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General Education - Transfer

Overview Degrees/Certificates

American River College offers certificates of achievement to satisfy the general education requirements for the California State University (CSU) system or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC).

Degrees and Certificates Offered

A.A.-T. in Art History
Cal-GETC Certificate
Honors Transfer Certificate

Dean Nisha Beckhorn
Phone (916) 484-8572
Email counseling@arc.losrios.edu

Associate Degree for Transfer

A.A.-T. in Art History

The Associate in Arts in Art History for Transfer provides a clearly articulated curricular track for students who wish to transfer to a CSU campus, while also serving the diverse needs of students interested in the breadth and depth of the field of Art History. Additionally, this degree exposes students to the core principles and practices of the field in order to build a foundation for their future personal, academic, or vocational paths.

The Associate in Arts degree in Art History for Transfer provides students with a major that fulfills the general requirements of the California State University for transfer. Students with this degree will receive priority admission with junior status to the California State University system. The Associate in Arts degree in Art History for Transfer (A.A.-T.) may be obtained by the completion of 60 transferable, semester units with a minimum 2.0 GPA, including (a) the major or area of emphasis described in the Required Program outlined below (earning a C or better in these courses) and (b) either the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University General Education‐Breadth Requirements.

Catalog Date: August 1, 2025

Degree Requirements

Course Code	Course Title	Units
ART 300	Drawing and Composition I	3
ARTH 302	Art: Stone Age Through the Middle Ages	3
ARTH 308	Renaissance Tradition in Art	3
ARTH 310	Modern Art	3
A minimum of 3 units from the following:		3
ARTH 333	Introduction to Islamic Art (3)
ARTH 334	International Contemporary Art (3)
A minimum of 3 units from the following:		3
ART 304	Figure Drawing I (3)
ART 320	Design: Fundamentals (3)
ART 323	Design: Color Theory (3)
ART 327	Painting I (3)
ART 328	Painting II (3)
ART 336	Watercolor Painting (3)
ART 361	Printmaking: Survey (3)
ART 370	Three Dimensional Design (3)
ART 372	Sculpture (3)
ART 375	Figure Sculpture (3)
ART 390	Ceramics (3)
ARTNM 303	Graphic Design: Typography (3)
ARTNM 324	Digital Design (3)
ARTPH 300	Basic Film and Darkroom Photography (3)
ARTPH 305	Digital Photography (3)
A minimum of 3 units from the following:		3¹
ART 304	Figure Drawing I (3)
ART 320	Design: Fundamentals (3)
ART 323	Design: Color Theory (3)
ART 327	Painting I (3)
ART 328	Painting II (3)
ART 336	Watercolor Painting (3)
ART 361	Printmaking: Survey (3)
ART 370	Three Dimensional Design (3)
ART 372	Sculpture (3)
ART 375	Figure Sculpture (3)
ART 390	Ceramics (3)
ART 420	Film Making (2)
ARTH 333	Introduction to Islamic Art (3)
ARTH 334	International Contemporary Art (3)
ARTNM 303	Graphic Design: Typography (3)
ARTNM 305	History of Graphic Design (3)
ARTNM 324	Digital Design (3)
ARTPH 300	Basic Film and Darkroom Photography (3)
ARTPH 305	Digital Photography (3)
ARTPH 345	Survey of Photography (3)
Total Units:		21

¹Excluding any courses used to fulfill the degree requirements listed above.

The Associate in Arts in Art History for Transfer (AA-T) degree may be obtained by completion of 60 transferable, semester units with a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.0, including (a) a minimum grade of "C" (or "P") for each course in the major or area of emphasis described in the Required Program, and (b) either the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University General Education-Breadth Requirements.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:

assess and evaluate the contributions of artists throughout history.
identify and evaluate works of art or architecture according to their appropriate style and time frame.
analyze and critique art and architecture within the context of their functions and meanings.
research and assess theoretical information concerning the meanings and purposes of art and architecture.
explain the history of cultures and civilizations and how art and architecture is a reflection of that history.

Career Information

Art historians with undergraduate degrees are placed as registrars, preparators, and curatorial staff in art museums and galleries; they can also be employed as art critics in mass media publications, such as newspapers and magazines. An advanced degree allows an art historian a wider range of possible career applications, including museums directorships, curators, instructors, preservationists, researchers, and auction house personnel.

Certificates of Achievement

Cal-GETC Certificate

This certificate is designed for students planning to transfer to a California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) campus. It ensures that the student has met the lower division General Education/Breadth requirements for all CSU and UC campuses.

Catalog Date: August 1, 2025

Certificate Requirements

Course Code	Course Title	Units
A minimum of 34 units from the following:		34
Students must complete a minimum of 34 units used to satisfy the Cal-GETC certification requirements. See the Cal-GETC pattern in the American River College (ARC) catalog or consult with an ARC counselor.
Total Units:		34

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:

demonstrate effective expository and persuasive writing skills.
develop a reasoned solution to a problem.
explain the values of a culture as expressed through its art or language.
evaluate the methods of inquiry and evidence used in the behavioral and social sciences.
evaluate new and accepted ideas about the natural universe using testable methodology.

Honors Transfer Certificate

The American River College (ARC) Honors Program is a community of students and faculty who are dedicated to the pursuit of intellectual and personal enrichment in a diverse and challenging academic environment.

Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or better who have completed at least 15 units of approved Honors coursework earn a Certificate of Achievement noted on the transcript. A maximum of 6 units of Honors coursework may be transferred from other colleges. Some courses may need to be petitioned.

Most courses in the certificate fulfill requirements for the ARC A.A., A.S., A.A.-T., A.S.-T. degrees, and the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) Pattern. Check with an ARC counselor for exceptions.

Completion of the certificate with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 or better allows students to take advantage of transfer agreements with highly selective colleges and universities through the Honors Transfer Council of California and to participate in the Transfer Alliance Program at UCLA. Honors students must meet with a counselor to ensure completion of ARC graduation and/or transfer requirements. In addition, Honors students should meet regularly with an Honors faculty advisor to ensure completion of the Honors certificate in a timely fashion.

Catalog Date: August 1, 2025

Certificate Requirements

Course Code	Course Title	Units
A minimum of 15 units from the following:		15¹
ANTH 480	Honors Biological Anthropology (3)
ANTH 481	Honors Cultural Anthropology (3)
ASTR 481	Honors Astronomy: Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology (4)
BIOL 482	Honors Marine Biology (4)
CISP 480	Honors Introduction to Structured Programming (5)
ENGL C1000H	Academic Reading and Writing - Honors (3)
ENGWR 481	Honors College Composition and Literature (3)
ENGL C1001H	Critical Thinking and Writing - Honors (3)
HIST 480	History of Western Civilization - Honors (3)
HIST 481	History of Western Civilization - Honors (3)
HIST 483	History of the United States - Honors (3)
HIST 484	History of the United States - Honors (3)
NUTRI 481	Honors - Cultural Foods of the World (3)
POLS 480	Introduction to International Relations - Honors (3)
POLS C1000H	American Government and Politics - Honors (3)
PSYC C1000H	Introduction to Psychology - Honors (3)
PSYC 481	Honors Abnormal Behavior (3)
SOC 480	Introductory Sociology - Honors (3)
STAT C1000H	Introduction to Statistics - Honors (4)
Total Units:		15

¹Up to six units of the Honors Certificate may be earned with non-Honors coursework for which there is an Honors Contract. Contact the Honors Coordinator for details.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:

analyze the broad areas of human knowledge that contribute to purposeful and meaningful lives.
incorporate argumentative reasoning and logic involved in the process of advanced problem-solving in an academic setting.
investigate advanced methods of inquiry and analysis employed in a variety of disciplines.
justify personal accomplishments as a highly motivated, self-directed individual in an advanced academic setting.
demonstrate cultural competence in a diverse academic setting.