COMPREHENSIVE DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

42 CCSN 2007-2008 COURSE CATALOG

CCSN General Education Core

CCSN has developed a curriculum for general education

in each of its degrees and certificates as directed by policies

of the NSHE Board of Regents that is consistent with its

mission. The curriculum integrates goals for student suc-

cess, and focuses on strengthening student skills in key

areas. Whether a student completes a CCSN degree and

wants to transfer to a four-year college or university, obtain

job training, or enrich their personal lives, these skills are

the foundation of learning. These skills are embedded in

most CCSN courses, but the general education courses

specifically required in every primary field of study empha-

size them. Assessments of the skills and methodologies

are embedded in all general education courses.

General Education courses at CCSN offer opportunities

for students to explore and begin to understand the world.

The goals for general education are to develop student com-

petencies in skills or methodologies and to explore broad,

common areas of knowledge. General education courses

prepare students to access, evaluate, and integrate informa-

tion from a variety of sources in order to gain knowledge

and to use that knowledge to continue life-long learning, to

exercise responsible judgment, to make informed decisions,

to adapt to changing environments, and to take meaningful

action in professional, personal, and community life. Often

the skills or methodologies will result from a number of the

courses completed, not one specific course. Completing

general education at CCSN results in fulfilling the follow-

ing skills or methodologies and goals that directly correlate

with general education programs at the University of

Nevada, Las Vegas and Nevada State College:

• students will be able to write competently and speak

competently;

• students will understand how to obtain and use infor-

mation, via both print and electronic media;

• students will engage quantitative reasoning, that is,

math skills, at the college level;

• students will develop competency in analytical reasoning;

• students will understand basic concepts of one or two

scientific areas of study and develop a knowledge of

scientific methodologies;

• students will acquire a range of political knowledge,

including an understanding of the United States and

Nevada Constitutions;

• students will acquire an introductory level knowledge

about social sciences and their insights about individ-

ual or group behaviors;

• students will acquire appreciation or introductory

knowledge of the humanities and at least one of the

fine arts;

• students will understand differences in attitudes, per-

spectives, and cultures.

ASSOCIATE DEGREE

AND CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS

Including Associate of Arts, Associate of Business,

Associate of Science, Associate of Applied Science,

Associate of General Studies, and Certificate of

Achievement

Transfer Degrees

CCSN offers a variety of fields of study for students who

plan eventually to earn a baccalaureate degree from a four-

year college or university. Students who plan to transfer

can earn the Associate of Arts, Associate of Business, or the

Associate of Science. These programs can provide the first

two years of a four-year program. Any student transfer-

ring from the Community College of Southern Nevada

with an Associate of Arts, Associate of Business, or an

Associate of Science degree will have that degree counted

as fulfilling UNLV’s general education requirements

without the necessity for a course-by-course articulation.

Every school, whether it is the University of Nevada, Las

Vegas, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada State College,

Great Basin College or another college, has its own specific

requirements and recommended electives for its various

majors. While CCSN has a number of major-to-major

fields of study with UNLV and Nevada State College, all

students planning to transfer to a four-year institution

must meet with a counselor or advisor to ensure their

understanding of current transfer guidelines and to

carefully design a transfer path that will best meet their

needs. (See Transfer Students’ Rights and

Responsibilities in this catalog.)

Always see a counselor or advisor to outline a detailed

semester-by-semester plan of study and to obtain all

current information on CCSN degree requirements

leading to graduation.