Associate of Arts - Social Justice - Transfer Degree

Students completing the program will be able to... • Demonstrate a basic understanding of social injustices and inequities, and proposed approaches to their remediation and/or resolution, drawn from a variety of historic, cultural and regional settings. • Analyze the processes through which communities attempt to overcome and heal from problems associated with inequality, stigma, prejudice and discrimination. • Demonstrate analytical writing ability that effectively integrates theoretical frameworks, research findings and experiential knowledge about social justice. • Be empowered through their participation in community engagement projects to be civically engaged participants in college and community life.

The associate in arts in social justice studies for transfer degree provides students with a community-engagement model of learning about inequalities, stigma, prejudice and discrimination and efforts to remediate, heal and overcome them. It offers a wide range of courses in sociology, interdisciplinary social sciences, history, psychology, drama, music, fine arts, and literature.

Completion of the degree is valuable in its own right, as it empowers students to be effective agents for social change. This program is also an excellent starting point for students contemplating a career in law, law enforcement, social work, clinical psychology, any social science, health and medical fields, education, public policy, politics, business, music, drama, or fine arts.

The associate in arts in social justice studies for transfer degree is primarily intended for students who plan to complete a bachelor’s degree at a California State University (CSU) in areas of study such as african american studies; africana studies; american indian studies; american studies; arabic language, literature and culture; asian american studies; chicano/chicana studies; ethnic studies; gender studies; labor and employment studies; labor studies; latin american studies; liberal studies w/option in interdisciplinary studies in culture and society; liberal studies - border studies option; mexican-american studies; modern jewish studies; negotiation, conflict resolution and peace building; sociology - concentration in critical race studies; sociology – concentration race, class, and gender; sociology with inequalities and diversity option; social science with emphasis in islamic and arabic studies; women, gender, and sexuality studies; women’s studies. Students completing this degree are guaranteed admission to the CSU system, but not necessarily to a particular major or campus.

In order to earn the degree, students must: • • Complete 60 CSU-transferable units. • Complete the California State University-General Education-Breadth pattern (CSU GE-Breadth); or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) pattern, including the Area 1C requirement for Oral Communication. • Complete a minimum of 18 units in the major. • Attain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0. • Earn a grade of “C” or higher in all courses required for the major.

Students transferring to a CSU campus that accepts the degree will be required to complete no more than 60 units after transfer to earn a bachelor’s degree. This degree may not be the best option for students intending to transfer to a particular CSU campus or to university or college that is not part of the CSU system, or those students who do not intend to transfer. Students must complete each course used to meet a major requirement with a “C” grade or higher. Some courses in the major satisfy both major and CSUGE/IGETC general education requirements; however, the units are only counted once toward the 60 unit requirement for an associate degree.

Some variations in requirements may exist at certain four year institutions; therefore, students who intend to transfer are advised to refer to the catalog of the prospective transfer institution and consult a counselor.