General Education Options

General Education Options

About General Education

General Education (GE) is one of the required components of all Associate (and Baccalaureate) degrees. At the colleges of the Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD, which includes Ventura College, Moorpark College, and Oxnard College) there are five GE options available. The educational goal (major and/or transfer pathway) that a student is pursuing will dictate the GE choices available to the student. Each District College offers the same five GE options to its students. Students whose goal is the attainment of a Certificate of Achievement, Proficiency Award, Certificate of Competency, or Certificate of Completion are exempted from having to complete any GE options.

General Education Options

  1. Ventura College General Education

    The Ventura College General Education plan is also known as the AA/AS GE plan or the Local GE plan. It is based on requirements found in Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations and District policy.

    The majors at Ventura College requiring students to complete the Ventura College General Education plan include:
    • AA Degrees in General Studies Pattern I (students must complete Areas A through F of the plan)
    • All AA and AS Degrees in specific majors (students must complete Areas A through E of the plan)
  2. California State University GE-Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth)

    Certified completion of the CSU GE-Breadth pattern will fulfill the lower-division general education requirements of all CSU campuses in most majors. Note: There are some majors or colleges within CSU campuses for which CSU GE-Breadth is not the appropriate preparation. Students should refer to their intended campus and major at www.assist.org and/or consult with a college counselor for guidance.

    The majors at Ventura College for which the CSU GE-Breadth plan is an option include:
    • All transfer (AA-T or AS-T) degrees
    • AA Degrees in General Studies Pattern III
    For the latest information on Associate Degrees for Transfer (ADTs), visit www.icangotocollege.com.
  3. Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)

    Certified completion of the IGETC pattern will fulfill the lower-division general education requirements of all UC campuses in most majors. Note: There are some majors or colleges within UC/CSU campuses for which IGETC is not the appropriate preparation. See IGETC Considerations and refer to your intended campus and major at www.assist.org and/or consult with a college counselor for guidance.

    The majors at Ventura College for which the IGETC plan is an option include:
    • All transfer (AA-T or AS-T) degrees
    • AA Degrees in General Studies Pattern III
    • All UC Transfer Pathways (AS-UCTP) degrees (note that Ventura College does not currently offer these degrees, but it may do so in the future)
  4. IGETC for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (IGETC for STEM)
    A transfer student intending to major in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics may complete up to three (3) GE courses after transfer. UC will accept IGETC for STEM if the UC school, college, or major program to which the student transfers accepts partial IGETC certification. The courses to be completed after transfer may consist of at most one (1) in each of the following areas: Arts and Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Language Other than English (LOTE). See the University of California Transfer Requirements for more information.

    The major at Ventura College for which the IGETC for STEM plan is an option is:
    • Biology (AS-T)
  5. General Education Pattern of the Intended Transfer Institution (including meeting minimum Title 5 requirements)

    Students transferring to a four-year university in high-unit majors or where completion of the CSU GE-Breadth or IGETC pattern is not appropriate or advisable may choose to follow the GE pattern of their intended institution. This may include students transferring to private universities, out-of-state universities, or UC/CSU campuses within majors that have their own specific GE requirements.

    The majors at Ventura College for which the Intended Transfer Institution GE plan is an option include:
    • AA Degrees in General Studies Pattern II