Degree, Certificate & General Education Information

Cecil College offers programs of study that lead to associate degrees and program certificates. Students may enter a program designed for transfer to a four-year institution; one that prepares them for immediate entry into the workforce; or a program that helps them upgrade skills in their current career.

Degree Programs

There are six associate’s degrees:

Associate of Arts (A.A.)
Recognizes mastery in the liberal arts (humanities, social sciences and similar subjects) and in the fine arts. The associate of arts degree transfers to appropriate baccalaureate programs and provides for career exploration and skills upgrading.

Associate of Science (A.S.)
Recognizes a curricular focus in science, mathematics, or technology. The associate of science degree transfers to appropriate baccalaureate programs and also provides for career exploration and skills upgrading.

Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.)
Recognizes a curricular focus in a specific occupational area. The associate of applied science degree is designed primarily for immediate employment or career mobility and is identified with a specialty designation, e.g., computer technology, law enforcement, etc.

Associate of Arts in Teaching (A.A.T.)
Designed for transfer to a Maryland four-year institution to obtain a baccalaureate degree and teacher certification.

Associate of Fine Arts (A.F.A.)
Designated for transfer to a four-year institution to obtain a baccalaureate degree.

Associate of Science in Engineering (A.S.E.)
Designated for transfer to a four-year institution for continued study in engineering Associate degree programs consist of general education courses, program specific courses, and electives. To qualify for an associate’s degree, students must complete the minimum number of credit hours required in their programs and earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better in college-level courses (A.A.T. programs require students to earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 and they must pass the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (CORE) test). In addition, students must meet other graduation requirements and general education requirements.

Certificate Programs

The College offers certificate programs for those who wish to gain a credential for acquired knowledge, skills and abilities focused in specific discipline areas. Most certificate programs are designed to assist students with goals for upgrading skills for immediate application in employment. Many certificate programs are designed as units within associate degree programs and can be acquired in the process of seeking an associate’s degree. Certificate programs require the completion of 12 credits or more. Students must complete 50 percent of their course work at Cecil College and earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better in college-level courses, and meet all other graduation requirements.

Programs to Meet Diverse Educational Needs

To meet the educational needs of the community, Cecil College offers programs in general education, college or university transfer, career education, continuing education, and student development services.

1. The general education program provides all students with writing, speaking, reading, critical thinking and computing skills and knowledge to function as educated citizens in a complex world.
2. College transfer programs prepare students for further learning by providing courses in specific disciplines and general education that parallel the first two years at a four-year institution.
3. The career education program prepares students for immediate employment in technical and business fields and allows students to continue studies at four-year institutions.
4. The non-credit division of the College provides non-credit courses and skills which allow individuals to upgrade their abilities, prepare for state licensure or certification, re-train for new occupations, enrich cultural backgrounds, and develop specialized interests. It also provides contract training for business and industry.
5. Student Services and Institutional Effectiveness provides students with a variety of resources, including academic advising and support, multicultural affairs, job placement and career management services, financial aid services, student development activities, and intercollegiate athletics.

General Education - Student Learning Outcomes

Student learning across the curriculum is measured by the expected student learning outcomes for General Education. Through the General Education core requirements, all curricula are designed so that students demonstrate college-level competency in:

1. Critical Thinking
2. Arts and Human Cultures
3. Written and Oral Communication
4. Information Literacy
5. Technological Skills
6. Quantitative and Scientific Reasoning

The College characterizes a general education as one that develops the skills, knowledge and abilities essential to all students completing a degree to enter the workforce or transfer to an advanced degree regardless of chosen majors. Cecil College defines general education competencies as follows:

1. Graduates will have the ability to apply Critical Thinking
2. Graduates will illustrate knowledge of Arts and the Diversity of Human Cultures
3. Graduates will be able to illustrate appropriate Written and Oral Communication
4. Graduates will be able to apply Information Literacy
5. Graduates will be able to illustrate Technological Skills
6. Graduates will be able to apply Quantitative and Scientific Reasoning

In the College’s General Education Student Learning Outcomes, the College states that knowledge of the diversity of human cultures is an essential characteristic of general education.  In response, the College has identified the following list of courses in which students will be introduced to this material.  Each associate degree program includes one of these courses as a requirement.

General Education and Institutional Requirements

The College defines general education as the portion of the curriculum devoted to the development of the skills, knowledge and abilities essential to all students, regardless of chosen majors. The course distribution is intended to ensure that students have mastered and demonstrated a familiarity with core knowledge basic to all college-level work.

Arts and Humanities

• 6 semester credit hours in the arts and humanities general education courses

Biological and Physical Sciences

• 7-8 semester credit hours in biological and physical sciences general education courses One of the courses must be a laboratory science course

English Composition

• 3 credits in College Composition (EGL 101 )

Mathematics

• 3 semester credit hours in a mathematics general education course

Social and Behavioral Sciences

• 6 semester credit hours in social and behavioral sciences general education courses

General Education Electives

• Additional general education courses to complete a minimum of 28 semester hours (general education courses must be selected from the general education list)

Institutional Requirement

• 3 additional credits in EGL 102 Composition & Literature  or EGL 211 Technical Writing  (if EGL 102   is selected as the second writing course, it will count as an Arts and Humanities General Education Course)

Arts and Humanities

• 3 semester credit hours in the arts and humanities general education course

Biological and Physical Sciences

• 4 semester credit hours in biological and physical sciences general education course
• Course must be a laboratory science course

English Composition

• 3 credits in College Composition (EGL 101 )

Mathematics

• 3 semester credit hours in a mathematics general education course

Social and Behavioral Sciences

• 3 semester credit hours in social and behavioral sciences general education course

General Education Electives

• Additional general education courses to complete a minimum of 18 semester hours (general education courses must be selected from the general education list)

Definition of General Education Competencies for Cecil College

Written and Oral Communication

Cecil College defines college-level writing competency according to the Standards for a “C” Paper as approved on March 3, 1998, by the Maryland Statewide English Composition Committee and on April 21, 1998 by the Inter-segmental Chief Academic Officers of Maryland’s two- and four-year institutions of higher education.

College-level oral communication is defined as improved oral expression, listening, critical thinking, and message analysis, and enhanced appreciation and understanding of various forms of expression/communication.

Scientific and Quantitative Reasoning

Cecil College defines college-level competency in scientific reasoning as students’ ability to articulate the elements of the scientific method, and the application of such elements to the analysis and the practice of science. Students should be able to collect, analyze, interpret, evaluate, and present data.

College-level quantitative reasoning is defined by the following approved statewide attributes:

1. Interpret mathematical models given verbally, or by formulas, graphs, tables, or schematics, and draw inferences from them.
2. Represent mathematical concepts verbally, and where appropriate, symbolically, visually, and numerically.
3. Use arithmetic, algebraic, geometric, technological, or statistical methods to solve problems.
4. Use mathematical reasoning with appropriate technology to solve problems, test conjectures, judge the validity of arguments, formulate valid arguments, and communicate the reasoning and the results.
5. Estimate and check answers to mathematical problems in order to determine reasonableness.
6. Recognize and use connections within mathematics and between mathematics and other disciplines.

Critical Analysis and Reasoning

Cecil College defines college-level proficiency in critical analysis and reasoning to include, but not limited to, the following: application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, problem solving, and decision making, as well as creative thinking, meta-cognition, and productive habits of the mind.

Technological Competency

Cecil College defines college-level technological competency as the students’ ability to engage in technology collaboration; use and create structured digital documents; perform technology-enhanced presentations; use technology tools for research and evaluation; use databases to manage information; use technology tools for analyzing qualitative and quantitative data; use graphical and multimedia representational technologies; demonstrate familiarity with major legal, ethical, privacy and security issues; demonstrate a working knowledge of hardware and software applications; and create an HTML web page.

Information Literacy

Cecil College defines college-level information literacy as the students’ ability to recognize the need for information; identify what information is needed; find that information; evaluate information critically for relevance and credibility; use information to solve problems or answer questions; and use information legally and ethically.

General Education Course Codes

The following codes are used in the course descriptions to identify courses that satisfy the General Education Core Requirements:

Computer Literacy Across the Curriculum

Computer Literacy Across the Curriculum is an approach to academic instruction that exercises skills which students will need to be computer literate in the future and to effectively use computer terminology, software, and hardware.

Students pursuing a degree program at Cecil College must fulfill a computer literacy requirement for graduation.

The associate degree programs at Cecil College include the general education credit hours required by the state of Maryland. If a degree program directs students to choose general education courses from specific categories, those courses must be selected from the approved courses listed below.

Approved General Education Courses by Category

The associate degree programs at Cecil College include the general education credit hours required by the state of Maryland. If a degree program directs students to choose general education courses from specific categories, those courses must be selected from the approved courses listed below.

Important! Transfer students should consult with an academic advisor when choosing general education courses from the approved list since each transfer institution has slightly different requirements.