Uniform Certificate of General Studies

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ACADEMIC PLAN: 695

CIP: 24.0199

AWARD: Certificate

LENGTH: 1 Year

Purpose:

The Uniform Certificate of General Studies (UCGS) is a one-year college program in which all courses are transferable and satisfy lower-division general education requirements at any Virginia public institution of higher education. The Passport is a component of the UCGS and is therefore a subset of courses in the UCGS. The UCGS consists of seven course blocks. To satisfy the UCGS students are required to complete the appropriate number of courses in each block as described below. Student course selection should be carefully considered since the UCGS program is not designed to capture the complexities of individual programs of study at the four-year institutions. Students should be advised to take the UCGS course that best suits their intended program of study at the four-year institution. Only classes completed after May 2020 apply toward UCGS completion.

Admissions Requirements:

Individuals are eligible for admission to CVCC if they are high school graduates or the equivalent, or if they are eighteen years of age or older and able to benefit academically from study at the community college, as demonstrated by assessment in reading, writing, and mathematics.

Program Requirements:

All students expected to complete the requirements for a degree, diploma, certificate, or career studies certificate must complete an Application for Graduation.

VCCS Uniform Certificate of General Studies Course Roster

Students are required to select courses from each block as prescribed below.

UCGS Block I - Written Communication Credits: 6
UCGS Block II - Humanities/Art/Literature Credits: 6
UCGS Block III - Social & Behavioral Sciences Credits: 3
UCGS Block IV - Natural Sciences Credits: 4
UCGS Block V - Mathematics Credits: 3
UCGS Block VI - History Credits: 3
UCGS Block VII - Specialized General Education Requirements Credits: 6

Total Program Credits: 32

Students who plan to transfer should consult an academic counselor to verify specific program requirements with their intended four-year institution. While an elective course may satisfy a requirement for a Central Virginia Community College program, it may not fulfill a requirement at a four-year institution.

¹Students transferring to UVA may need to submit a writing portfolio before being considered as having met the institution’s First Writing Requirement. If transferring credits do not satisfy the First Writing Requirement, UVA agrees to accept and apply credits toward student graduation requirements and students will be required to take an institutional writing course

* MTH 161/162 and 167 should only be taken by students preparing for calculus or for four-year degree programs that require study in College Algebra/PreCalc. Precalculus may not satisfy general education and may not receive transfer credit