 101 - First Year Experience | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. |
Course Number and Name ENGL 101 - English Composition I or ENGL 101H - English Composition I (Honors) | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. Writing, Research, and Info Lit 1 |
Course Number and Name CIS 103 - Introduction to Information Technology * | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. Technological Competency |
Course Number and Name FNMT 101 - Quantitative Reasoning or FNMT 118 - Intermediate Algebra or MATH 161 - Precalculus I or higher ** | Prerequisites and Corequisites For FNMT 101 or FNMT 118: FNMT 017 or FNMT 019 completed or FNMT 118 (or higher) placement For MATH 161: FNMT 118 with a grade of "C" or better, or placement in MATH 161 or higher | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. Quantitative Reasoning |
Course Number and Name HIST 101 - United States History: Colonial America through the Revolutionary Period or PSYC 101 - Introduction to Psychology or PSYC 101H - 101H Introduction to Psychology (Honors) or SOC 101 - Introduction to Sociology or SOC 101H - Introduction to Sociology (Honors) or ANTH 101- Introduction to Anthropology *** | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. Cultural Analysis & Interpretation |
Semester 2
Course Number and Name | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits | Gen Ed Req. |
---|---|---|---|
Course Number and Name ENGL 102 - The Research Paper or ENGL 102H - The Research Paper (Honors) | Prerequisites and Corequisites ENGL 101 with a grade of "C" or better | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. Writing, Research, and Info Lit 2d |
Course Number and Name BLAS 101 - Introduction to Black Studies or HIST 121 - World History: The Distant Past or HIST 122 - World History: The Recent Past or HUM 101 - Cultural Traditions: Ancient to the 13th Century or HUM 101H - Cultural Traditions: Ancient to the 13th Century (Honors) or HUM 102 - Cultural Traditions: 14th Century to the Present or HUM 102H - Cultural Traditions: 14th Century to the Present (Honors) or World Language 101: Arabic, Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, or Spanish or ENGL 190 - Introduction to Literature or any 200-level English course (with the exception of ENGL 214) or *** | Prerequisites and Corequisites For BLAS 102: BLAS 101 For ENGL 190, ENGL 137, and ENGL 205 through ENGL 272: ENGL 101 with a grade of "C" or better | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. |
Course Number and Name ENGL 115 - Public Speaking or ENGL 116 - Interpersonal Communication or ENGL 117- Group/Team Communication or ENGL 118 - Intercultural Communication | Prerequisites and Corequisites ENGL 101, which may be taken concurrently | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. Oral Communication/Creative Expression |
Course Number and Name BIOL 106 - General Biology I or CHEM 105 - Inquiry into Chemistry | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits 4 credits | Gen Ed Req. Scientific Reasoning |
Course Number and Name General Elective** | Prerequisites and Corequisites | Credits 3 credits | Gen Ed Req. |
Semester 3
Semester 4
Minimum Credits Needed to Graduate:
61* Students with computer skills may apply for credit by exam through the Computer Technologies Department.
** Some colleges and universities require a mathematics course above FNMT 118. Here are the options:
- Students who are FNMT 118 ready may take MATH 137 or MATH 150 instead of FNMT 101 or FNMT 118.
- Students who are FNMT 118 ready who intend to transfer to Temple University should take FNMT 118, which is the prerequisite for MATH 161.
- Students with a math placement score above FNMT 118 should take MATH 161 or a higher-level math course.
- Please visit the transfer agreements web page for more information and consult with an advisor when selecting a quantitative reasoning course. Students in the Religious Studies, Acting, or Technical Theater proficiency certificates or the Creative Writing Academic Certificate should consult those requirements before selecting a quantitative reasoning course or general electives.
*** Pair 1 and Pair 2 subjects must match. Students in the Creative Writing Academic Certificate should take two literature courses as their Humanities pair.
† Students in the Religious Studies Proficiency Certificate should not take ENGL 117. Students in the Religious Studies Proficiency Certificate should take RS 170 and RS 151. Students in the Acting Proficiency Certificate and Technical Theater Proficiency Certificate should take ENGL 131. Students in the Creative Writing Academic Certificate should take ENGL 205. Other courses are available with Coordinator approval.
General Education Requirements:
All general education requirements necessary for graduation are met through the courses in the program as indicated above. Students who wish to take courses that differ from the general education courses indicated above must complete a course substitution request form. To access the form, login to the MyCCP portal, and in the Student tab, under Electronic Forms, click on the Records and Registration Forms link, then choose Request For Course Substitution Of Graduation Requirement link. A more detailed explanation of the College's general education requirements is also available.
For More Information, Contact:
The Division of Liberal Studies, Room BR-21, 1700 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130, Telephone (215) 751-8450; or the College Information Center (215) 751-8010.