Associate in General Studies A.G.S.

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The Associate in General Studies (A.G.S.) degree is designed for students whose academic or career goals cannot be met through a traditional associate degree program. Working closely with an academic advisor, students build a personalized plan of study by selecting courses from a variety of disciplines that align with their individual educational objectives.

This degree is intended for students with unique academic needs and is not designed as a default program of study or a traditional transfer degree. Because every student’s plan is different, an academic advisor will help determine whether the A.G.S. is the right fit and guide course selection.

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Your Path to a Bachelor’s Degree Starts Here.

Start here, save money, and transfer with a clear plan.

An Associate in General Studies (A.G.S.) degree can prepare you to transfer into a bachelor’s degree program or begin building skills for creative careers in the arts and design industries. Students often use the A.F.A. as a pathway toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree at a four-year college or university.

These courses mirror what you would take at a university, but at a significantly lower cost. By starting here, you can save on tuition and may qualify for transfer scholarships while staying on track toward your bachelor’s degree.
The A.A. is one of the most common transfer degrees and prepares you for a wide range of majors. Completing your associate degree can also increase your chances of transferring with junior status, helping you move forward with confidence.

The Associate in General Studies (A.G.S.) degree at Moraine Valley is designed to be completed in about two years when attending full-time.

The program requires 60 credit hours, including 21 credit hours of general education coursework and 39 credit hours of electives. Unlike traditional associate degree programs, the A.G.S. offers eligible students the flexibility to create a personalized plan of study that aligns with their unique educational goals.
Because this degree is designed for students with specialized academic needs, students must work with an academic advisor to determine eligibility and develop an individualized course plan.

Transfer Agreements

You can transfer credits from Moraine Valley to most four-year colleges or universities across the country.
 
The college is proud to partner with four-year colleges and universities to ensure a seamless transfer experience for its students who desire to earn a bachelor’s degree. 
 
View our Transfer Programs page for more transfer guides and articulation agreements. 

Ready to get started? Apply today and take the first step toward your degree.
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$3,288

Annual Tuition

Save thousands of dollars on your college education cost by enrolling at Moraine Valley.

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Employment Outlook

About 5,500 openings for computer programmers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.

Employment of computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow 15% from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations. These occupations are projected to add about 682,800 new jobs. Demand for these workers will stem from greater emphasis on cloud computing, the collection, and storage of big data, and information security.

$47.44

Median Hourly Pay with Bachelor’s

$98,670

Median Annual Salary with Bachelor’s

Source:

This program prepares students with fundamental programming and database skills. It may serve as a foundation for students who plan to pursue careers in technology, an enhancement to studies in other disciplines, or a means for adding technical credentials to one’s resume.

This program prepares students with programming skills that will, when combined with a degree, provide the background for entry-level or trainee positions or enhance an information technology professional’s versatility and career advancement potential.

C# is a language similar to C++ and Java while utilizing a drag-and-drop development environment more commonly found in Visual Basic. The result is a tool that allows for the rapid development of desktop, PDA, data-driven web applications using state-of-the-art object-oriented techniques. Within this certificate’s courses, you will learn the latest in software design and development methodologies while gaining hands-on experience with the latest versions of Visual C#.

This program prepares students with programming skills that will, when combined with a degree, provide the background for entry-level or trainee positions or enhance an information technology professional’s versatility and career advancement potential.

Because Java was designed for the Internet, it has been a popular choice for writing programs that are platform independent and safe. Java remains popular for network programming and web development. More recently, object-oriented features in the language have made Java a competitive option for writing stand-alone applications. Within this certificate’s courses you will learn the latest in software design and development methodologies while gaining hands-on experience with the latest versions of Java.

This program prepares students with programming skills that will, when combined with a degree and industry experience, provide the background for entry-level or trainee software development positions. Information technology professionals may also pursue this program to enhance their versatility and career advancement potential.

Within this certificate’s courses, students will gain hands-on experience using at least two programming languages — selecting from C#, Java, iOS, Android, and Visual Basic. Software development lifecycle issues — including solution conception, design, implementation, and testing — are addressed with hands-on experiences using the latest hardware and software development tools. Students expand on their breadth of knowledge by selecting from database, web design/development, eCommerce, and Microsoft Office application integration course options.

This program prepares students with skills to build and administer a single-user database, including the designing of tables, queries, forms, reports, and macros. The coursework maps to industry certification in personal database management.

This program provides skill development in beginning-level desktop publishing. Students utilize software such as Microsoft Publisher, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe InDesign. This program is designed for the experienced computer user who possesses strong skills in Microsoft Windows navigation and computer application packages. It is appropriate for students who have earned a degree previously or who can prove substantial work experience. Students who are interested in beginning a career in graphics or desktop publishing and do not possess these prerequisite skills should meet with the department chair or program coordinator to plan appropriate course selections.

This program prepares students for entry-level positions in desktop support for PC applications. Students acquire hardware and software knowledge and customer service skills necessary to troubleshoot and resolve basic PC and applications problems. They may provide assistance concerning the use of computer hardware and software including printing, installing hardware and software, application programs, electronic mail, and operating systems.

This program prepares students to work in the fields of multimedia design. Students will receive training in the digital media, design, visual effects and motion graphics, animation, production development, production, and communication and information technology. Students will learn about production, editing, and layout design. Jobs in multimedia design can be found in career fields such as television or film production, animation, audio production, and set design, as well as several other multimedia and production design fields.

Program prerequisite: keyboarding skill of 40 net words per minute by touch. Students who need to reach this skill level must enroll in OSA-100 Keyboarding & Basic Formatting (3 credit hours).

Real stories of success.

Not sure where to start? You’re not alone. Many Moraine Valley students begin by exploring their options and discovering what fits. Along the way, they build skills, gain direction, and create a plan for what comes next.
Get started today, find ways to pay for college, and see how other students turned their first step into something bigger.

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You may also be interested in these programs with similar focus areas and career opportunities.

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Program Details

View the catalog to explore program requirements, a suggested course sequence and prerequisite information.

ProgramType of CredentialCurriculum CodeDepartment or Division
A.G.S.1427Transfer Program

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