Associate of Arts in Liberal Studies
The Associate of Arts in Liberal Studies (AALS) is a flexible degree program that provides the learner with an opportunity to explore and build an academic foundation in liberal arts and general studies and to define their career goals. It provides learners with an initiation into the liberal arts and general studies tradition with a selection of courses from English, the Humanities, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. It enables learners to better understand and relate to the world around them from a liberal studies perspective and prepares for entry into a bachelor’s degree program at the junior level.
Program Learning Outcome
- Apply knowledge and approaches from multiple disciplines to explore real-world problems.
Degree Requirements
| DEGREE REQUIREMENTS |
CREDITS |
| University Success Online |
3 |
| General Education Courses |
21 |
| Elective Courses |
36 |
| TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED FOR COMPLETION |
60 |
Required Courses
University Success Online (3 Credits Required)
General Education Courses (21 Credits Required)
The associate degree requires the successful completion of 21 General Education credits. This requirement can be met entirely or in part by transfer from other institutions. If the applicant does not have the entire 21 GE credits to transfer, then the University will recommend GE courses to be taken to add breadth and to satisfy the 21 GE credits required. The General Education courses available for the associate degree are grouped into five sub-disciplines: English, humanities, mathematics, natural sciences, and social sciences. Course listings and descriptions can be found in the Undergraduate General Education section under Course Descriptions of the university catalog.
Elective Courses (36 Credits Required)
The elective courses category is designed to provide learners with the opportunity to explore their interests in any undergraduate courses offered by the University that do not have pre-requisites.
This program is not designed to meet the educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification required for employment in an occupation. As such, CalSouthern has made no determination regarding prerequisites for licensure or certification in any state or jurisdiction.
While California Southern University, as a member of the AIU System, is part of a Title IV eligible institution offering Title IV eligible programs, CalSouthern has elected and designated this program as not participating in Title IV federal financial aid programs. This means students enrolling in this program may not use Federal Student Aid to help pay for this program. Instead, it offers a variety of zero interest payment options for students.