Associate of Science (AS)

The Associate of Science (AS) degree is designed for students who plan to transfer and complete a Bachelor of Science degree at a four-year institution. The degree requirements allow students more flexibility in course selection, allowing them to focus on their discipline requirements.

NOTE: Completion of this degree does not guarantee that all lower division general education requirements have been met for a bachelor's degree (i.e., this is not a block transfer degree as is the AAOT). In selecting courses for this degree, students are highly encouraged to consult the specific transfer curriculum pages in this catalog, an advisor, and the institution to which they intend to transfer in order to determine if it is an appropriate choice.

Graduation Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 90 credit hours of specified courses with a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or better. All courses must be completed with a grade of 'C' or better. Twenty-four (24) credits must be completed at Southwestern before the degree is awarded.

Complete elective courses to reach a total of 90 credits. The courses must be numbered 100 or above. Career technical courses may only be applied to the AS degree in the following curricula which are governed by formal transfer agreements with four-year universities and are part of a current, formal transfer agreement with a four-year institution. Career technical courses offered at Southwestern are designated by "CTE" in the course description section of this catalog. All Honors courses may substitute for their equivalent requirements.

Complete the graduation application process one term prior to the term of completion (e.g., spring term graduates must apply during winter term).

General Education Requirements

All courses must be completed with a grade of 'C' or better.

Writing

Eight (8) credits of writing are required, so choose two (2) courses from below. Information Literacy will be included in the writing requirement:

WR121ZComposition I4
WR122ZComposition II4
or WR227Z Technical Writing

Communication

One (1) course taken from:

COMM100ZIntroduction to Communication4
COMM111ZPublic Speaking4
COMM218ZInterpersonal Communication4
COMM219Small Group Discussion4

Mathematics

Select four (4) credit hours of college-level mathematics from MTH105 or higher, excluding MTH211.

Health, Wellness, and Fitness

Three (3) credits of health/PE: Three (3) credits of PE185 sport/activity courses or  HE250 or PE231.

Distribution Requirements

Complete six (6) credits from each of the following Related Area of Instruction Requirements. All courses must be completed with a grade of 'C' or better.

Arts and Letters

Six (6) credit hours from:

Only second year foreign language may be used to fulfill the Arts and Letters requirement.

ART115Basic Design I Intro to Elements of Art and Principles of Design4
ART116Basic Design II, Color Theory4
ART117Basic Design III, Intro to 3D Desgn4
ART131Introduction to Drawing I3
ART132Introduction to Drawing II3
ART133Introduction to Drawing III3
ART191Beginning Sculpture3
ART192Beginning Sculpture3
ART204History of Western Art: Introduction to Art History3
ART205History of Western Art: Introduction to Art History3
ART206History of Western Art: Introduction to Art History3
ART2253
ART244Bronze Casting3
ART253Ceramics I3
ART256Ceramics II3
ART281Painting I Beginning3
ART282Painting II Beginning3
ART283Painting III Beginning3
ART284Painting I Intermediate3
ART285Painting II Intermediate3
ART286Painting III Intermediate3
ASL2012nd Yr American Sign Language I4
ASL2022nd Yr American Sign Language II4
ASL2032nd Yr American Sign Language III4
COMM100ZIntroduction to Communication4
COMM111ZPublic Speaking4
COMM218ZInterpersonal Communication4
COMM219Small Group Discussion4
COMM220Gender And Communication4
ENG104Introduction to Literature Fiction3
ENG105Introduction to Literature Drama3
ENG106Introduction to Literature Poetry3
ENG107World Literature3
ENG108World Literature3
ENG109World Literature3
ENG201Shakespeare3
ENG204Survey of English Literature3
ENG205Survey of English Literature3
ENG206Survey of English Literature3
ENG253Survey of American Literature3
ENG254Survey of American Literature3
ENG255Survey of American Literature3
HUM204World Mythology & Religion3
HUM205World Mythology & Religion3
HUM206World Mythology & Religion3
MUS101Music Fundamentals3
MUS111Music Theory I3
MUS112Music Theory II3
MUS113Music Theory III3
MUS201Intro to Music and its Literature3
MUS202Intro to Music and its Literature3
MUS203Intro to Music and its Literature3
MUS205Intro to Jazz History3
MUS206Intro to History of Rock and Roll3
MUS211Advanced Music Theory I3
MUS212Advanced Music Theory II3
MUS213Advanced Music Theory III3
PHL101Introduction to Philosophy: Philosophical Problems3
PHL102Ethics3
PHL103Intro to Logic and Critical Thnkg3
SPAN201Second Year Spanish4
SPAN202Second Year Spanish4
SPAN203Second Year Spanish4
WR241Imaginative Creative Writing Fiction3
WR242Imaginative Writing Poetry3
WR243Imaginative Writing Explorations3
TA141Acting I3
TA142Acting II3
TA143Acting Iii3
TA153Rehearsal/Performnc3

Social Sciences

Six (6) credit hours from:

ANTH201Physical Anthropology and Evolution3
ANTH202Introduction to Archaeology3
ANTH203Language and Culture3
ANTH221Intro to Cultural Anthropology3
ANTH222Cultural Anthropology II3
ANTH223Cultural Anthropology III3
ANTH224Intro to Medical Anthropology3
ANTH230Native North Americans: Oregon3
ANTH231Native North Americans: PNW3
ANTH232Native North Americans3
CJ101Intro to Criminology4
ECON201Microeconomics4
ECON202Macroeconomics4
ED169Overview of Student Special Needs3
ED258Multicultural Education3
GEOG105Cultural Geography3
HDFS140Contemporary American Families3
HDFS222Understanding Families: Supporting Diversity Disability and Risk3
HDFS229Child Development PreK - Adolescent3
HDFS247Child Development 0-83
HST101History of Western Civilization3
HST102History of Western Civilization3
HST103History of Western Civilization3
HST104History of the Middle East3
HST195History of the Vietnam War3
HST201History of the United States3
HST202History of the United States3
HST203History of the United States3
HST240Hist of Oregon and the South Coast3
PS201American Government: Political Institutions3
PS202American Government: Policy Issues3
PS203Local Politics and Government3
PS205International Relations: US Foreign Policy in the 20th Century3
PSY100Introduction to Psychology4
PSY201General Psychology3
PSY202General Psychology3
PSY203General Psychology3
PSY216Social Psychology3
PSY228Introduction to Social Science Research3
PSY231Human Sexuality3
PSY237Life Span Development3
PSY239Introduction to Abnormal Psychology3
SOC204Introduction to Sociology3
SOC205Social Institutions and Change3
SOC206Social Problems and Issues3
SOC208Sociology of Sport3
SOC210Marriage and Family3
SOC213Racial and Ethnic Relations3
SOC218Sociology of Gender3

Science/Mathematics/Computer Science

Six (6) credit hours from:

Laboratory Courses
BI101General Biology4
BI102General Biology4
BI103General Biology4
BI142Habitats: Marine Biology4
BI201Introductory Biology4
BI202Introductory Biology4
BI203Introductory Biology4
BI231Human Anatomy and Physiology I4
BI232Human Anatomy and Physiology II4
BI233Human Anatomy and Physiology III4
BI234Microbiology4
CHEM221General Chemistry I5
CHEM222General Chemistry II5
CHEM223General Chemistry III5
ENV235Introduction to Soil Science4
G201Physical Geology I4
G202Physical Geology II4
G203Historical Geology4
GS104Physical Science4
GS105Physical Science4
GS106Introduction to Earth Science4
GS107Astronomy4
GS108Oceanography4
NR260Watershed Processes4
PH201General Physics I: Mechanics5
PH202General Physics II: Heat, Waves, Relativity5
PH203Gen Physics III: Elect & Magnetism5
PH211General Physics with Calculus I5
PH212General Physics with Calculus II5
PH213General Physics with Calculus III5

Non-Laboratory Courses

BI140Practical Ecology3
BI149Introduction to Human Genetics3
CHEM110Foundations of General, Organic, and Biochemistry4
CS160Computer Science Orientation4
CS161Introduction to Computer Science I4
CS162Introduction to Computer Science II4
CS261Data Structures4
ENV110Introduction Environmental Science3
G221General Geology3
G246Geological Hazards And Natural Catastrophes3
MTH105ZMath in Society4
MTH111ZPrecalculus I: Functions4
MTH112ZPrecalculus II: Trigonometry4
MTH212Fundamentals of Elementary Mathematics II4
MTH213Fundamentals of Elementary Mathematics III4
MTH231Elements of Discrete Mathematics I4
MTH232Elements of Discrete Mathematics II4
MTH241Calculus for Bus and Soc Science I4
MTH242Calculus for Bus and Soc Science II4
MTH244Probability & Statistics II4
MTH251Calculus I Differential Calculus4
MTH252Calculus II Integral Calculus4
MTH253Calculus III Infinite Sequences And Series4
MTH254Vector Calculus I4
MTH255Vector Calculus II4
MTH256Differential Equations4
MTH260Matrix Methods and Linear Algebra4
MTH264Introduction to Matrix Algebra and Power Series4
STAT243ZElementary Statistics I4

Electives

  • All courses must be completed with a grade of 'C' or better.
  • Students may take any college-level course that would bring total credits to 90 credit hours. Career and technical education courses may only be applied to the AS degree in the designated emphasis areas which are governed by agreements with four-year universities and are part of a current, formal transfer agreement with a four-year institution (see specific catalog program page).
  • A maximum of nine (9) credits of PE185 sport/activity courses may be applied to the AS degree.
  • Three (3) credit hours of PE185 sport/activity courses may be granted toward an AS degree for completion of military basic training. A copy of the military transcript or DD-214 is required.
  • Courses numbered 199/299 will qualify as elective credit only.
  • A maximum of 45 credits is allowed for basic, developmental, or supportive courses under federal financial aid guidelines.

Students graduating from Southwestern with a two-year degree are expected to have gained the knowledge, skills and attitudes (dispositions) and to demonstrate competency for the following institutional general learning outcomes:

Communication

Students completing a degree will be able to demonstrate effective knowledge, skills, and attitudes in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, presentation of self and information.

Computation

Students completing a degree will be able to demonstrate effective knowledge, skills, and attitudes in technology skills, computer proficiency, math proficiency, decision analysis (synthesis & evaluation), understanding of and ability to apply mathematical concepts and reasoning, analyzing and using numerical data.

Creative, Critical and Analytical Thinking

Students completing a degree will be able to demonstrate effective knowledge, skills and attitudes using curiosity, learning strategies, information gathering, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, creativity, research, and problem solving.

Community/Global Consciousness and Responsibility

Students completing a degree will be able to demonstrate effective knowledge, skills, and attitudes involving respect, citizenship, cultural awareness, interpersonal skills, ethics, lifelong learning, community service, self-esteem, integrity, and empathy.