Associate of General Studies
updated 7.28.25
Associate of General Studies
AGS degree: 90 credits
The Associate of General Studies degree (AGS) is designed for students wishing to acquire a broad education rather than pursuing a specific college major or career program. Coursework may include a variety of technical and college transfer courses. Because of the flexibility of this degree, it may not fulfill requirements for transfer to a four-year institution. Students are responsible for checking with the college of their choice if transferability is desired. Students should consult a Columbia Gorge Community College advisor in selecting appropriate courses. Degree candidates must complete at least 90 transferable credit hours.
| Core Requirements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Requirements | Credits | Courses which satisfy requirements |
| Writing | 4 | WR 121Z (with a grade of "C" or better) or passing a lower division collegiate writing course for which WR 121Z is prerequisite |
| Mathematics | 4 | MTH 65 or MTH 98 (with grade “C” or better) or passing a math course for which MTH 65 or MTH 98 is a prerequisite |
| First Year Experience | 4 | FYE 100 (may count towards Social Science General Education Requirement) |
| General Education | 12-16 | See General Education Electives List (pages 12-13 of the 2025-26 Catalog) |
AGS Comprehensive Requirement Limits
- Minimum Credits: All candidates must earn a minimum of 90 credits toward an associate degree. Credit courses numbered below 100 cannot be used to fulfill the 90 credit minimum requirement for any degree.
- Minimum Grade Point Average: All candidates for a degree must have at least a 2.0 minimum cumulative grade point average (“C” average).
- Minimum Residency: To establish residency, all degree candidates must successfully complete 34 percent of the degree requirements at CGCC. Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) or credit transferred from another institution may not be used to establish residency.
- Credit courses with passing grades may only be applied once in meeting a degree requirement (unless approved to be repeated).
- Maximum number of Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) or “P” (pass) grades allowable for AGS: A maximum of 66 percent of degree requirements may be completed using CPL or “P” (pass) grades.
- Maximum of six credits of PE may apply
- Maximum of six credits of one-credit MSD workshops may apply
- No more than 12 credits of Cooperative Education courses may be used.
- No more than nine credits of experimental courses may be used (course numbers 199-199Z and 299-299Z)
AGS General Education Requirements
Students must take a minimum of four courses of General Education from the General Education Electives List. All courses must be a minimum of three credits and be in the following disciplines:
- Arts & Letters
- Social Sciences
- Science, Mathematics, and Computer Science
The 4 courses must include at least one course with a minimum of three credits from each discipline. Students should consult an advisor regarding General Education appropriate to their goals and interests. General Education requirements will be waived for students who enroll at CGCC with an AA, AAS, AGS, AS, BA, BS, or higher degree, from a regionally accredited United States institution.
AGS Elective Credit Requirements
- All students must complete elective credits to meet the overall requirements of 90 credits. Elective credits from any lower division collegiate or career technical courses may apply. Elective credits may apply from any course numbered 100 or higher