Generally speaking, you can’t beat this transfer degree

And the most popular associate degree at Tidewater Community College is . . .?

If you answered general studies, well done! TCC’s Associate of Science in General Studies makes the transfer process easy with all your credits applied to your four-year university of choice.

Students follow a flexible curriculum that allows them to be a junior in college upon completion.

Here’s why more than 5,000 students at TCC are pursuing the general studies associate:

The buzz on this degree

You design your schedule by taking classes in all of the major disciplines, including science, history, social sciences, mathematics and the humanities, giving you the broadest possible foundation for your future.

“I recommend the general studies degree because it can be customized to meet specific requirements of four-year schools. We can match class for class and make college transfer a really smooth process,” said Rhonda Goudy, the transfer counselor at the Chesapeake Campus. “We can also clean up errors if a student chose a wrong class before seeing an advisor.”

General Studies sounds so, well, general. Could it work for me?

 The broadness of the degree makes it an ideal option for bachelor’s degrees at universities requiring specific coursework or prerequisites. The associate can pave the way for work in any area from law to psychology to political science to mathematics and management.

Here’s what our students say:

Chidinma Owuama

The Navy spouse selected general studies because it provides a seamless transfer to Old Dominion’s bachelor’s in nursing. “It’s very good to be able to pick the classes you need. It has been awesome, but not easy. With a lot of hard work, determination and commitment, you can get there.”

Owuama hopes to be a physician’s assistant.

Kayla Hood

“I came here so I could save money on college. I really like the flexible classes and enjoy going to the gym in the student center whenever I’m on campus.”

Hood plans to transfer to a university to study special education.

Vance Reynolds

“I decided to take this route because universities are more expensive. I’m getting my general requirements out of the way before moving to Old Dominion to study cybersecurity.”

Reynolds plans a career in homeland security.

Salvador Fuentes-Calderon

“I chose general studies because I didn’t know what I wanted to do after high school, and this seemed like a good way to get started. I’ve really enjoyed the variety of courses, from world religion to sociology to psychology. This degree introduced me to new concepts and experiences that I’m taking with me.”

Fuentes-Calderon plans to complete his bachelor’s at Old Dominion and apply to the Chesapeake Police Academy.

About the curriculum

You will complete 38 credits of general education, including English, math, science and history. You will fill in the degree with 21 hours of humanities, social science and other approved electives. Along the way, you will gain an education that builds communications and critical thinking skills and research, analysis and problem-solving skills. Complete the 61 credits in as little as four semesters or take classes part time.

In addition, you can take day, evening and online classes on any TCC campus, or you can complete the program 100 percent online.

Where can you go?

 As we often say, from here you can go anywhere. With the required GPA, you can take advantage of transfer agreements with nearly every public college and university in Virginia and many private colleges, including:

• University of Virginia
• James Madison University
• Old Dominion University
• Virginia Tech
• Norfolk State University
• Regent University
• Virginia Wesleyan College
• Liberty University

Bonus: First-time college students who meet GPA and other requirements may qualify for a two-year transfer grant of up to $1,000 applied toward tuition for their junior and senior years.

Questions?  Contact TCC’s New Student Support Team at 757-822-1111.