General Studies

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Start your academic journey at Ozarks Tech! Our General Studies degree is ideal if you know you want a four-year degree, but haven’t chosen a major yet. You can find what path is best for you without the pressure of choosing a major. You will take the state required general education and 18 hours of electives. Electives let you explore different areas of interest while you complete your degree. Plus, you will learn in small class sizes, rather than in a lecture hall in a sea of students.

All public colleges and universities have adopted the Core Transfer Curriculum, or CORE 42. CORE 42 is a set of courses recommended by the Missouri Department of Higher Education. It ensures all students complete a common core of college level courses across five knowledge areas. What does this mean for you? Any CORE 42 courses you take will transfer to any public college or university in Missouri. Create a solid foundation for your education at Ozarks Tech!

General Education Office
417-447-8201

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Accreditation

OTC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Our current accreditation status with the HLC is displayed on the page linked below. Our next comprehensive evaluation will be in 2030-2031. View more information on OTC accreditation.

Program Outcomes

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At Ozarks Tech, we want your transfer process to be easy. We accomplish this goal through articulation agreements. These agreements are an official partnership to match coursework between schools. This gives you a more seamless transition from Ozarks Tech to a four-year institution.

We have established an agreement for this program. This will simplify the transfer of your credits to partner schools. To understand how this degree will transfer, review the current articulation agreements. Be sure to consult with your transfer school to ensure you’re on the right path toward completing your four-year degree.

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COSTS & OPTIONS

CREDENTIAL TYPE
PROGRAM
FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO:
LENGTH OF PROGRAM
COST*

Associate of Arts

General Studies
  • Transfer to a four-year institution to pursue a bachelor's degree
  • Explore different areas of study while completing general education requirements

60 credit hours
4 semesters

$11,380.00*
to
$15,220.00*

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PROGRAM DETAILS

Clicking on the options below will provide overview information, course sequences (when applicable), and specific course descriptions. To see a full catalog of all the offerings at OTC, visit catalog.otc.edu.

General Studies (A.A.)*

A.A. Degree: 60 Hours

The Associate of Arts degree is designed to allow a student who plans to transfer to a four-year college or university to complete the general education requirements. Of the 60 credit hours required, students must complete a designated core of general education courses and subject distributions; the remaining hours will consist of electives that are numbered 100 or higher.

CORE 42 is a statewide general education course of study intended to ensure that all graduates possess a common core of college-level skills and knowledge. CORE 42 specifies the basic competencies and knowledge areas that all students completing degrees at a Missouri public institution of higher education must complete. CORE 42 is comprised of dozens of courses distributed across five knowledge areas. These courses are designated with a Missouri Transfer (MOTR) course number, which guarantees the one-to-one transfer of these courses among all Missouri public institutions of higher education. Please refer to MDHE Core Transfer Curriculum for detailed information on CORE 42 courses.

All knowledge areas below, designated with the CORE 42 logo indicate all courses in that area have been evaluated and provided a MOTR number for transfer to all Missouri public institutions of higher education.

OTC math courses approved with CORE 42 designation (MTH 128, MTH 128S, MTH 130, MTH 130S, MTH 138) have guaranteed transfer to all Missouri public higher education institutions.  Any math course with a CORE 42 prerequisite will satisfy the math general education credit.  The higher level math courses may not have direct transfer to all four-year universities.  Students should check with their receiving institution for transferability of these courses.

Any course with an approved MOTR number or additional hours from a MOTR approved course can be utilized to fulfill the Core electives requirement.  Credit received from an OTC course may be greater than the MOTR transfer equivalency.  The additional credit provided form OTC for a MOTR approved course will move the additional credit to the Core electives (e.g. CHM 160 at OTC = 4 credit hours, MOTR equivalency = 3 credit hours; additional 1 hour moved to Core electives).

The A.A. degree at OTC requires the completion of 60 credit hours.  The 15 elective hours for this category can consist of any course numbered 100 or higher from any area of study that a student is eligible to enroll.  For the most accurate transferability of a course, a student should contact the institution to which they plan to transfer.

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*Notices and Disclaimers

*Costs displayed are based on current tuition and fee rates for the program’s required credit hours, as approved by the OTC Board of Trustees, and are subject to change without notice. Estimates reflect both in-district and out-of-district residency rates. Actual costs, degree completion time, and credit requirements may vary based on residency, prior credits, elective courses, program updates, and enrollment factors. For additional information on attendance costs, visit Cost of Attendance, tuition and fees or contact us at 417-447-6900.

**Graduation rates vary by individual. For details on program enrollment, retention, exam/certification, and employment rates, visit Student Outcomes / Student Right-to-Know. Some careers on this list may require additional education and training. For program-specific accreditation visit OTC Accreditation.